Mike, On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 6:41 PM, Mike Archbold <[email protected]> wrote:
> It looks interesting, but how do you learn to program that thing? > I learned analog computer programming nearly a half century ago, because I needed SOMETHING like that to be able to bet through my diffy-Q class. There was a TR-20 on campus, where I would stop in for a few minutes after each class to patch in my homework problems and graph the solutions - to later figure out what the formula was. Unfortunately, this did NOT help me with the final exam. The basic functional units are integrators, so patching differential equations comes most naturally. Like everything else, just read the manual. The GP-6 was specifically designed as a laboratory computer - to interface with other things for input and output, which fits in well with my planned use for it. The GP-6 came out shortly after the transition from vacuum tubes to transistors, so the computational part is transistorized, but the display is still vacuum tube. This is serial #55. Later GP-6 computers incorporated an LCD display. I am a sucker for still-useful antique machines. For example, I have a 1919 vintage South Bend lathe with a 6 foot long bed that I restored. It weighs about half a ton, so it is rock-solid when cutting. The only problem is that the chucks weigh so damn much that they are hard to change. I once turned some brake drums without separating them from the hubs, with one of the chucks that was so big it could reach around the hubs to grab the drums. Perhaps you remember the early races between the abacus and the adding machine? The abacus always won. Just because Intel has a new chip doesn't mean that you can program a differential equation any faster on it. There are MANY older machines that can still hold their own in a modern world. Perhaps the all time great antique computer is now in a large glass case at the entrance to NOAA headquarters. It saw continuous service for more than a century, computing and printing the world's tide tables. It factored in everything of any significance, e.g. Jupiter's pull and the inertia of the water in the bay. It is an absolutely gorgeous steel and brass mechanical computer that is well worth the couple of hours needed to carefully study and understand its operation. It was eventually replaced by a program running on a CDC mainframe computer, that would now easily run on a PC. Someday my GP-6 may find its way into a glass case - when there is nothing left that it can do better than other computers. Until then, I plan to make it work for its place on my workbench. Steve ============= > On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 2:22 PM, Steve Richfield <[email protected] > > wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> I was about to start work on a signal processing project to transform >> sounds that are above the range of hearing into like sounds that are within >> the range of hearing. This would serve as a hearing aid, but MUCH better >> because ordinary hearing aids CAUSE hearing damage by pelting you with >> amplified sound. The final product would be something you wear or keep in >> your shirt pocket, that adds to sounds that you hear directly with your >> ears. >> >> So, where could I find a computer that is perfectly adapted to audio >> frequency signal processing. OF COURSE, an antique analog computer, where >> with a few wires I can change things MUCH faster than you could ever >> re-engineer signal processing code. Further, there is no sampling or >> quantization noise, or other artifacts of digital implementations. >> >> This computer is a gorgeous piece of antiquity, highlighted by its very >> retro Nixie tube voltmeter display. >> >> Technology marches on - but backwards. >> >> Any thoughts? >> >> Steve >> >> *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> >> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/11943661-d9279dae> | >> Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription >> <http://www.listbox.com> >> > > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/10443978-6f4c28ac> | > Modify<https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;>Your Subscription > <http://www.listbox.com> > -- Full employment can be had with the stoke of a pen. Simply institute a six hour workday. That will easily create enough new jobs to bring back full employment. ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-c97d2393 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-2484a968 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
