Marconi Transistorised Automatic Computer facts for kids
The Marconi Transistorized Automatic Computer was a very important machine. It was the first computer built entirely with transistors in Britain. The Marconi Company designed and made it starting around 1959.
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What Was the Marconi Transistorized Automatic Computer?
This computer was special because it used tiny electronic parts called transistors instead of older, larger vacuum tubes. Transistors were smaller, used less power, and were more reliable. This was a big step forward in computer technology!
How Did This Computer Work?
The Marconi computer used germanium transistors. These transistors worked well in normal room temperatures, as long as it wasn't too hot (below about 23 degrees Celsius).
The computer was quite fast for its time. It had a "clock" that ticked 500,000 times per second (500 kHz). It processed information in "words" of 20 bits. Think of a bit as a tiny switch that is either on or off. A 20-bit word is like a small string of 20 these switches.
It had two main memory parts, called core memory stores. These could hold 4,000 words of 20 bits each. This is where the computer kept its data and instructions. The computer's main brain, the CPU, used special signals to keep everything working in sync. It also had ways to quickly move information around, especially when it needed to transfer lots of data at once.
The computer had a set of instructions, like commands, that it could follow. These instructions helped it do things like add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. It also had special storage areas called "registers" (named A, B, and D) to hold information while it was being processed.
What Was It Used For?
The Marconi Transistorized Automatic Computer had important jobs. It helped mark information on radar screens, showing details about aircraft. It also helped process data for operators in nuclear power stations. This shows how computers were starting to become useful in important industries.
Sometimes, the computer had problems, like transistors failing or issues with its power supply. The machines that fed information into the computer, like Paper tape readers, could also be unreliable.
Where Can You See It Today?
You can still see some of these historic computers! One is on display at the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, England. This computer is even still working! Another one is part of a collection near the University of York.
If you want to learn more, copies of the original manuals and documents are kept at the Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester and the Manchester John Rylands Library.
The Next Step
After this computer, the Marconi Company continued to develop more advanced machines. They went on to create the Myriad series of computers.
