IBM 604
| Company type | Electronic calculator |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computing hardware |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Ralph Palmer, Jerrier Haddad, Byron Phelps |
| Products | Electronic calculator |
The IBM 604 Electronic Calculating Punch holds the distinction of being the first electronic calculator produced on a large scale, succeeding the earlier IBM 603.[1] This machine, part of the electronic unit record equipment family, was capable of executing a variety of calculations, including division. Its development team comprised Ralph Palmer, Jerrier Haddad, and Byron Phelps,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name with IBM launching the product in 1948.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
This apparatus processed punched cards by reading them from a stack, carrying out computations dictated by its plugboard configuration, and then punching the results back onto the same cards. Card handling was managed by a separate IBM 521 Card Read/Punch unit, which featured its own plugboard to determine which columns to read or punch.[2]
Both the 604 and its derivative model, the 605, played key roles in the Card Programmed Electronic Calculators (CPC and CPC II) systems as well as in the Test Assembly, which served as a forerunner to IBM’s early computers. The modular circuit design pioneered with these devices had a significant impact on the design of the widely adopted IBM 650, recognized as the first computer mass-produced in the 1960s.
In October 1954, IBM showcased an all-transistor prototype of this calculator that utilized over 2,200 transistors instead of the original’s 1,250 vacuum tubes. This transistorized model occupied roughly half the space and consumed only about 5% of the power used by the tube-based version.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Although this was an experimental unit, it paved the way for the introduction of the IBM 608 in December 1957, which became the first all-transistor electronic calculator manufactured in volume.[3]
Much of the circuitry within the 604 was derived from designs used in the IBM 603 and assembled into compact pluggable modules, each generally containing a single miniature vacuum tube. This standardization facilitated easier production and maintenance.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The machine’s arithmetic section included around 1,250 tubes.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Its clock frequency was increased from 35kHz in the 603 to 50kHz in this model. The 604 executed fixed-point arithmetic operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—employing binary-coded decimal (BCD) representation.
Early versions supported up to 40 programmable steps, which were later expanded to accommodate up to 60 steps. Processing was timed to align with the reader/punch cycle; calculations needed to finish during the interval between a card leaving the read station and arriving at the punch station.
Originally, IBM intended to produce only about 75 units but ultimately delivered more than 5,600 machines.[4] By 1974, over 400 units were still operational.[4]
Preserved specimens of the IBM 604 can be found at institutions such as the American Computer Museum and the University of Amsterdam Computer Museum.
In terms of cultural references, a pair of scientists employ an IBM 604 in The Adventures of Tintin comics to facilitate Tintin’s journey to the moon.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
See also
References
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:02 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named604opmanual - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0