Author Topic: Mechanical computers...and YOU. (Read 9751 times)

Pixel_Outlaw · « **on:** March 01, 2008 »

I watched some Japanese kids do speed math with their abacus lastnight while lacking sleep. I had to have some kind of mechanical calculator after this. I wanted a slide rule but they were kind of pricy so I went for an abacus. I wonder how far I'll get learning this contraption. There are many varieties it seems.

So in my sleep deprovation I bought a japanese abacus lastnight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-Traditional-wooden-ABACUS-Soroban-large-L-K_W0QQitemZ360022353702QQihZ023QQcategoryZ4003QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

Shockwave · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2008 »

Believe it or not I am old enough to remember these things in school when I was very young..

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2008 »

I found a link to more primative forms of the calculator:

http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/mechanical_calculators.html

I'd imageine there is something to working with math on a more physical level.

rain_storm · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2008 »

Heres an interesting project a relay based cpu built from discrete components

http://www.diycalculator.com/sp-hrrgcomp.shtml

perhaps not the fastest but what an ambitious project for a single person to undertake. Harry Porter is a legend in the circuit bending world because of this big beast

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2008 »

I bought an "addiator" too.

It uses a stylus just like those fancy palm devices.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=380000148978&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=025#ebayphotohosting

Here are more addiators:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/calculators/addiators/Baby3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/calculators/addiators/addiators.htm&h=458&w=300&sz=28&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=V_MNNjwRxY-iWM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=84&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaby%2Bmechanical%2Badder%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

Singer · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2008 »

Quote from: Shockwave on March 01, 2008

Believe it or not I am old enough to remember these things in school when I was very young..

I must be much younger than you Shocky, or maybe my school was more modern. I certainly cannot remember seeing an abacus in any of my classes.

Shockwave · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2008 »

Quote from: Singer on March 04, 2008

I must be much younger than you Shocky, or maybe my school was more modern. I certainly cannot remember seeing an abacus in any of my classes.

They had abbacuses in primary school..

For those people who are not in the know, Singer cannot possibly be younger than I am. Keep taking the tablets mum

Yes, my mother is a member of this message board, I havent managed to get her to learn to code anything yet.

Rbz · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2008 »

Quote from: Shockwave on March 04, 2008

....
Yes, my mother is a member of this message board....
....

I hope you understand how lucky you are

Shockwave · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2008 »

I'm sure that she does Rbraz

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2008 »

I"ll be laughing my head of when they stop making batteries and electricity and I can still preform calculations.

You'll see! YOU'LL SEE!

Singer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 05, 2008 »

Just point me in the right direction, and I may surprise the lot of you.
With a little tuition, and some encouragement I may shock even me.

Shockwave · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2008 »

Pixel Outlaw can get you started on the addiator, after you've mastered that I'll tell you what stuff to install so you can code some kickass demos on it.
You'll get an instant thumb up for the platform

Singer · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2008 »

I would appreciate that very much, but would Pixel Outlaw really be willing to take on the challenge of getting me started?

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2008 »

I wish I had a Curta II but those go for 600 dollars.

The mechanical calculator would need some display of small pin lights behind a perforated black piece of paper. That would not be oldschool demo coding it would be ancient demo coding. I hope to get by Adiator today the abacus is coming from japan so I plan to make my own in the mean time. I had to go to a pink painted ladies' craft store for the little wooden beads. It was really humbling and terrifying. I can provide project plans if anyone is interested, I drew some up on AutoCAD.

The plans are in inches because I reject the rest of the world's measurement system.

rain_storm · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2008 »

Saw this and immediately thought of this topic. Its a full adder that uses marbles instead of voltage maybe not as versatile as what your lookin for but its worth a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md0TlSjIags&feature=related

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #15 on:** March 07, 2008 »

Saw that lastnight. How does it add? It only has multiples of 4?

Here are my plans for the abacus I'm going to build today. This frame was built around 1/2 inch beads. The spacing is from the center of each bar to the center of the next bar. This is because beads have different size holes. I'm using 1/8 inch cold rolled steel for my bead rails. The middle divider bar has holes drilled in it to allow the 13 rails to pass through. You will probably want to use stock that is 1/2 x 3/4 inches. In any case you want the frame to be slightly deeper than the diameter of your beads so you can use it on the table.

rain_storm · « **Reply #16 on:** March 08, 2008 »

It adds the same way that a computer adds, the bits are and'ed together to see if there is a carry out which is shifted one bit to the left. A xor gate is used to catch the bits that dont carry over. On that example the notch substitutes for the xor gate and the rocker substitutes for both the and gate and the shift left. Those numbers are powers of 2 and represent the value of a bit in the bit string so if bit 0 is set the bit has a value of 1. If bit 1 is set the value is 2 bit 3 is set the value is equal to 4 then 8 then 16 always doubling the previous value. Its very clever but limited to additions only.

Thats the beauty of the Abacus there are people who can out perform calculators (given that time must be spent inputting the numbers into a calculator) using only an abascus. Its because multiplying dividing and even square roots can be easy to do on the abacus.

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2008 »

Still working hard. I need to put a coat of poly on this and secure the sides:

Thought I'd share

Rbz · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2008 »

Did you make all pieces yourself ?

Looks really good

Pixel_Outlaw · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2008 »

Yes, I cut the rod with bolt cutters and the wooden parts are all from a piece of pine that was 1/2 by 3/4 inches. I bought the beads in a craft store.

Thanks for your thoughts.