CS 185C: The History of ComputingAugust 29 Class Meeting
Department of Computer ScienceSan Jose State University
Fall 2011Instructor: Ron Mak
www.cs.sjsu.edu/~mak
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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CS 286-03 for Graduate Students
This course will be cross-listed with CS 286-03 Counts as an options course
Use this course to prepare for your masters thesis project. Research the historical context for your thesis. Hook up with a famous industry advisor. Convince the advisor to stay on as your thesis
advisor.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Projects
Each team works throughout the semester on a project related to computing history. Project depends on students’ interest (with instructor consent).
Select and connect with suitable advisors.
Research primary (original) sources. Interview the original designers and developers. Read books, articles, and websites written by the original
designers and developers. Research historic artifacts in the archives of the
Computer History Museum. etc.
Reference secondary sources. Books, articles, websites, etc.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Some Project Ideas Restore a historic hardware or software artifact. Create a software simulation of a legendary computer
architecture. Study the evolution of a specific hardware or software
technology, including key decision points, controversies, politics, etc.
Chronicle the early history and legacy of a pioneering computing company or organization such as Control Data Corporation, Burroughs Corporation, Wang Laboratories, Digital Equipment Corporation, Zilog, Xerox PARC, and others.
Investigate past programming languages and demonstrate their influences on today's languages and programming paradigms.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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More Project Ideas
Trace the advancement of business or scientific data processing applications over the decades as application requirements and computing technologies evolved.
Study the impact of computing on society from the punched-card culture to the Web and social networking.
Collect, analyze, categorize, and index original software, documentation, and other artifacts related to a particular technology.
Interview industry pioneers and videotape and record their oral histories.
... etc.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Evolution of a Specific Technology
Number representation in a computer Fixed size vs. variable length (as in IBM 1401) Floating-point numbers and arithmetic
formats operations in software vs. hardware rounding errors
Evolution of computer memory Mechanical relays semiconductor
Evolution of secondary storage systems Punched cards flash memory
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Computer Memory: Mercury Delay Line (1940s)
UNIVAC I: 1000 35-bit words
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Computer Memory: Williams Tube (1940s)
First random-access computer storage device.Each tube stored 512 – 1024 bits.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Computer Memory: Magnetic Core (1950s)
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Software Simulation
Develop a software simulation of a historic computer system. Emulate the instruction set Graphical display of the front panel Run programs compiled for the original system on your
simulation
The Computer History Simulation Projecthttp://simh.trailing-edge.com/
Demo: ROPE/1401 simulation of the IBM 1401 Autocoder cross-assembler written in FORTRAN 90 SIMH 1401 simulator written in C GUI wrapper written in Java
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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IBM 1401 Workshop
Small team of two students spend the semester learning everything about the IBM 1401 Architecture How to operate How to program Work with the 1401 restoration project at the
Computer History Museum
At the end of the semester, teach a hands-on workshop for local high school students. With handouts
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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The History of Zilog
Zilog had a significant role in the history of Silicon Valley and the history of the semiconductor industry. First corporation specializing in microprocessors The Z80 chip helped launch the personal computer revolution However, the history of Zilog is not well known.
Project: Document the history of Zilog. Advisors: Bernard Peuto, former engineering director at Zilog,
and Christophe Lécuyer, professional historian and author of books on the history of the high-tech industry.
Gather archival materials from Zilog and its competitors. technical and marketing documents, business records, etc.
Conduct oral histories of former Zilog engineers and managers. Supported by the Computer History Museum.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Publish on the IEEE Website
Each project team posts to the IEEE Global History Network website. http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Special:Home Each student will get an account
Edit only your project’s wiki Read everybody else’s wiki
Post drafts, blogs, final reports, etc. Get early exposure to experts worldwide
Receive comments, criticisms, advice, research guidance
You will be able to link to your project report. Add to your list of published works. The IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
is a well-known and highly respected professional organization with over 400,000 members worldwide in over 160 countries.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Getting an IEEE GHN Account
If you already have an IEEE account, you can just click on the “Sign In” button. Student memberships fees are discounted. Join the IEEE and access all of its benefits.
To create a guest account:http://www.ieee.org/about/help/Task/my_account/web_account.html Click on the “Create an IEEE Web Account” link Click on the “Create an IEEE Account” button E-mail me your IEEE user name
I will enable it for the Global History Network An account is needed to create and edit pages. All content can be read and viewed without first logging in.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Create a New Topic Article First look at the existing articles to see what’s already out there.
Click the “Submit a Topic Article” link For help, click the “Help Contents” link Identify at the top of your article:
“I’m a student in the History of Computing class at San Jose State University ( http://www.cs.sjsu.edu/~mak/CS185C/ ). This is a work in progress that will turn into a final article by the end of the semester. I welcome your comments and advice!”
Otherwise, other IEEE members may try to edit it. E-mail your topic title to [email protected]
Each article has a “Discussion” button that others can use to start discussion threads about your article. You can reply to the comments.
You can also use your account to post a blog of your research in progress.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Topic Gaps in Computing Alan Turing Computer Virus Infects PCs ASCII Herman Hollerith UNIVAC UNIX Sun Microsystems FORTRAN CMOS C John von Neumann ARPANET Leon O. Chua Shmuel Winograd Charles H. Bennett Ralph E. Gomory Jamie Fenton
Henrietta Swan Leavitt Betty Holberton Adele Katz Goldstine Frances Spence Marlyn Meltzer Lempel-Ziv Compression
Algorithm Ruth Teitelbaum HTTP Ethernet Distributed Networks Mary Allen Wilkes Mary Shaw Computer Language Compiler ACE Computer Packet Switching
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Project Ideas
Send project descriptions to [email protected] by Friday, September 2.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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TAKE ROLL!
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Next Guest Speaker: Gordon Bell
Famous computer architect and manager. “Father of the minicomputer”
Early employee of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) 1960-1966 VP of Engineering, 1972-1983
Co-author of the textbook, Computer Structures
Co-founder of the Computer History Museum Other co-founder was his wife Gwen Bell
He has also agreed to be a project advisor for students of this class.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Gordon Bell, cont’d
Talk is Wednesday, August 316:00 – 7:00 PMAuditorium ENGR 189Davidson Engineering Building
Come early for the reception outside the auditorium starting at 5:00
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Gordon Bell, cont’d
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Gordon Bell, cont’d
At the console of the PDP-6, circa 1964
Gordon Bell today
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
23
Computer Structures
Classic classic textbook on computer architecture 1971 (first edition) and 1982 (second edition)
Introduced the PMS and ISP notations to describe the structure and behavior of computer systems PMS notation did not become very popular
Description languages such as VHDL more commonly used today ISP is the forerunner of today’s register transfer languages for
simulation, verification, and design generally
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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PMS Notation
PMS: processor-memory-switch Describes the structure of a computer system at the
information flow level.
L = linkS = switchD = data T = transducerK = controlP = processorM = memory
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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ISP Notation
ISP: Instruction Set Processor Describes a computer
system at the programming (logic) level
It is possible to create a simulator for a computer system by interpreting its ISP description.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Computer Structures, cont’d
Gordon Bell and his co-author Dan Siewiorek are starting to work on a third edition.
They are open to having top computer architecture students work with them on small writing and research projects. “Tracing the evolution using PMS structures for chips level to
full system level to understand where performance or reliability is coming from.”
“In a few cases, e.g. iPhone the notion of PMS structures of both hardware and software systems … this is a pioneering project as neither of us have done it before … we just share the belief that is will work.”
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Bell’s Law of Computer Classes
Please look over his article (link on class website)
A computer class is a set of computers in a particular price range defined by: Programming environment (Windows, Linux, etc.) Network User interface
Bell’s Law describes how computer classes are born, evolve, and die
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Minicomputers
Class of computer systems between the large expensive mainframe systems and the small inexpensive personal computer systems. Cheap enough to be purchased by individual departments,
such as a school or a scientific laboratory.
Popular during the 1960s and 1970s. Major manufacturers were Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC), Data General, and Hewlett-Packard. Mostly 16- and 32-bit machines, up to 1 MB memory.
Overtaken by the microcomputers during the 1980s.
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
Major minicomputer manufacturer, 1957-1998 CEO during most of that period was its cofounder
Ken Olsen (1926-2011)
Computer systems PDP-1, PDP-6, PDP-8, PDP-10, PDP-11 VAX
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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DEC, cont’d
PDP-1 (1960) at the Computer History Museumwith Steve Russell, programmer of Spacewar!the very first video game, as an MIT student.18-bit word, 4-64 K words of memory
PDP-8 (1965)12-bit word4-32 K words of memory
SJSU Dept. of Computer ScienceFall 2011: August 29
CS 185C: This History of Computing© R. Mak
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DEC, cont’d
PDP-11 (1970s-1990s)16-bit wordup to 56 KB of memoryEarly development of UNIX and C
Introduced October 25, 197732-bit word, virtual memory