ECM 1407 Electronic Machines

Question 1

What was the key technology of 1st gen?

Answer 1

The Vacuum Bulb
Consists of 3 parts: Anode, grid, cathode
Problems: Fragile, clunky, weight, requires a lot of energy while no resistant to heat; reliability

1951: UNIVAC, a first gen system

Question 2

What was the key technology of 2nd gen?

Answer 2

• The transistor, enables us to create logic gates
• The IBM System 360
  ○ Introduces the concept of
  computer family

Question 3

What was the key technology of 3rd gen?

Answer 3

The Integrated circuit
- Composed of many layers consisting of anodes, cathodes and transistors
- The Cray-1: the first commercial supercomputer

Question 4

What was the key technology of 4th gen?

Answer 4

The microprocessor
- 1971, the Integrated Electronics company (Intel) develops the first (commercially available) microprocessor, miniaturised the Central Process Unit into a single CI.
- The IBM PC
○ It is an open architecture -
a type of computer architecture or
software architecture intended to
make adding, upgrading, and
swapping components with other
computers easy.
○ It is for everybody

Question 5

What was the key technology of 5th gen?

Answer 5

• Post PC era
• System on a Chip - an IC integrating most components of a computer
• Artificial intelligence
  Cloud