The Franklin Institute laboratories for research and development

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1950
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 175 KB
• Volume: 249
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-0032
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-0032(50)90509-6

✦ Synopsis

This paper consisted of a series of four articles on the design and development of mechanical analog computers. The first article explained the differences between digital and analog computation, and discussed typical analog quantities• Design specifications were listed along with a statement of the variable relation in equation or tabular form, a knowledge of the range of input values and suitable sensing elements or input devices. The output of the computer may indicate, record, or control another mechanism. Schematic design began with block diagrams of various methods of solution. Various types of errors in computers were discussed, and methods of calibration and adjustment were illustrated. Figure 1 shows nine types of calibrating devices for computing mechanisms.