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papers & manuals

hardware

software

Description

Maurice V. Wilkes and his team at the university of Cambridge constructed the EDSAC: Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Computer. The design was based on that of von Neumann.

Memory contained 512 words of 17 bits, had mercury delay lines as temporary buffer. Bits were converted into ultrasone sound and transmitted at one of the extremities of the mercury line. At the other side they were converted again. This system was very slow buyt also more reliable than the electrostatic tubes.

The clock speed was 0.5 MHz and output was realized on continuous paper. The program supported relocatable code when the program was loaded.

Specifications

Chronology