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Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Someone already has a head start on you...

http://goldfish.ikaruga.co.uk/logic.html

Blech!

If you want a mechanical computer, go analog. There's no point in
mechanical digital, unless you're talking nanobots. (for example, how do
you couple the output of one gat to the input of the next? How do you
power this conglomeration? that sort of thing)

I think you could get slide-rule precision with the gearsets that
are available these days. And I work at a machine shop - they can make
anything.

Cheers!
Rich
 
I

Ian Stirling

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise said:
Blech!

If you want a mechanical computer, go analog. There's no point in
mechanical digital, unless you're talking nanobots. (for example, how do
you couple the output of one gat to the input of the next? How do you
power this conglomeration? that sort of thing)

Mechanical digital has the same advantages that electronic digital has.
You don't need absolute precision in the mechanics, as long as it
works well enough, it'll all work.
With analog, you need parts that fit absolutely, and there is very
little room for error.
With digital, a Lego computer is possible.
 
J

Joel Kolstad

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ian Stirling said:
Mechanical digital has the same advantages that electronic digital has.
You don't need absolute precision in the mechanics, as long as it
works well enough, it'll all work.
With analog, you need parts that fit absolutely, and there is very
little room for error.

I think it might be better to say that with digital, it's pretty easy to
repeatably end up with a machine that -- by construction -- has a known
amount of precision (i.e,. how many bits you gave your digital words). With
analaog, it's pretty easy to repeatably end up with a machine that has some
given (coarse) precision, but typically it's more tempting to push for as
high of precision as possible and that's where everything has to fit so
precisely... (or in the case of analog electronics, you need those really
good op-amps...).

It's interesting to me that the mind seems to be less 'distracted' by
something like low bit rate digital audio with clearly audible compression
artifiacts vs. analog noise found with poor SNR AM/FM.

---Joel Kolstad
 
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Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mechanical digital has the same advantages that electronic digital has.
You don't need absolute precision in the mechanics, as long as it
works well enough, it'll all work.
With analog, you need parts that fit absolutely, and there is very
little room for error.
With digital, a Lego computer is possible.

OK, show me one. ;-)

Even, say, a one-bit full adder.

Good Luck!
Rich
 
I

Ian Stirling

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise said:
OK, show me one. ;-)

Even, say, a one-bit full adder.


One shaft supplies power, and rotates constantly.
Logic levels are 180 degrees apart on an input or output shaft.

Inverter is just a matter of mounting the next gate upside down, or
a gear to delay by 180 degrees.

So, an or gate.

Each input pushes a clutch closed in the "on" position, between the power
shaft and drives the output shaft round to an end-stop at "1".

A spring winds it back to "0".

Not, Or, what else do you need.

There is certainly a better way (lower power, higher speed, fewer cheaper
blocks) to make this of course.
 
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