两吨重的计算机究竟长啥样?-IOTA

您的位置：网站首页 行业动态 两吨重的计算机究竟长啥样?

两吨重的计算机究竟长啥样?

阅读量：3609506 2019-10-20

是新朋友吗？记得先点蓝字关注我哦～

查尔斯·巴贝奇（以下简称巴贝奇），是英国著名的数学家，机械工程师和银行家。历史上对他具体的出生日期鲜有记载，对其的出生地也存在很大的争议；目前，人们普遍认为巴贝奇是1792年12月16日在伦敦克罗斯比街（Crosby Row）出生的。若有机会去伦敦旅游，你就能看到竖立在那里的一块巴贝奇纪念牌。
Charles Babbage (henceforth referred to as Babbage) is a famous Britain mathematician, mechanical engineer, and banker. There was little record of his exact birth date in history and enormous controversy regarding his birthplace. Now people generally believe Babbage was born on 16 December 1792 at Crosby Row, London. If you have the chance to visit London, you will see a Babbage Monument standing there.

兴许是因为其父亲是一位成功的银行家的缘故，巴贝奇的家庭条件十分优越。他父亲在他很小的时候便聘请了家庭教师前来指导，他也很争气地顺利进入了剑桥大学有名的三一学院；但因对其教学风格不满，巴贝奇随后便转学到了剑桥大学彼得学院并在那里学习数学。1819年，巴贝奇开始着手设计一款机械史上堪称最为复杂的计算机器——差分机（difference engine），此机器的出现也为现代计算机的发展奠定了基础。
Probably because his father was a successful banker, Babbage had a wealthy upbringing. His father hired a private teacher to tutor him when he was very young. He was also a good student and successfully entered the famous Trinity College in the University of Cambridge. However, he was unsatisfied with the teaching manner and subsequently transferred to Peterhouse in Cambridge and studied Mathematics there. In 1819, Babbage started to design the most sophisticated calculating machine in the history of mechanics: the difference engine. The invention of this machine also laid the foundation for the development of modern computers.

差分机的关键就在于“差分”二字，他将复杂的算式简化成只由“加”和“减”构成的运算。据说在1812年，巴贝奇从用于编织的“提花机”上取得灵感——将一种织物的编织方法记录下来，在需要使用这种技术的时候将记录了这种编织方法的带孔竹板插入，就能按照记录编织所需的织物。巴贝奇利用N次多项式求值会有共通的N次阶差的特性（反正就是看不懂的原理），使用了特殊齿数的齿轮转动进行“差分”后的加减计算，并设计了一个“显示器”以便最终的结果自动输出。这么复杂的机器对于每一个零件的精密度和质量都有极高的要求，直到1822年，第一台差分机可动模型才终于被制造出来。虽然只是个模型，但它的精密程度足以在当时让人们叹为观止。据说后来以此模型为基础生产出的的差分机一号包含了两万多个零件，重达4吨，实为惊人。

The essence of the difference machine is the word “difference.” Babbage simplified complex calculations into calculations consisted only of “add” and “subtract.” It is said that in 1812, Babbage was inspired by “The Jacquard loom” used in weaving: record the weaving process for a type of fabric so as to insert the punched bamboo card with the process into the loom when this process is needed, and then the loom can make the fabric according to the record on the car. Babbage utilized a mathematical principle and used gears with a special number of teeth to turn and perform “add” and “subtract” calculations after “differencing.” He also designed a “monitor” to enable the automatic output of the final result. Such a sophisticated machine had a very high standard for the precision and quality of its every single part. It is not until 1822 that the first difference engine model was finally completed. Although it was only a model, its sophistication impressed people in that age. It is said that the difference engine No. One manufactured later based on this model had over 20,000 parts and weighed up to 4 tons. It was, indeed, a spectacle.

巴贝奇本人对这台精密的机器作出了高度评价：“不论在可能完成的计算范围、简便程度、可靠性以及精确度，又或者是计算时人类的参与度方面，都超过了以前的机器。”。为了达到这么高的效率，巴贝奇利用齿轮的转动位数不同来储存数据，并将这部分结构称作为“存贮库”（Store）；据称这样的存贮库可以保存下16位数，可以精确到小数点后六位并且同时处理3个5位数。巴贝奇还以当时的蒸汽机为动力源，驱动齿轮进行运作，使得机器内被称作“作坊”（Mill）的部分通过一系列机械运动来完成对存贮库里数据的计算。

Babbage himself highly praised this sophisticated machine, “Beyond the range of calculations that could be done, the ease, the reliability, and the accuracy, or the human participation in the calculations, it surpasses the previous machines. ". In order to achieve such high efficiency, Babbage used the difference in the number of rotations of the gear to store the data, and referred to this part of the structure as a “store”. It is said that such a storage, which could hold up to 16 digits, can be accurate to six decimal places, and handle three 5-digit numbers at the same time. Babbage also used the steam engine at that time as the power source to drive the gears to operate, so that the part of the machine called "Mill" could be used to calculate the data in the storage through a series of mechanical movements.

但这样的精密机器并不能满足这位工程师。基于设计应用更广的机器的理念，巴贝奇又于1834年设计出了更先进的分析机，由打孔卡片进行输入输出，还专门制作了相匹配的键盘和显示器来更好的使用这台机器。这一代的差分机可以储存1000个50位的数字，折合现代计算机的大小大约是21kB，31位的运算精度，占地约300平方米。巴贝奇甚至为分析机撰写了特别的语言，也就是最早的汇编语言之一。
However, such a sophisticated machine could not satisfy the engineer. Based on the idea of designing a machine which could have a wider range of applications, Babbage designed a more advanced analysis machine in 1834, in which its input and output were processed by punched cards. He also made a matching keyboard and display to better use this machine. This generation of difference engine can store 1000 50-bit numbers, which was equivalent to 21kB in size with calculation accuracy up to 31 digits, covering an area of about 300 square meters. Babbage even wrote a special language for the analysis machine, which was also one of the earliest assembly languages.

可惜“分析机”迟迟没有完成，直到100多年后才在1991年于伦敦被后人按照图纸重制了出来，于目前陈列在加州计算机历史博物馆。而巴贝奇本人则早在1871年因身体条件恶化离开了这个世界，没能亲眼见到他自己完整的遗作“分析机”——计算机的先驱。
It was a pity that the "analytical machine" had not been completed. It was not until more than 100 years later that it was re-made by the descendants in London in 1991. It is currently displayed at the California Computer History Museum. Babbage himself left the world in 1871 due to deterioration of his physical condition, and he could not see his own complete "analytical machine" - the pioneer of computers.
Reference：
>分析机-科技中国 2012/09/26
>Wikipedia/ Analytical engine
>Wikipedia/ Charles Babbage
>Charles Babbage. Passages from the Life of a Philosopher. (1994) ISBN 978-1-85196-040-8
>知网/ 机械制造领域测量技术的发展研究