History Of The Computer The Emergence Of Electronics.
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The History of Computers: The Rise of Electronics
Summary:
The history of computers is closely linked to the development of electronics, especially during the rapid advancements of the late 1930s and early 1940s.Article:
The history of computers is intricately tied to the evolution of electronics, particularly during the explosive growth witnessed in the late 1930s and early 1940s. While war is devastating, it often accelerates technological progress. Despite its destructive use, some technological advancements during wartime have proven beneficial in peacetime.
In the early 20th century, electronics were emerging with the infancy of wireless communication, or radio, during World War I. By the 1920s and 1930s, radio broadcasting became widespread, and television began its journey in the 1930s.
With the onset of World War II in 1939, involving the USA shortly thereafter, technological innovation surged. Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) was developed from pre-war experiments in Britain and Germany. By the end of the war, radar had found multiple applications:
- Aircraft Navigation: Utilizing sets of three ground transmitters, aircraft could accurately determine their positions, akin to today’s GPS, which uses satellites instead of ground stations.
- Targeting: Radar beams were sent from England to intercept targets in Germany. Aircraft could follow these beams, receiving signals to correct their path.
- Interception: Ground stations in Southeast England fed data into a central control room, aiding significantly during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
- Airborne Interception (AI): Developed towards the war’s end, this system allowed night fighters to locate targets in darkness or adverse weather.
- Beacon: Runway-based transceivers guided aircraft landings in poor weather, evolving into Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) systems.
- Shipping: Radar-equipped ships could navigate safely or engage targets in darkness or fog.
Numerous electronic systems were developed or initiated during this six-year period, vastly expanding our knowledge and applications of electronics. Concurrently, other fields of electronics advanced under the necessity to enhance technology.
Accurate aiming of long-range guns, whether in naval or field operations, required complex ballistic calculations. Similarly, targeting rockets like the V2 to hit distant cities involved immense computational challenges.
By the war’s end, expertise in handling large calculations swiftly and the advent of pulse technology had been achieved. Pulse technology involved short bursts of high energy, offering two key advantages:
1. Coded Pulses: In navigation, ground stations could transmit distinct pulse patterns, helping navigators identify signal sources and determine positions using radar.
2. Signal Strength: Unlike continuous broadcasts, pulsed signals use less power, enhancing radar transmitter range crucial for both primary (transmit and receive) and secondary (receive) radar systems.
These technological strides laid the groundwork for early computer development, setting the stage for subsequent innovations that transformed the world.
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