List of vacuum tube computers

Vacuum tube computers, now termed first generation computers,[1] are

programmable digital computers using vacuum tube logic circuitry. They were preceded
by systems using electromechanical relays and followed by systems built from discrete
transistors. Later entries in this list may have been built using transistors in addition to
EDSAC
vacuum tubes.

This is a list of vacuum tube computers, arranged by date put into service:
 Computer Date Units Notes
Atanasoff–Berry
1942 1 Not programmable, could solve a system of linear equations
Computer
First programmable (by switches and plug panels) special-purpose
(cryptanalysis) electronic digital computer. Used to break the German
Colossus 1943 10
Lorenz cipher. Working replica demonstrated daily at The National
Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park.
First large-scale general-purpose programmable electronic digital
computer. Built by the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of
Electrical Engineering for the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research
ENIAC 1945 1
Laboratory. Originally programmed by wiring together components, by
April 1948 it had been converted to a form of stored-program
operation. It was decimal in nature, not binary.
First electronic stored-program computer, worked June 1948;
Manchester Baby 1948 1 prototype for the Mark 1. Working replica demonstrated daily in
Manchester Museum of Science and Industry
Manchester Mark Provided a computing service from April 1949. First index registers.
1949 1
1 Replaced in 1951 by Ferranti Mark 1.
First ran on 6 May 1949, and provided a computing service for
EDSAC 1949 1 Cambridge University until 1958. Working replica being built at The
National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park.
First stored-program computer to be sold, but did not work for
BINAC 1949 1
customer.
Oldest surviving complete first-generation electronic computer —
CSIRAC 1949 1
unrestored and non-functional.
First U.S. stored-program computer to become operational. Built by
and for the U.S. National Bureau of Standards. Used solid-state diode
SEAC 1950 1
circuits for its logic. Several computers were based on the SEAC
design.
Built for the U.S.'s National Bureau of Standards, it had 2,300
SWAC 1950 1 vacuum tubes. It had 256 words (each 37 bits) of memory, using
Williams tubes
(Military version of Univac 1101) Used 2,700 vacuum tubes for its
ERA Atlas 1950
logic circuits
Special-purpose digital computer for solving a system of differential
equations. Forty-four integrators were implemented using a magnetic
MADDIDA 1950 6 drum with six storage tracks. The interconnections of the integrators
were specified by writing an appropriate pattern of bits onto one of the
tracks.
Pilot ACE 1950 1 Based on a full-scale design by Alan Turing
Elliott 152 1950 1 Naval fire control computer, real-time control system, fixed program
Harvard Mark III 1951 1 It used 5,000 vacuum tubes and 1,500 crystal diodes
Ferranti Mark 1 1951 9 First commercially available computer, based on Manchester Mark 1.
The successor to ENIAC, and also built by the University of
Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering for the U.S.
EDVAC 1951 1 Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory. One of the first stored-program
computers to be designed, but its entry into service was delayed.
EDVAC's design influenced a number of other computers.
Now officially the oldest original working computer in the world. Is
Harwell Dekatron
1951 1 frequently demonstrated at The National Museum of Computing,
Computer
Bletchley Park.
Whirlwind 1951 1 Parallel logic, approx 5,000 vacuum tubes. First use of core memory.
UNIVAC I 1951 46 Mass-produced. 46 were made.
First computer for commercial applications. Built by J. Lyons and Co.
LEO I 1951 1
restaurant and bakery chain. Based on EDSAC design.
UNIVAC 1101 1951 Designed by ERA, Used 2,700 vacuum tubes for its logic circuits
Hollerith Initial design by Andrew Donald Booth, then engineered by British
Electronic 1951 Tabulating Machine Company. HEC 1 can be seen at The National
Computer (HEC) Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park.
Built at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), sometimes called the
von Neumann machine, since design was described by John von
IAS machine 1951 1
Neumann (the Von Neumann architecture). 1,500 tubes. It was the
basis of about 15 other computers.
Built near Kiev, used 6,000 vacuum tubes. First universally
programmable computer in USSR. Designed basically near to Von
MESM 1951 1
Neumann architecture but had two separate banks of memory - one
for programs and another for data
Remington Rand Built by Remington Rand, it was a punched card calculator
1952 ~1000
409 programmed by a plugboard
built by Harvard University under the supervision of Howard Aiken for
Harvard Mark IV 1952 1
the United States Air Force
Built by the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Göttingen, esp. by
G1 1952
Heinz Billing[2][3][4]
Built by the University of Illinois for the Ballistic Research Laboratory
ORDVAC 1952 1
and was a twin of the ILLIAC I
ILLIAC I 1952 1 Built by the University of Illinois in Urbana
Built at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and based on the IAS
MANIAC I 1952 1
computer
Built by IBM, also known as the Defense Calculator, based on the
IBM 701 1952 19
IAS computer
BESM-1 1952 1 Built in the Soviet Union

Bull Gamma 3 1952 Made by Groupe Bull and contained almost 400 tubes.[5][6][7]
AVIDAC 1953 1 Based on the IAS computer
FLAC 1953 3 Design based on SEAC. Located at Patrick Air Force Base.
JOHNNIAC 1953 1 Built by the RAND Corporation, based on the IAS computer
Built at the University of Michigan, the first at a university in the
MIDAC 1953 1
Midwest
IBM 702 1953 14 Built by IBM for business computing
UNIVAC 1103 1953 Designed by Engineering Research Associates (ERA)
RAYDAC 1953 1 Built by Raytheon for Naval Air Missile Test Center
Strela computer 1953 7 Built in the Soviet Union
Datatron 1954 ~120 Scientific/commercial computer built by ElectroData Corporation
IBM 650 1954 ~2000 The world's first mass-produced computer
The first mass-produced computer with floating-point arithmetic
IBM 704 1954 123
hardware for scientific use
Mostly compatible with the IBM 702, for business use. There is one
IBM 705 1954
that is not in operating condition at Computermuseum München.
BESK 1954 1 Sweden's first computer and was the fastest computer in the world for
 April a brief time
Built by IBM for the US Navy Bureau of Ordnance, it was the first
1954
IBM NORC 1 supercomputer and the most powerful computer in the world for at
Dec
least 2 years. 9,800 tubes in logic.
UNIVAC 1102 1954 3 A variation of the UNIVAC 1101 built for the US Air Force
Built by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards as an improved
DYSEAC 1954 1 version of SEAC. Mounted in a trailer van, making it the first
computer to be transportable.
WISC 1954 1 Built by the University of Wisconsin–Madison

REAC 400 (C- In 1961 REAC installed for $60,000 at University of Minnesota.[10]
1955[9]
400)[8] General-purpose electronic analog computer.[9]
Designed to be inexpensive and simple to use; it used decimal
CALDIC 1955 1
arithmetic
Second implementation of ACE (Automatic Computing Engine)
MOSAIC 1955 1
architecture after Pilot ACE.
English Electric
1955 31 Commercial version of Pilot ACE
DEUCE
Zuse Z22 1955 55 An early commercial computer.
Built by Eduard Stiefel, Heinz Rutishauser, Ambros Speiser at the
ERMETH[11][12] 1955[13]
ETH Zurich
HEC 4 (ICT 1200
1955 Built by Andrew Booth
series)
Built by the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) under the
WEIZAC 1955 1 guidance of Prof. G. Estrin. First computer designed in the Middle
East.
Built by the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Göttingen, esp. by
G2 1955
Heinz Billing[2][3][4]
Axel Wenner- Commercially constructed and installed (in 1957) at University of
Gren ALWAC III- 1955
British Columbia and Oregon State University (then College)[14]
E
The first commercial computer to use a moving-head hard-disk drive
IBM 305 RAMAC 1956 >1000
for secondary storage
PERM 1956 1 Built in Munich

D1 1956 Built by Joachim Lehmann at the TU Dresden[15]

SMIL 1956 1 Built in Sweden and based on the IAS computer
A small computer for scientific and industrial purposes by the Bendix
Bendix G-15 1956 >400 Corporation. It had a total of about 450 tubes (mostly dual triodes)
and 300 germanium diodes.
TIFRAC (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Automatic
TIFR Pilot
1956 Calculator) was the first computer developed in India, at the Tata
Machine
Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai.
Data-processing system made by Librascope; bit-serial drum
LGP-30 1956 ~500
machine with only 113 tubes, along with 1450 diodes[16]
UNIVAC 1103A 1956 First computer to have hardware interrupts
The first electronic computer in Japan, designed to perform
FUJIC 1956 1
calculations for lens design by Fuji
Ferranti Pegasus 1956 38 Vacuum tube computer with magnetostrictive delay line memory
intended for office usage. Second surviving oldest computer in the
 world.[17]
SILLIAC 1956 1 Built at the University of Sydney, based on the ILLIAC and ORDVAC
RCA BIZMAC 1956 6 RCA's first commercial computer, it contained 25,000 tubes
1956–
Ural series Ural-1 to Ural-4.
1964
BESM-2 1957 20+ general purpose computer in the BESM series
First computer built in Romania at Institutul de Fizică Atomică
CIFA-1 1957 4
(Atomic Physics Institute)
The first computer in Denmark; had an early implementation of
DASK 1957 1
ALGOL
UNIVAC 1104 1957 A 30-bit variation of the UNIVAC 1103
An early commercial vacuum tube computer by Ferranti, with core
Ferranti Mercury 1957 19
memory and hardware floating point capability
A small computer designed to be used by one person with limited
IBM 610 1957 180
experience
FACIT EDB 2 1957 9
LEO II 1957 11 Commercial version of LEO I prototype.
Built by the University of California and the Los Alamos Scientific
MANIAC II 1957 1
Laboratory
MISTIC 1957 1 A Michigan State University based on the ILLIAC I
MUSASINO-1 1957 1 A Japanese computer based on the ILLIAC I
MMIF or Machine mathématique IRSIA-FNRS, devised by a team
funded by the Belgian public institutions IRSIA and FNRS, and build
MMIF 1957
at the Bell Telephone Mfg Co in Antwerp, from 1952. In use 1957–
1958 in Antwerp, 1958–1959 in Brussels.[18]
Sandia RAYPAC
(Ray Path Analog c. 1957 Sandia's Blast Prediction Unit used for Operation Teapot[19]
Computer)
First computer to have a microprogrammed control unit and a bit-slice
EDSAC 2 1958 1
hardware architecture.
IBM 709 1958 An improved version of the IBM 704
UNIVAC II 1958 An improved, fully compatible version of the UNIVAC I
UNIVAC 1105 1958 3 A follow-up to the UNIVAC 1103 scientific computer
Largest vacuum tube computer ever built. 52 were built for Project
AN/FSQ-7 1958
SAGE.
Designed in Holland and built by Britain's Standard Telephones and
ZEBRA 1958 55
Cables[20]

Ferranti Perseus 1959 2 [21][22][23]

Rice Institute
1959 1 Operational 1959-1971, 54-bit tagged architecture
Computer
Burroughs 220 1959 ~50 Scientific/commercial computer, successor to ElectroData Datatron
Cyclone 1959 1 IAS-type computer at Iowa State College
Built by Alwin Walther at the Technical University of Darmstadt; first
DERA 1959 1
operative in 1957, development completed in 1959

D2 1959 Built by Joachim Lehmann at the TU Dresden[24]

TIFRAC 1960 The first computer developed in India
The first computer developed in Yugoslavia, it also used some
CER-10 1960
transistors
Philips Automatic Sequence Calculator; 1200 valves, 10000
transistors, and 15000 germanium diodes. PASCAL and STEVIN
Philips PASCAL /
1960 (Dutch: Snel Tel En Vermenigvuldig INstrument, lit. 'Fast Count and
STEVIN
Multiply Instrument') are identical, except input-output equipment.
Both were used internally.[25][26][27]
The Wegematic
1960 Improved version of the ALWAC III-E[28]
1000
Odra 1001 1960 First computer built by Elwro, Wroclaw, Poland
Minsk-1 1960 Built in Minsk
Built by the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Göttingen, esp. by
G3 1961
Heinz Billing[2]
Sumlock ANITA
1961 <10,000/year Desktop calculator
calculator
Developed in Poland, it used the unusual negabinary number system
UMC-1 1962
internally
BRLESC 1962 1 1,727 tubes and 853 transistors
Close copy of the Rice Institute Computer built at the University of
OSAGE 1963 1
Oklahoma

See also
List of transistorized computers
History of computing hardware

References
1. Hsu, John Y. (December 21, 2017). Computer Architecture: Software Aspects, Coding, and
Hardware (https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUe2ackElHEC). CRC Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-
1420041101. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
2. "The G1, G2, and G3 of Billing in Göttingen" (http://www.quantum-chemistry-history.com/Pey_ff
_Dat/CompGerm/Pey_ff_CompGerm.htm#Billing). www.quantum-chemistry-history.com.
3. Research, United States Office of Naval (1953). A survey of automatic digital computers (https://
archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_8778395). Office of Naval Research,
Dept. of the Navy. pp. 37 (https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_8778
395/page/n42)–38.
4.
. Digital_Computer_Newsletter_V07N03_Jul55.pdf. "COMPUTERS, OVERSEAS: 4. G1
and G2 (Goettingen, Germany)" (http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/onr/Digital_Computer_Newsle
tter/). Digital Computer Newsletter. 7 (3): 11–12. July 1955.
"COMPUTERS, OVERSEAS: 4. Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik, G 1, G 1a, G 2, and G 3.
Gottingen, Germany" (http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694629). Digital Computer
Newsletter. 10 (3): 15–16. July 1958.
5. technikum29-Team. "A first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3 - technikum29" (http://
www.technikum29.de/en/computer/gamma3). www.technikum29.de. Retrieved November 5,
2017.
 6. Tatnall, Arthur; Blyth, Tilly; Johnson, Roger (December 6, 2013). Making the History of
Computing Relevant: IFIP WG 9.7 International Conference, HC 2013, London, UK, June 17-
18, 2013, Revised Selected Papers (https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5e6BQAAQBAJ&q=
BULL+GAMMA&pg=PA124). Springer. p. 124. ISBN 9783642416507.
7. Research, United States Office of Naval (1953). A survey of automatic digital computers (https://
archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_8778395). Office of Naval Research,
Dept. of the Navy. p. 39 (https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_87783
95/page/n44).
8. "COMPUTER COLLECTOR - Reeves REAC 400 Analog Computer (1957)" (http://www.compu
tercollector.com/cgi-bin/exec/compcol/menu-st.cgi?directory=/archive/reeves/reac400).
www.computercollector.com. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
9. "REL-REEVES, INC., successor to Dynamics Corporation of America v. The UNITED STATES
v. DIGITAL RESOURCES CORPORATION, Third-Party Defendant. -- Rel-Reeves, Inc. v.
United States, 534 F.2d 274, 274 (1976)" (https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/aa4f3b0a3985bd
6e0efc20a1abb75242). www.ravellaw.com. ¶19, ¶194-195, ¶217. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
10. "UDEC I II III : Unitized Digital Electronic Calculator Models I II and III" (http://www.ed-thelen.or
g/comp-hist/BRL61-u.html). Ed-thelen.org. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
11. Trueb, Lucien F. (2015). Astonishing the Wild Pigs: Highlights of Technology (https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=o62DDgAAQBAJ&q=%22ERMETH%22+%22weighed%22&pg=PA141).
ATHENA-Verlag. pp. 141–142. ISBN 9783898967662.
12. "10 brilliant things to discover at the new-look Museum of Communication" (https://www.timeou
t.com/switzerland/museums/10-things-to-do-at-the-new-look-museum-of-communication). Time
Out Switzerland. 9. Discover the Datacenter.
13. "Computer Science Research at ETH" (https://www.inf.ethz.ch/department/history/computer-sci
ence-at-eth.html). www.inf.ethz.ch.
14. Törn, Aimo (December 1, 2000). "Wegematic 1000" (http://users.abo.fi/atorn/History/Page21.ht
ml). Early History of Computing in Turku, 1959-1964. Åbo Akademi (University). Retrieved
August 11, 2016.
15. Ludwig, Manfred (2007). "Das Leben und Wirken von Prof. N. J. Lehmann" (http://www.math.tu-
dresden.de/wir/staff/ludwig/ludwig.html#B) [The life and work of Prof. N.J. Lehmann].
www.math.tu-dresden.de. pp. 7–11.
16. LGP 30 (http://www.technikum29.de/en/computer/lgp30), technikum 29: Living Museum
17. Pegasus at the V&A (http://www.computerconservationsociety.org/), Computer Conservation
Society, June 2016, retrieved August 29, 2016
18. d’Udekem-Gevers, Marie (2011). La Machine mathématique IRSIA-FNRS (1946-1962) (in
French). Brussels: Académie royale de Belgique. ISBN 978-2-8031-0280-8.
19. Operation Teapot: Report of the Test Manager (Report). p. 68.
20. "Computer History Museum - Standard Telephones and Cables Limted, London - Stantec
Zebra Electronic Digital Computer" (http://www.computerhistory.org/brochures/companies.php?
company=com-42bc229888ad2&alpha=q-s). Computerhistory.org. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
21. Lavington, Simon Hugh (1980). Early British Computers: The Story of Vintage Computers and
the People who Built Them (https://books.google.com/books?id=AU28AAAAIAAJ&q=Ferranti+
Perseus+1959&pg=PA78). Manchester University Press. p. 78. ISBN 9780719008108.
22. Information, Reed Business (March 5, 1959). "To compute Swedish premiums" (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=dGk-B_pvnN8C&q=Ferranti+%22Perseus%22+first&pg=PA517). New
Scientist. Reed Business Information. p. 517.
23. "REFERENCE INFORMATION: A Survey of British Digital Computers (Part 2) - Perseus" (htt
p://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Computers_And_Automation/195904.pdf) (PDF). Computers
and Automation. 8 (4): 34. April 1959. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
24. Ludwig 2007, p. 11-15.
25. *AUERBACH CORP PHILADELPHIA PA (January 1961). "EUROPEAN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY. A REPORT ON THE INDUSTRY AND THE STATE OF THE ART" (http://ww
w.bitsavers.org/pdf/auerbach/European_EDP_Jan61.pdf) (PDF): 346–347.
"A SURVEY OF NEW WEST-EUROPEAN DIGITAL COMPUTERS (PART 2):
NETHERLANDS" (http://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Computers_And_Automation/1963
10.pdf) (PDF). Computers and Automation. XII (10): 28. October 1963. Retrieved
September 5, 2020.
"The "PASCAL", a Fast Digital Electronic Computer for the Philips Computing Centre" (htt
p://www.extra.research.philips.com/hera/people/aarts/_Philips%20Bound%20Archive/PTec
hReview/PTechReview-23-1961_62-001.pdf) (PDF). Philips Technical Review. 23 (1): 1–
18. October 16, 1961.
"Solving a Chessboard Puzzle with the PASCAL" (http://www.extra.research.philips.co
m/hera/people/aarts/_Philips%20Bound%20Archive/PTechReview/PTechReview-24-19
62_63-157.pdf) (PDF). Philips Technical Review. 24 (4/5): 157–163. 1962.
26. Beer, Huub de (February 26, 2008). "Heer de Beer.org—Computers en Philips" (https://heerdeb
eer.org/History/ComputerPioneers/De_bouw_en_het_gebruik_van_computers_bij_Philips.htm
l) [Heer de Beer.org—Computers and Philips]. heerdebeer.org (in Dutch). Google translation (ht
tps://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%
3A%2F%2Fheerdebeer.org%2FHistory%2FComputerPioneers%2FDe_bouw_en_het_gebruik
_van_computers_bij_Philips.html&edit-text=). Amsterdam. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
27.
"Philips Technisch Tijdschrift - 1962 - Rekengeluiden PASCAL" (https://soundcloud.com/ge
rard-alberts/sets/philips-technisch-tijdschrift) [Philips Technical Journal – 1962 –
Calculation sounds PASCAL]. SoundCloud. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
"PASCAL (Philips Automatic Sequence Calculator)* - Philips Technisch Tijdschrift
Jaarg. 24 (1962) No. 4/5 "Rekengeluiden van PASCAL" " (https://www.discogs.com/PA
SCal-Philips-Automatic-Sequence-Calculator-Philips-Technisch-Tijdschrift-Jaarg-24-19
62-No-45-Reken/release/1684654) [PASCAL (Philips Automatic Sequence Calculator)
* - Philips Technical Journal Jaarg. 24 (1962) No. 4/5 "Calculation sounds from
PASCAL"]. Discogs. Retrieved July 13, 2018. "7" with sounds of the PASCAL (Philips
Automatic Sequence Calculator) from the Philips NatLab, that came with Philips
Technical Review Vol.24 (1962) No. 4/5."
"Listening to the PASCAL" (http://www.extra.research.philips.com/hera/people/aarts/_P
hilips%20Bound%20Archive/PTechReview/PTechReview-24-1962_63-164.pdf) (PDF).
Philips Technical Review. 24 (4/5): 164–170. 1962.
28. "REFERENCE INFORMATION: Survey of European Computers, Part 3 (Concluding Part)" (htt
p://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Computers_And_Automation/196004.pdf) (PDF). Computers
and Automation. 9 (4): 26. April 1960. Retrieved September 5, 2020.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_vacuum_tube_computers&oldid=1016808428"

This page was last edited on 9 April 2021, at 05:48 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.