Question

explain the following types of computers
a)analog computers
b)digital computers
c)hybrid computer

Answer 1

a.Analog Computers-: Analog computer is a special type of computer ,where to use data in continously form ,not discreate ,and changeble continuous stream of data is known as "Analog Data" Anolog computers can store analog data in the continues physical quantities like electrical potential,fluid pressure or mechanical motion and finally it produces the result with using of measures.Analog computers are used in such areas, where to need data to be measure directly without transforming into numbers. Analog computer uses the programs for transforming of problematic equations into analog circuit.Analog computers were the earliest computer machines developed and were the among the most complicated machines for analog computation and process control

Analog computer that performs arithmetical operation by measurable quantities, such as mechanical movement, the rotation of gears rather than by number. In Analog computers, data is transmitted for its operation in the form of continuous signals, while in digital computers in the form discrete signals (or discontinuous signal).

Examples of analog computers are :temperature, pressure, telephone lines, Speedometer, resistance of capacitor, frequency of signal and voltage etc.

Types of Analog Computers

1. Slide Rules: It is the simplest and most recognizable mechanical analog computer. It is the device for approximating basic mathematical calculations. The user slides a hashed rod to line up with various markings on another rod. They read the device on the basis of the lineup of various hash marks.
2. Differential Analysers: It is a famous mechanical analog computer and is able to solve differential equations. The differential analyzer was refined in the 1930s. The machines are large in comparison to modern computers.
3. The Castle Clock: It is a good representation of the various uses for mechanical analog computers. It was invented by Al-Jarazi and it was capable of saving programming instructions. A computational portion of this device allowed users to set the variable length of the day based on the current season.
4. Electronic Analog Computers: Modern analog computers are using electrical signals flowing through various resistors and capacitors. These are not using the mechanical interaction of components. The voltage of the signal provides the displays. Electronic analog computers are also widely in use for computing and military technology.

b.Digital computers:

The digital computer is a digital system that performs various computational tasks. The word digital implies that the information in the computer is represented by variables that take a limited number of discrete values. These values are processed internally by components that can maintain a limited number of discrete states.

The decimal digits 0, 1, 2, ..., 9, for example, provide 10 discrete values. The first electronic digital computer, developed in the late 1940s, was used primarily for numerical computations and the discrete elements were the digits. From this application the term digital computer emerged.

In practice, digital computers function more reliably if only two states are used. Because of the physical restriction of components, and because human logic tends to be binary (i.e. true or false, yes or no statements), digital components that are constrained to take discrete values are further constrained to take only two values and are said to be binary.

Digital computers use the binary number system, which has two digits: 0 and 1. A binary digit is called a bit. Information is represented in digital computers in groups of bits. By using various coding techniques, groups of bits can be made to represent not only binary numbers but also other discrete symbols, such as decimal digits or letters of the alphabet.Digital Computer is a machine or a device that helps to process any kind of information.These are the devices through which we provide some input and get the output within a fraction of seconds.

The operations that are conducted internally in the device happens using the binary number system since the computer understands only digits ie 0’s and 1’s.

All the content that is written in English will be converted to binary language and thus computers and humans communicate with each other.

Some of the basic examples of digital devices are Personal computers, Desktops, Laptops, Smartphones, and Mobiles.

There are mainly three parts in a digital computer and it consists of –

• Input: The user normally provides the data to the device that is known as input.

• Processing: The input that is provided by the user is processed internally using some defined sequence.

• Output: Once the processing is completed, based on the input, the output is displayed to the user.

Different types of Digital Computer:Digital computers are classified into four categories:

• Microcomputer

• Minicomputer

• Mainframe computer

• Supercomputer

Microcomputer

A Microcomputer is not really expensive and it comes with a microprocessor as its Central processing unit and input/output devices.

These computers are generally called personal computers and few of the examples are IBM pc, Apple, Dell.

Minicomputers

Minicomputers are known as mid-range computers that contain one or more processors.

They support multiprocessing which means these multiple processors share the same computer memory and other required peripheral devices to perform the given task.

Minicomputers are generally used for processing transactions, file handling, managing database.

Mainframe computers

Mainframe computers are generally large size computers mainly used for storing large amounts of data and processing. It is known for a high level of reliability.

These machines are used by an organization which requires crucial application such as census, customer statistics for large calculation which requires a high volume of data processing.

Super Computers

Supercomputers are very expensive and the world’s fastest computers available.

These computers have thousands of processors that perform trillions of calculations per second and hence the fastest known ever.

Supercomputers are used extensively in enterprises and organizations that require massive calculations.

C.Hybrid Computer:

A hybrid computer is a type of computer that offers the functionalities of both a digital and an analog computer. It is designed to include a working analog unit that is powerful for calculations, yet has a readily available digital memory. In large industries and businesses, a hybrid computer can be used to incorporate logical operations as well as provide efficient processing of differential equations.A hybrid computer is a term used to describe a thin client computer that uses a hard drive, but also relies on programs ran from a server.

Types of Hybrid computers:

Large electronic hybrid computer systems

Large electronic hybrid computer systems with many hundreds of operational amplifiers were widely used from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. They solved extremely complex and extensive sets of differential equations (mathematical models) such as six-degree-of freedom space flights, exothermal chemical reaction kinetics, control systems for food processing plants, and the human immunosuppressive system.

General-purpose Hybrid Computers

General-purpose hybrid computers are hybrid computers with the ability to use different applications or to be able to solve numerous kinds of problems. Many general purpose hybrid computers were once purpose systems, either part time hybrid computers in which the outcome were achieved in a relative speed or operation computers that utilize high speed.

Special-purpose hybrid computers

Special-purpose hybrid computers contain fixed programs permitting few or no adjustments. They are generally built into physical systems where they serve typically as a subsystem simulator, function controller or results analyzer. For example, the pneumatic computer uses air bellows and flapper nozzles to generate accurate multiplication, division, squaring, or square-root functions of input signals, and encoding data as air pressures.

Examples of hybrid Computers:

Hybrid computers are used in several applications. Such as –

• Petrol pump – Measurement convert fuel flow into currency rate
• Measurement of patient’s heartbeat
• Scientific laboratory
• Applied psychology
• Control industrial process.
• Defense sector
• Airlines sector
• Ships
• Cement plant
• Gas Pump Station
• Radar systems
• Scientific calculations
• Weather system computation

• Monitoring and controlling nuclear reactor
• Electrocardiogram machine
• Echocardiogram machine
• Ultrasound machine
• CT scan machine
• Holtor Monitoring machine
• ATM machine
• Hospital – Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
• Car that runs on gas and electricity
• Cell phone – Grab analog sound, and transform into digital signals then finally broadcast it on digital data network, and user can receive it and fed into analog speaker.