non-binary hardware
Phil Gustafson
phil at aimt.UUCP
Wed Sep 14 10:23:51 AEST 1988
In article <3473 at phri.UUCP>, roy at phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
> mouse at mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse) writes:
> > By the way, does anyone know of a non-mechanical digital calculator or
> > computer that isn't essentially binary?
>
> The bottom line is that digital and binary are essentially
> synonymous, although I suppose in theory you could define digital as
> discrete and have trinary, etc. logic.
Some old (real old, 50's and 60's) counters used 10-state ring
counters to hold digits. These gadgets are binary as far as logic
levels go but decastable rather than bistable. They're very much analogous
to wheeled mechanical calculaters.
A fast (for 1967) frequency counter I worked with once had a pentastable
prescalar ring. Same thing.
--
Phil Gustafson, Graphics/UN*X Consultant
net address above
1550 Martin Ave, San Jose, Ca 95126
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