Fundamentals and Components of Electronic Digital Computers

Description

A comprehensive survey of the most important components for electronic digital computers, as well as a description of their use in typical circuits, was given in a number of papers published by the author in laboratory reports. The circuits themselves which, as a rule, can be reduced to a few simple basic circuits, are also of importance in other fields of information technique. It seemed, however, of little purpose to consider the circuits in complete isolation. By investigating the tasks which they fulfil as components in electronic computers, we have gained a picture which is also useful in other fields. The author has gladly followed the suggestion of the publishers to allow this series of papers to appear as a book. In view of the enormous strides made by digital techniques in but a few years, and anticipating further rapid development, this book cannot in any way claim to be comprehensive; this holds good with respect to the principles as well as to the components and circuits described. The book is merely intended as an introduction to digital computing which will provide the reader with easy access to the actual problems. The literature quoted at the end of the book will be helpful in this respect. With these points in mind, the contents have been limited to the essential fundamentals, and only those components have been included which are already firmly established in the technique of digital information processing.