Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer
{{Short description|Computer at the University of Wisconsin in the 1950s.}}
The Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC) was an early digital computer designed and built at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Operational in 1954,{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_8778395|title=A survey of automatic digital computers|last1=Research|first1=United States Office of Naval|date=1953|publisher=Office of Naval Research, Dept. of the Navy|page=[https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_onrASurveyomputers1953_8778395/page/n108 96]|language=en}} it was the first digital computer in the state.
Pioneering computer designer Gene Amdahl drafted the WISC's design as his PhD thesis. The computer was built over the period 1951-1954. It had 1,024 50-bit words (equivalent to about 6 KB) of drum memory, with an operation time of 1/15 second and throughput of 60 operations per second, which was achieved by an early form of instruction pipeline.{{cite tech report|last1=Weik|first1=Martin H|title=A survey of domestic electronic digital computing systems|work=Ballistics Research Laboratories Report No. 971|url=http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/BRL-t-z.html#WISC|date=1955|publisher=Department of the Army|location=Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD|pages=199–200|ref=BRL55|hdl=2027/wu.89037555299|hdl-access=free}} It was capable of both fixed and floating point operation.
It weighed about {{convert|1|ST|kg}}.{{cite web |title=Science Digest |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pqIoAAAAMAAJ&q=%22WISC%22+computer+ton |publisher=Science Digest, Incorporated |page=144 |language=en |date=1984}}
The WISC is part of the permanent collection of the Computer History Museum.[https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102657546 CHM]
References
External links
- [http://purl.umn.edu/104341 Oral history interview with Gene M. Amdahl.] Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Amdahl starts by describing his early life and education, recalling his experiences teaching in the Advanced Specialized Training Program during and after World War II. Amdahl discusses his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and his direction of the design and construction of the Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer. Describes his role in the design of several computers for IBM including the STRETCH, IBM 701, 701A, and IBM 704. He discusses his work with Nathaniel Rochester and IBM's management of the design process for computers. He also mentions his work with Ramo-Wooldridge, Aeronutronic, and Computer Sciences Corporation.
- {{cite web |title=WISC documents |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/univOfWiscMadison/wisc/ |website=www.bitsavers.org}} Contains Gene Amdahl's PhD thesis and WISC User's Manual
- {{Cite web|url=http://www.ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/BRL61-w.html#WISC|title=WISC|last=Weik|first=Martin H.|date=Jan 1964|website=ed-thelen.org|series=A Fourth Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems}}
- Photos:
- {{cite book |title=WISC (Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer) logic unit {{!}} 102657546 {{!}} Computer History Museum |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102657546 |website=www.computerhistory.org |language=en}}
- {{cite web |title=ELECTRONIC BEGINNINGS |url=http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/Shustek/ShustekTour-02.html |publisher=The Computer History Museum}}
- {{cite web |title=WISC |url=http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/wisc.html#Photo |website=ed-thelen.org}}
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