Z2 (computer)
{{Short description|1940 electromechanical computer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Use list-defined references|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Z2
| title =
| aka =
| logo =
| image = Zuse archive Z2.jpg
| caption = Drawing of the Zuse Z2
| developer = Konrad Zuse
| manufacturer =
| family =
| type = Electromechanical (mechanical and relay-based) digital computer
| generation =
| releasedate = {{Start date and age|1940}}
| lifespan =
| price =
| discontinued =
| unitssold =
| unitsshipped =
| media =
| os =
| power = 1000 watts
| soc =
| cpu = 600 electrical relay circuits
| CPUspeed = ca. 5 Hz
| memory = 64 words
| storage =
| memory card = Punch cards
| display =
| graphics =
| sound =
| input =
| controllers =
| camera =
| touchpad =
| connectivity =
| platform =
| service =
| dimensions =
| weight = {{convert|300|kg|lb|lk=on|abbr=on}}
| topgame =
| compatibility=
| predecessor = Z1
| successor = Z3
| related =
| website =
}}
The Z2 was an electromechanical (mechanical and relay-based) digital computer that was completed by Konrad Zuse in 1940. It was an improvement on the Z1 Zuse built in his parents' home, which used the same mechanical memory. In the Z2, he replaced the arithmetic and control logic with 600 electrical relay circuits, weighing over 600 pounds.
The Z2 could read 64 words from punch cards. Photographs and plans for the Z2 were destroyed by the Allied bombing during World War II. In contrast to the Z1, the Z2 used 16-bit fixed-point arithmetic instead of 22-bit floating point.
Zuse presented the Z2 in 1940 to members of the DVL (today DLR) and member {{ill|Alfred Teichmann|de|Alfred Teichmann (Bauingenieur)}}, whose support helped fund the successor model Z3.
Specifications
| class="wikitable"
|Frequency |Ca. 5 Hertz |
| Arithmetic Unit
|Fixed point arithmetic unit with 16 bit word length |
| Average calculation Speed
|0.8 sec for addition operation |
| Number of Relays
|600 |
| Memory
|64 words (same as Z1) |
| Power Consumption
|1000 watts |
| Weight
|{{convert|300|kg|lb|lk=on|abbr=on}} |
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{cite journal |title=Konrad Zuse Obituary |author-last=Weiss |author-first=Eric A. |date=Summer 1996 |journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing |language=en-US |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=3–4 |doi=10.1109/mahc.1996.489747 |issn=1058-6180}}(NB. Z1 and Z2.)
{{cite book |title=A history of computing technology |language=en |author-last=Williams |author-first=Michael Roy |date=1985 |publisher=Prentice-Hall |isbn=978-0-13389917-7 |pages=219 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l3xQAAAAMAAJ&q=weekends |access-date=2022-07-10}} (NB. Also search the book for Luftfahrt - further part.)
{{cite book |editor-first=Hans Dieter |editor-last=Hellige |title=Geschichten der Informatik. Visionen, Paradigmen, Leitmotive. |language=de |trans-title= |publication-place=Berlin, Germany |publisher=Springer-Verlag |date=2004 |isbn=3-540-00217-0 |page=115}}
}}
Further reading
- {{cite news |title=The Zuse Computers |author-last=Rojas |author-first=Raúl |author-link=Raúl Rojas |date=Spring 2006 |orig-date=2005-05-12 |type=edited transscript of speech |location=Computing Before Computers seminar, Science Museum |periodical=Resurrection - The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society |publisher=Computer Conservation Society (CCS) |issn=0958-7403 |volume=37 |url=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res37.htm#c |access-date=2008-07-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625103304/http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res37.htm#c |archive-date=2022-06-25}}
External links
- [http://www.horst-zuse.homepage.t-online.de/Konrad_Zuse_index_english_html/rechner_z2.html Z2] via Horst Zuse (son) web page
{{Konrad zuse computer}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Electro-mechanical computers
Category:Computer-related introductions in 1940
Category:German inventions of the Nazi period
Category:Computers designed in Germany
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