UNIVAC stands for Universal Automatic Computer, T he first computer in history and the first to be used for commerce. It used transistorized circuitry. It was based on the same principles but used vacuum tubes for computing instead of transistors, led a group of engineers from the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation (EMCC) that developed it.
What is UNIVAC?
Universal Automatic Computer unveiled the first commercially viable computer in 1951 that was mass-built. There were more than 40 systems sold. The memory in the UNIVAC I consisted of 5,000 vacuum tubes, weighed close to eight tonnes, and contained 1,000 12-digit values stored in mercury-filled acoustic delay lines. Magnetic tape reels with a 1MB data capacity and a 128 cpi density were used for storage.
When the computer projected Eisenhower would defeat Stevenson in 1952, UNIVAC became associated with computers. It was used up to the early 1960s with UNIVAC I machines. See early memory and delay line memory.
Characteristics of UNIVAC
- Five drum memories, ten magnetic core registers, also referred to as main storage units, and three input-output units, also referred to as auxiliary storage units, together with the output section that goes with them, make up the main parts.
- The drum controllers installed on the front cover panel are connected to the drum memory.
- The motors that drive the drum controller mechanisms are coupled to an unending belt that revolves around these drums.
- The core registers are interchangeable and function similarly to drum memories.
Significance of UNIVAC
- UNIVAC and other large-scale computers, such as the IBM 701, opened up new possibilities for computer-human interaction.
- Computer scientists were able to significantly advance the design of computer hardware by studying human behavior using UNIVAC and other large-scale computers.
- Study carried out with UNIVAC had a significant impact on the design of computers in the future, thus it’s critical to comprehend the type of scientific study carried out with UNIVAC.
- UNIVAC was pivotal in establishing the groundwork for subsequent commercial and scientific pursuits.
Mode of Operation of UNIVAC
The UNIVAC computer is configured to accept instructions every 1/60 seconds via tape control. It may also receive instructions from a drum memory card. UNIVAC is operated using standard cards that contain the necessary software punched into them.
The card punch stores the operation sequence, or the order in which the computer performs its primary function, in a set of 80 words referred to as the sequential function table. Because of its word length of 24 bits, UNIVAC can handle integers up to 20 digits and perform quick arithmetic, logical, and input-output operations. At about 2500 operations per second, a computer can store up to 2048 words.
Features of UNIVAC
Below are some features of UNIVAC.
- UNIVAC II and II are the first commercial computers to use magnetic tape for primary memory while the UNIVAC I was the first to utilize it for secondary memory.
- Constructed in 1954, UNIVAC II could store 1.75 million words of data over 58 magnetic cassettes. And UNIVAC I was supplanted by it.
- For punch card input and output, UNIVAC was utilized. Transistors, rather than vacuum tubes, were employed in this electrical gadget that operated on the principles of digital computing.
- UNIVAC I was intended to be a business mainframe computer with distributed computation capabilities for several users at once.
Advantages of UNIVAC
Below are some advantages of UNIVAC.
- The idea of the contemporary calculator was made possible by these computers, which could execute instructions in milliseconds, unlike Charles Babbage’s attempt to calculate using water pressure.
- Originally intended for scientific and military use, the computer’s focus eventually switched completely to corporate use.
- They were the first robots to be taught to follow instructions repeatedly with minimal assistance from a human.
- Additionally, they unveiled magnetic drums, a type of storage device that would eventually be improved upon to become magnetic discs using the same basic idea.
Disadvantages of UNIVAC
Below are some disadvantages of UNIVAC.
- Punch cards were used as the input source for the computer, and bundles of cards with instructions on how to use them were provided to the computer.
- The electrical components might melt quickly, which can lead to erroneous findings sometimes.
- The vacuum tubes ability to process the instructions was constrained by the extremely little amount of information that could be stored in the magnetic drums.
- It took some time for commercial applications to become feasible with the introduction of transistors to computers due to the poor computing speed and non-portable facility.
Conclusion
In conclusion The UNIVAC computer is configured to accept instructions every 1/60 seconds via tape control. Punch cards were used as the input source for the computer, and bundles of cards with instructions on how to use them were provided to the computer. Additionally, they unveiled magnetic drums, a type of storage device that would eventually be improved upon to become magnetic discs using the same basic idea.
Frequently Asked Questions on Full Form of UNIVAC – FAQs
What is the full meaning UNIVAC?
Universal Automatic Computer, or UNIVAC for simple terms, was one of the first commercial computers.
What is the main function of UNIVAC?
Originally intended to be a commercial data processing computer, the UNIVAC I was meant to take the place of the punched-card accounting computers of the day.
Which electronic device was used in UNIVAC?
UNIVAC might be thought of as an enhanced ENIAC. One way to enter data is via magnetic computer tape.
In which generation was UNIVAC developed?
UNIVAC also known as Universal Automatic Computer was consider as first generation computer.
What is the size of UNIVAC computer?
UNIVAC computer weighed 16,686 pounds (8.3 short tonnes, 7.6 t) and had 6,103 vacuum tubes.