Generation of Computer

  Generation of Computer

 

Generation of Computer

1.First Generation = Vacuum Tubes

 [Time Period = 1940-1956]

 

         Vacuum Tubes Were Used For Circuitry And Magnetic Drums Were Used For The Purpose Of Storage (Memory). A Magnetic Drums Refers To A Magnetic Cylinder That Is Coated With Iron Oxide And Used For The Purpose Of Storing Data And Programs.

              Input Was Based On Punched Cards And Paper Tape, And Output Was Displayed On Printouts.

1)    Comparatively Large In Size As Compared   To Present   Day 

       of Computers.

2)    Generated A Lot Of Heat.

3)    Low Capacity Internal Storage.

4)    Processors Operated In The Milliseconds Speed Range.

5)    Internal Storage Consisted Of Magnetic Drum.

6)    Used Machine Language Of Performing Operations And 

       Solving Problems.

7)    Storage Capacity of Only 20,000 Characters.

8)    Some examples: - UNIVAC, EDVAC and ENIAC.

   2. Second Generation = Transistors

  [Time Period =1956-1963] 

 

                A Transistor Is made up of Semi- Conductor Material Such as Silicon Generally, It Consists of Three Leads or Heads, These Transistors Performs Electrical, Functions like Voltage, Current or Power Amplification with Low Power Requirements.

               These Computers Used Magnetic Cores For Primary Memory And Magnetic Disks As Secondary Storage Devices But They Still Used Punched Cards For Input And Printouts For Output.

1)    Smaller In Size As Compared To First Generations  
       Computers.

2)    Generated A Lower Level Of Heat.
3)    Processor Operated In The Microseconds Speed.
4)    Used Assembly Language Instead Of Machine Language.
5)    This Language Was Used For Instructions And Not For 

       The Number. For Examples,

                                MULT – Multiplication
                               ADD    – Addition
                               STO     – Store
                               WRS    – Write or Print  

6)    Storage Capacity of 100000 Characters.
7)    Examples: - IBM 7090, IBM 1401, PDP-2, MARK-II, and 

       ATLUS. 

                 3. Third Generation = Integrated Circuits (ICS) 

                         [Time Period = 1964 To Early 1970’s]

            These ICS Comprise Of A Single Chip, Which Is Generally Silicon. The Users Interacted With Third Generation Computers through Key Board and Monitor and Integrated With Operating System. These Computers Did Not Use Punched Cards Or Printouts For Displaying The Outputs.

1)    Smaller In Size As Compared To Second Generation
       Computers

2)    Remote Communication Facilities
3)    Processor Which Operate At Nanosecond (109) Speed Range
4)    Use of High Level Language, Such As COBOL, BASIC,
       FORTAN and PASCAL.

5)    Higher Capacity Internal Storage.
6)    Some Examples: - IBM 360, HONEYWELL 200, B6500 AND
       NCR395.

 

Generation of Computer

                   

                   4. Fourth Generation = Microprocessors
                     [Time Period = 1970 – In Present Age]

            A  Microprocessors Consists Of Millions Of Transistors. A Microprocessor Is built into a Single piece of silicon and is known as chip. This is approximately 0.5 cm. Along One and Not Thicker Than 0.05 cm. 

With Fourth Generation Computers. 

 LSI: Large Scale Integration Technology Allowed Hundreds Of     

         Transistors To Be Constructed On One Small Slice Of Silicon

         Material.

VLSI: Very Large Scale Integration Compressed Thousands Of 

           Transistors In A Single Chip.

ULSI: Ultra Large Scale Integration Technology Increased This 

           Number To Millions. 

1)    Computers Are Smaller In Size.
2)    These Are Cheapest Among All Other Generation Computers.
3)    Hardware Failure Is Negligible Among Of Hit Hence They Do        Not Require Air Conditioning.

4)    Use of High Level Language (User Friendly Language) Such        As ORACLE, DBASE, SYBASE, FOXBASE, and QUATRO, 

       Etc.

5)    Some Examples: Apple 11, Cray-1, and ALTAIR 8800.

                   5. Fifth Generation = Artificial Intelligence
           [Time Period = In Present Age and Beyond This Age]

 

             The Fifth Generation Computer With Use Super Large Scale Integrated Chips That With Result In Production Of Microprocessors Having Millions Of Electronic Circuits On A Single Chip.

         These Computers Japanese Call Them Knowledge Processors. 
 

1)    This Processor Requires Skill And Intelligence. These   Of 

       Computers, When Developed,Will Be Able To Executed        

       Billions Instructions Per Second.
2)    Improved Overall Performance And Functions Aimed At 
       Making The Computers Smaller, Lighter, Faster Of Greater
       Capacity, More Flexible And More Reliable.
 3)   Some Examples: Automatic Programming, Computational
       Logic, Pattern and Control of Robots.