Datasaab D2
Encyclopedia
D2 was a concept and prototype computer
designed by Datasaab
in Linköping
, Sweden. It was built with discrete transistor
s and completed in 1960. Its purpose was to investigate the feasibility of building a computer for use in an aircraft
to assist with navigation
, ultimately leading to the design of the CK37 computer used in Saab 37 Viggen. This military side of the project was known as SANK, or Saabs Automatiska Navigations-Kalkylator (Saab's Automatic Navigational-Calculator), and D2 was the name for its civilian application.
The D2 weighed approximately 200 kg, and could be placed on a desktop. It used words of 20 bits corresponding to 6 decimal digits. The memory capacity was 6K words, corresponding to 15 kilobytes. Programs and data were stored in separate memories. It could perform 100,000 integer additions per second. Paper tape was used for input.
Experience from the D2 prototype was the foundation for Datasaab
's continued development both of the civilian D21 computer and military aircraft models. The commercial D21, launched already in 1962, used magnetic tape, 24 bit words, and unified program and data memory. Otherwise it was close to the D2 prototype, while a working airborne computer required a lot more miniaturization.
The D2 is on exhibit at IT-ceum, the computer museum in Linköping, Sweden.
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
designed by Datasaab
Datasaab
Datasaab was the computer division of and later a separate company spun off from aircraft manufacturer Saab in Linköping, Sweden. Its history dates back to December 1954, when Saab got a license to build its own copy of BESK, an early Swedish computer design using vacuum tubes, from...
in Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
, Sweden. It was built with discrete transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s and completed in 1960. Its purpose was to investigate the feasibility of building a computer for use in an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
to assist with navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, ultimately leading to the design of the CK37 computer used in Saab 37 Viggen. This military side of the project was known as SANK, or Saabs Automatiska Navigations-Kalkylator (Saab's Automatic Navigational-Calculator), and D2 was the name for its civilian application.
The D2 weighed approximately 200 kg, and could be placed on a desktop. It used words of 20 bits corresponding to 6 decimal digits. The memory capacity was 6K words, corresponding to 15 kilobytes. Programs and data were stored in separate memories. It could perform 100,000 integer additions per second. Paper tape was used for input.
Experience from the D2 prototype was the foundation for Datasaab
Datasaab
Datasaab was the computer division of and later a separate company spun off from aircraft manufacturer Saab in Linköping, Sweden. Its history dates back to December 1954, when Saab got a license to build its own copy of BESK, an early Swedish computer design using vacuum tubes, from...
's continued development both of the civilian D21 computer and military aircraft models. The commercial D21, launched already in 1962, used magnetic tape, 24 bit words, and unified program and data memory. Otherwise it was close to the D2 prototype, while a working airborne computer required a lot more miniaturization.
The D2 is on exhibit at IT-ceum, the computer museum in Linköping, Sweden.