Luigi Dadda
Encyclopedia
Luigi Dadda is an Italian
computer engineer. He was born on April 29, 1923 in Lodi. He was among the first researchers on computer
s in Italy. He has been a rector of the Politecnico di Milano technical university for 12 years, and he still performs research in the same university.
He studied electrical engineering
at the Politecnico di Milano, and graduated in 1947 with a thesis on signal transmissions, by designing a microwave
radio bridge between Turin
and Trieste
.
His research turns very soon towards models and analog computers, and in 1953 he receives a grant from the National Science Foundation
in order to study at the California Institute of Technology
in Pasadena
.
In the meantime, the Politecnico di Milano asks for funding under the Marshall Plan
scheme, for a digital computer: the request (120.000USD of the time) is granted, and the rector of the time, prof. Cassinis, asks him to join the design team at the Computer Research Corporation in San Diego, since the machine, a CRC 102A model, will not be maintained by the vendor after delivery and it is therefore needed to have in-house expertise on it.
Dadda complied, severing the NSF grant with CalTech and transferring to California
. He will travel back on an old Liberty mercantile ship along with the precious machine, placed in the middle of cotton balls in order to protect its valves from dangerous vibrations. Upon disembarcation in Genua, the machine is declared with customs as "electrical appliance", as the only computer machine in the taxonomy of goods used at the time was a "punchcard machine": close enough, but the punched card reader was not supplied with the computer, so it didn't fit. An additional problem was that, at the time, Italy's taxation imposed the application of a small paper slip similar to a stamp (proving payment of duties) on each and every valve used in the machine. Since demolishing the machine to apply the slips was out of question, the customs were so kind to allow Dadda to pay the tax as a forfait, and gave him a pack of slips to apply on the machine "as soon as possible". Those slips are obviously still in a drawer in prof. Dadda's desk.
The machine reached, at last, the Politecnico in September 1954, where it was activated in the backroom of the 2SUD room, resulting to be the first working digital computer in Italy as well as in continental Europe. In the following years, the research activity of Dadda focuses around this machine, using it for scientific and industrial applications, and training researchers and students of the Politecnico in computer science. Dadda created and taught the first courses on the subject. He also studied how to enhance the ALU
s of the machines, proposing solutions such as the Dadda multiplier
, which significantly enhanced performance of those circuits.
He reached the status of full professor in 1960, and was assigned the Electrical Engineering
chair since 1962. He then moved to studying Petri net
as a paradigm for the design of complex control systems. In signal processing
he proposed new systems for convolution. He has been the director of the Computing Center and then of the Computer Architectures Lab of the "Dipartimento di Elettronica ed Informazione" of the Politecnico di Milano university.
Among the founding member of the Italian Association for Computing in 1961 (and President between 1967 and 1970), he has been a co-founder and director of the Italian journal of computer science Rivista di Informatica. He has been the proposer of the European Information Network, realized by CEE
under the project COST 11. Between 1980 and 1982 he chaired the committee for science and technology of the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy. He is a Life Fellow
of the IEEE.
He is the President of the ALaRI
institute at the Università della Svizzera Italiana
in Lugano
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
computer engineer. He was born on April 29, 1923 in Lodi. He was among the first researchers on computer
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...
s in Italy. He has been a rector of the Politecnico di Milano technical university for 12 years, and he still performs research in the same university.
He studied electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at the Politecnico di Milano, and graduated in 1947 with a thesis on signal transmissions, by designing a microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
radio bridge between Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
.
His research turns very soon towards models and analog computers, and in 1953 he receives a grant from the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
in order to study at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in Pasadena
Pasadena
-Places:Places in Australia:*Pasadena, South Australia, a suburb of AdelaidePlaces in Canada:*Pasadena, NewfoundlandPlaces in the United States:*Pasadena, California*South Pasadena, California*South Pasadena, Florida*Pasadena, Maryland...
.
In the meantime, the Politecnico di Milano asks for funding under the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
scheme, for a digital computer: the request (120.000USD of the time) is granted, and the rector of the time, prof. Cassinis, asks him to join the design team at the Computer Research Corporation in San Diego, since the machine, a CRC 102A model, will not be maintained by the vendor after delivery and it is therefore needed to have in-house expertise on it.
Dadda complied, severing the NSF grant with CalTech and transferring to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He will travel back on an old Liberty mercantile ship along with the precious machine, placed in the middle of cotton balls in order to protect its valves from dangerous vibrations. Upon disembarcation in Genua, the machine is declared with customs as "electrical appliance", as the only computer machine in the taxonomy of goods used at the time was a "punchcard machine": close enough, but the punched card reader was not supplied with the computer, so it didn't fit. An additional problem was that, at the time, Italy's taxation imposed the application of a small paper slip similar to a stamp (proving payment of duties) on each and every valve used in the machine. Since demolishing the machine to apply the slips was out of question, the customs were so kind to allow Dadda to pay the tax as a forfait, and gave him a pack of slips to apply on the machine "as soon as possible". Those slips are obviously still in a drawer in prof. Dadda's desk.
The machine reached, at last, the Politecnico in September 1954, where it was activated in the backroom of the 2SUD room, resulting to be the first working digital computer in Italy as well as in continental Europe. In the following years, the research activity of Dadda focuses around this machine, using it for scientific and industrial applications, and training researchers and students of the Politecnico in computer science. Dadda created and taught the first courses on the subject. He also studied how to enhance the ALU
Arithmetic logic unit
In computing, an arithmetic logic unit is a digital circuit that performs arithmetic and logical operations.The ALU is a fundamental building block of the central processing unit of a computer, and even the simplest microprocessors contain one for purposes such as maintaining timers...
s of the machines, proposing solutions such as the Dadda multiplier
Dadda multiplier
The Dadda multiplier is a hardware multiplier design invented by computer scientist Luigi Dadda in 1965. It is similar to the Wallace multiplier, but it is slightly faster and requires fewer gates .In fact, Dadda and Wallace multipliers have the same 3 steps:# Multiply each bit of one of the...
, which significantly enhanced performance of those circuits.
He reached the status of full professor in 1960, and was assigned the Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
chair since 1962. He then moved to studying Petri net
Petri net
A Petri net is one of several mathematical modeling languages for the description of distributed systems. A Petri net is a directed bipartite graph, in which the nodes represent transitions and places...
as a paradigm for the design of complex control systems. In signal processing
Signal processing
Signal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time...
he proposed new systems for convolution. He has been the director of the Computing Center and then of the Computer Architectures Lab of the "Dipartimento di Elettronica ed Informazione" of the Politecnico di Milano university.
Among the founding member of the Italian Association for Computing in 1961 (and President between 1967 and 1970), he has been a co-founder and director of the Italian journal of computer science Rivista di Informatica. He has been the proposer of the European Information Network, realized by CEE
Cee
Cee or CEE may refer to:* Cee, Galicia, a municipality in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain* C, third letter of the English alphabet* Central and Eastern Europe, a region encompassing former Eastern Bloc countries...
under the project COST 11. Between 1980 and 1982 he chaired the committee for science and technology of the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy. He is a Life Fellow
IEEE Fellow
An IEEE member is elevated to the grade of IEEE Fellow for "unusual distinction in the profession and shall be conferred by the Board of Directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest"...
of the IEEE.
He is the President of the ALaRI
Advanced Learning and Research Institute
Advanced Learning and Research Institute is a privately sponsored graduate school on the 4th floor of the main building of the University of Lugano , in Switzerland....
institute at the Università della Svizzera Italiana
Università della Svizzera italiana
Università della Svizzera italiana is a public university located in Lugano, Switzerland, founded in 1996...
in Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
.