Strela computer
Encyclopedia
Strela computer was the first mainframe computer
manufactured serially in the Soviet Union
, beginning in 1953.
This first-generation computer had 6200 vacuum tube
s and 60,000 semiconductor
diode
s.
The Strela's speed was 2000 operations per second. Its floating-point arithmetics was based on 43-bit words with a signed 35-bit mantissa and a signed 6-bit exponent. Operative Williams tube
memory (RAM) was 2048 words. It also had read-only semiconductor diode memory for programs. Data input was from punched card
s or magnetic tape. Data output was to magnetic tape, punched cards or wide printer. The last version of Strela used a 4096-word magnetic drum, rotating at 6000 rpm.
While officially Strela's chief designer was Yuri Bazilevsky, Bashir Rameyev
, who developed the project prior to Bazilevsky's appointment, could be considered its main inventor. Strela was constructed at the Special Design Bureau 245 (Argon R&D Institute since 1986), Moscow
.
Strelas were manufactured by the Moscow Plant of Computing-Analytical Machines during 1953-1957; 7 copies were manufactured. They were installed in the Computing Centre of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics
, Moscow State University
, and in computing centres of some ministries related to defense and economical planning.
In 1954, the designers of Strela were awarded the Stalin Prize of 1st degree (Bashir Rameyev, Yu. Bazilevsky, V. Alexandrov, D. Zhuchkov, I. Lygin, G. Markov, B. Melnikov, G. Prokudayev, N. Trubnikov, A. Tsygankin, Yu. Shcherbakov, L. Larionova).
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
manufactured serially in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, beginning in 1953.
This first-generation computer had 6200 vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s and 60,000 semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
s.
The Strela's speed was 2000 operations per second. Its floating-point arithmetics was based on 43-bit words with a signed 35-bit mantissa and a signed 6-bit exponent. Operative Williams tube
Williams tube
The Williams tube or the Williams-Kilburn tube , developed in about 1946 or 1947, was a cathode ray tube used to electronically store binary data....
memory (RAM) was 2048 words. It also had read-only semiconductor diode memory for programs. Data input was from punched card
Punched card
A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
s or magnetic tape. Data output was to magnetic tape, punched cards or wide printer. The last version of Strela used a 4096-word magnetic drum, rotating at 6000 rpm.
While officially Strela's chief designer was Yuri Bazilevsky, Bashir Rameyev
Bashir Rameyev
Bashir Iskandarovich Rameyev was a Soviet inventor and scientist, one of the founders of Soviet computing, author of 23 patents, including the first officially registered in the USSR patent in the field of electronic computers—a patent for the Automatic Electronic Digital Machine...
, who developed the project prior to Bazilevsky's appointment, could be considered its main inventor. Strela was constructed at the Special Design Bureau 245 (Argon R&D Institute since 1986), Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Strelas were manufactured by the Moscow Plant of Computing-Analytical Machines during 1953-1957; 7 copies were manufactured. They were installed in the Computing Centre of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics
Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics
The Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a research institute specializing in computational mathematics....
, Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
, and in computing centres of some ministries related to defense and economical planning.
In 1954, the designers of Strela were awarded the Stalin Prize of 1st degree (Bashir Rameyev, Yu. Bazilevsky, V. Alexandrov, D. Zhuchkov, I. Lygin, G. Markov, B. Melnikov, G. Prokudayev, N. Trubnikov, A. Tsygankin, Yu. Shcherbakov, L. Larionova).
See also
- History of computer hardware in communist countries