Why do the terms digital and therefore digital computer seem to be so problematic? In all literature dealing with computer history, there is a certain indifference concerning the differently scaled function descriptions and terminologies of individual parts or the entire computer and its analogue, discreet or digital properties. “Digital” and “digital computer” was first used by George Robert Stibitz in 1942.” (Ceruzzi/Aspray 1990) So far, no author was able to state a direct source. In his closing report Report on electronic predictors for anti-aircraft fire control from 1942 about a computer-assisted anti-aircraft system Stibitz' pointed out the fundamental advantages of merely having to program and compute two discreet voltage levels.
There is a reference to this technical and historical gap, for example, in the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Computers and Computer History by Raul Rojas from 2001. It should however be possible to find at least a circuit directly succeeding the “trigger relay” from 1919 or a first application. Indeed, an early mention of the onomatopoetic name “flip-flop” can be found in A. T. Starr’s essay “A Trigger Peak Voltmeter Using »Hard« Valves“ from 1935. In April 1920, around six months after the trigger relay essay was published by Eccles and Jordan, Laurence Beddome Turner presented his so-called “Kallirotron, an Aperiodic Negative-Resistance Triode Combination”.
Table of Contents
1. The term “digital computer” (Stibitz 1942) and the “flip-flop” (Turner 1920)
Objectives & Research Themes
The work examines the historical origins and conceptual genesis of the terms "digital" and "digital computer," analyzing how these concepts evolved from earlier technological systems to define modern electronic computation. It investigates the historical transition from analogue and "pulse" systems to the binary-based digital logic that characterizes contemporary computing architectures.
- The historical definition of "digital" vs. "analogue" computer systems.
- George Stibitz’s role in coining the term "digital computer" and the "binary place."
- The evolution of the "flip-flop" as a fundamental binary storage element.
- Comparison of "trigger relay," "Kallirotron," and bistable multivibrator circuits.
- Epistemological distinction between the analogue-discrete scale and the digital binary episteme.
Excerpt from the Book
The term “digital computer” (Stibitz 1942) and the “flip-flop” (Turner 1920)
In this article, the origins and genesis of the expressions “digital” and “digital computer” will be analysed. The technological term “digital” refers to a certain economy of electronic binary clocking. To explore the historical roots of this issue, for example Paul Ceruzzi compares the term “digital” with “analog” in the sense of an opposition in William Aspray’s “Computing Before Computers” from 1990. The author notes that the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) from 1942 and the ENIAC from 1945 functioned digitally. But this observation is possible only because Ceruzzi replaces Atanasoff’s descriptive term “direct” with “digital”:
“If Atanasoff is the inventor of the electronic digital computer, as the courts judged in 1973, then it is in the restricted sense outlined here. At the same time […] Mauchly had only vague and ill-defined ideas about how to use vacuum tubes to build circuits that could perform digital calculation. Atanasoff, by contrast, was skilled at circuit design and had a thorough understanding of the difference between electronic circuits used for analog as opposed to digital applications.7 [Endnote] 7. Indeed, Atanasoff was the first to use the word »analogue« to describe that type of computer [built in 1936, not the ABC]; »digital« was first used by George Stibitz in 1942.”
Summary of Chapters
1. The term “digital computer” (Stibitz 1942) and the “flip-flop” (Turner 1920): This chapter provides a historical analysis of the emergence of digital terminology, contrasting it with analogue systems and tracing the technological development of core computing components like the flip-flop.
Keywords
Digital computer, Analogue, Flip-flop, Binary, George Stibitz, Kallirotron, Trigger relay, Multivibrator, Electronic circuits, Pulse computer, History of computing, Binary logic, Signal conversion, Episteme, Vacuum tubes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this publication?
The publication focuses on the historical development and conceptual origins of the terms "digital" and "digital computer," tracing their roots back to early 20th-century electronic developments.
What are the central themes covered in the text?
Key themes include the opposition between analogue and digital systems, the technical transition from "pulse" systems to binary logic, and the genealogical development of the bistable circuit.
What is the core research question?
The work aims to clarify how the term "digital" emerged, how it differs from "analogue" systems, and how specific circuit developments enabled the birth of modern digital computers.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The author uses historical analysis, reviewing archival documents, dissertations, and technical papers from the 1920s to the 1970s to trace the evolution of technological terminology.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body examines the contributions of figures like George Stibitz and Laurence Beddome Turner, analyzing their circuit designs (like the Kallirotron) and their role in defining digital computation.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as digital computer, flip-flop, binary logic, analogue systems, and the history of signal conversion.
Who coined the term "digital computer" according to the text?
The text suggests that George Stibitz very probably coined the term "digital computer" as a counterpart to analogue, distancing himself from the term "pulse computer."
What is the significance of the "Kallirotron" circuit?
The Kallirotron is identified as a general bistable trigger and a direct predecessor to the flip-flop circuit, which became the central component for storing binary information in early computers.
How is the "digital" episteme defined in the conclusion?
The author argues that "digital" does not merely sit on an analogue-discrete scale, but refers to a distinct episteme defined by universal binary code.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr. phil. Robert Dennhardt (Autor:in), 2008, The term “digital computer” (Stibitz 1942) and the “flip-flop” (Turner 1920), München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/301420
