Whirlwind - Revision history

Jnc: First computer used interactively

2025-11-04T20:17:27Z

First computer used interactively

Jnc: Avoid redirs

2025-04-09T14:56:49Z

Avoid redirs

Jnc: /* External links */ +Whirlwind I Computer Block Diagrams

2024-03-19T17:28:46Z

‎External links: +Whirlwind I Computer Block Diagrams

Jnc: /* Further reading */ +Project Whirlwind: The History of a Computer Pioneer

2024-02-14T19:23:46Z

‎Further reading: +Project Whirlwind: The History of a Computer Pioneer

Jnc: /* External links */ +Computer-Aided Design’s Strong Roots at MIT

2024-02-14T18:58:20Z

‎External links: +Computer-Aided Design’s Strong Roots at MIT

Larsbrinkhoff: Unique.

2024-01-08T08:32:21Z

Unique.

Jnc: Better cat

2023-12-21T21:41:02Z

Better cat

Jnc: The first, I think!

2023-07-11T12:17:25Z

The first, I think!

Jnc: no 'return' instruction

2023-05-04T20:11:41Z

no 'return' instruction

Jnc: Actually, did have 'jump and save old PC' instruction

2023-05-03T14:34:31Z

Actually, did have 'jump and save old PC' instruction

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Whirlwind''' was one of the very first computers; it was enormously influential, for several reasons. It was the first [[real-time]] computer, unlike all the other first-generation computers, which were intended only for large-scale computations for numerical [[application]]s. It was also the first computer with [[core memory]], which was invented for it (some time after it had first come into service; it initially used [[Williams tube|electrostatic]] [[vacuum tube]] [[main memory]]).
+'''Whirlwind''' was one of the very first computers; it was enormously influential, for several reasons. It was the first [[real-time]] computer, unlike all the other first-generation computers, which were intended only for large-scale computations for numerical [[application]]s. Associated with that, it was used interactively, rather than in [[batch processing]] mode, and had several successors in that - which set the path for most of today's computers.
-Whirlwind was built at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] (MIT's first computer), originally for use in a flight simulator, but wound up being used to prototype the [[SAGE]] air defence system.
+Finally, Whirlwind was also the first computer with [[core memory]], which was invented for it (some time after it had first come into service; it initially used [[Williams tube|electrostatic]] [[vacuum tube]] [[main memory]]). It was built at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] (MIT's first computer), originally for use in a flight simulator, but wound up being used to prototype the [[SAGE]] air defence system.
 It was built out of vacuum tubes, and had a [[word]] size of 16 bits. It used a predecessor to [[microcode]] for internal control [[logic]] (it used a sequence of hard-wired control words for control, effectively [[read-only memory|ROM]], but did not include any ability to alter the order of [[execute|execution]] thereof.)
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==See also==
-* [[TX-0]] - an early important descendant
+* [[Memory Test Computer]] - a now little-known, but important, early descendant
-* [[LINC]] - another important descendant of Whirlwind
+* [[TX-0]] - an important descendant, which led to another, [[TX-2]]
 ==Further reading==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Whirlwind''' was one of the very first computers; it was enormously influential, for several reasons. It was the first [[real-time]] computer, unlike all the other first-generation computers, which were intended only for large-scale computations for numerical [[application]]s. It was also the first computer with [[core memory]], which was invented for it (some time after it had first come into service; it initially used [[Williams tube|electrostatic]] [[vacuum tube]] [[main memory]]).
-Whirlwind was built at [[MIT]] (MIT's first computer), originally for use in a flight simulator, but wound up being used to prototype the [[SAGE]] air defence system.
+Whirlwind was built at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] (MIT's first computer), originally for use in a flight simulator, but wound up being used to prototype the [[SAGE]] air defence system.
-It was built out of vacuum tubes, and had a [[word]] size of 16 bits. It used a predecessor to [[microcode]] for internal control [[logic]] (it used a sequence of hard-wired control words for control, effectively [[read-only memory|ROM]], but did not include any ability to alter the order of execution thereof.)
+It was built out of vacuum tubes, and had a [[word]] size of 16 bits. It used a predecessor to [[microcode]] for internal control [[logic]] (it used a sequence of hard-wired control words for control, effectively [[read-only memory|ROM]], but did not include any ability to alter the order of [[execute|execution]] thereof.)
 [[Instruction]]s included a 12-bit [[absolute address]]; when its [[main memory]] later exceeded that size, a [[bank switching]] mechanism had to be added. It had only a single [[register|accumulator]], and no [[index register]]s.

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 * [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/whirlwind/ Bitsavers] - large collection of material
 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/whirlwind/M-series/2M-0277_Whirlwind_Programming_Manual_Oct58.pdf Whirlwind Programming Manual]
 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/whirlwind/R-series/R-221_Whirlwind_I_Operational_Logic_May54.pdf Whirlwind I Operation Logic] - good, detailed overview of the internal architecture
 * [https://dome.mit.edu/handle/1721.3/37455 Project Whirlwind] - large collection of contemporary documents; e.g. bi-weekly progress reports

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==See also==
-* [[LINC]] - an important descendant of Whirlwind
+* [[TX-0]] - an early important descendant
-* [[TX-0]] - an earlier important descendant
+* [[LINC]] - another important descendant of Whirlwind
 ==External links==

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 * [https://computerhistory.org/blog/the-whirlwind-computer-at-chm/ The Whirlwind Computer at CHM]
 * [https://computerhistory.org/blog/gambling-on-whirlwind-how-the-us-navy-spent-3-million-and-got-a-computer-game/ Gambling on Whirlwind: How the US Navy Spent $3M and got a Computer Game]
 [[Category: Early Computers]]
 [[Category: 16-bit Computers‎]]
 [[Category: Unique Computers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:32, 8 January 2024
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	[[Category: Early Computers]]		[[Category: Early Computers]]
	[[Category: 16-bit Computers‎]]		[[Category: 16-bit Computers‎]]
		+	[[Category: Unique Computers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:17, 11 July 2023
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	[[Category: Computers]]		[[Category: Computers]]
		+	[[Category: 16-bit Computers‎]]

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 It was built out of vacuum tubes, and had a [[word]] size of 16 bits. It used a predecessor to [[microcode]] for internal control [[logic]] (it used a sequence of hard-wired control words for control, effectively [[read-only memory|ROM]], but did not include any ability to alter the order of execution thereof.)
-In common with other very early machines, its [[architecture]] was somewhat peculiar (by current standards). [[Instruction]]s included a 12-bit [[absolute address]]; when its [[main memory]] later exceeded that size, a [[bank switching]] mechanism had to be added. It had only a single [[register|accumulator]], and no [[index register]]s. Its [[control flow]] capabilities were limited and primitive; it had [[conditional branch]]ing, but almost no support of any kind for [[subroutine]]s (it did have a '[[jump]] and save the old [[Program Counter|PC]] in the accumulator' instruction), and no provision for [[stack]]s. As a result of all that, extensive use was made of [[self-modifying code]]. It had neither [[interrupt]]s or [[trap]]s (but could be caused to [[halt]] on an [[arithmetic overflow]]).
+[[Instruction]]s included a 12-bit [[absolute address]]; when its [[main memory]] later exceeded that size, a [[bank switching]] mechanism had to be added. It had only a single [[register|accumulator]], and no [[index register]]s.
 The standard input/output device was a [[Flexowriter]] (very similar to a [[Teletype]]); it functioned as a [[printing terminal]] (initially only for output), and could also read and punch [[paper tape]]s. (A high-speed Ferranti photo-electric paper tape reader was also added later, as was a [[line printer]].) Eventually, the system was enhanced with a [[magnetic tape drive]] and a [[drum]]. A [[vector graphics|vector]] [[video display]] and a [[light pen]] input pointing device were also added.