MODULE 1

ANALOG vs DIGITAL COMPUTER

1. Analog Computer:

Analog computer system is the very old computer system which operates on the
mathematical variables in the form of continuously changeable physical
quantities/entities like mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, etc. They use continuous
values rather than discrete values so they work on analog signal. At the time of at the
time of the 1950s–1960s these analog computers were first used. Analog computers
are limited in accepting the problems and also they can never be extremely accurate.

2. Digital Computer:

Digital computers are the computer systems/machines which uses the binary number
system, which has two digits: 0 and 1 and performs many computational tasks. It
processes the data represented in discrete and the main three components of digital
computers are input, processing and output. The first digital computer was designed
for numerical computations in the late 1940s. Digital computers give results with
more accuracy as it is not dependent upon physical quantities for processing a task.

Difference between Analog Computer and Digital Computer

[Link]. ANALOG COMPUTER DIGITAL COMPUTER

Analog computers works with continuous Digital computers works with discrete
01 values or these types of systems process values or these types of systems
. continuous data. process discrete data.

02 Speed of analog computers is less than the Speed of digital computers is more
. digital computers. than the analog computers.

Analog computer has very low or limited

03 memory and it can store less amount of Digital computer has very big memory
. data. it can store large amount of data.

04 Digital computer has On and Off these

. Analog computer has no state. 2 steps.

05 Analog computers are less reliable than Digital computers are more reliable
. digital computers. than analog computers.
06
. Its performance is comparatively low. Its performance is very high.

07
. Its speed of processing is not so high. Its speed of processing is very high.

08 Analog computers depends upon physical Digital computers does not depend
. variations. upon physical variations.

It provides results with higher

09 It provides results with less accuracy as accuracy as compared to analog
. compared to digital computers. computers.

10 Digital computers are not so difficult

. Analog computers are difficult to use. to use.

Digital computers do not have so

11 Analog computers have complex complex architecture like analog
. architecture. computers.

12
. Readability of analog computer is low. Readability of digital computer is high.

13 Analog computers show the result in Digital computers show the result in
. terms of voltage signals. computer display screen.

14 Analog computers employs analog Digital computers employs digital

. encoding. encoding.

15
. Power consumption is high. Power consumption is low.

16
. They are usually special purpose devices. It can be general purpose devices.

17 Examples includes analog clock and Examples includes Digital laptop,

. thermometer etc. digital camera, digital watches etc.
The Generation of Computer Evolution is Generally
Divided Into 5 Categories

[Link] Time-period Generations of Computer Evolving Hardware

1 1940-1950 First-generation Vacuum-Tube Based
2 1950-1960 Second generation Transistor Based
3 1960-1970 Third generation Integrated-Circuit Based
4 1970-Present Fourth Generation Microprocessor-Based
5 Present-Future Fifth Generation Artificial Intelligence Based

The First Generation of Computers- (the 1940s-1950s)

1. The main electronic component used in the computers of the 1940s to 1950s
era were vacuum tubes.
2. The main memory storing units were magnetic tapes and magnetic drums.
3. The machine language was used as the programming language.
4. The sizes used to be very large which could take up entire rooms and the speed
was very slow.
5. The only input/output devices were paper tape and punched cards.
6. Around 100 different vacuum tubes were used in order to produce the
computers.
7. Examples are UNIVAC1, ENIAC, IBM 701 and IBM 650, etc.

The Second Generation of Computers- (the 1950s-1960s)

 1. The main electronic component used in the computers of the 1950s to 1960s
era were transistors.
2. The main memory storing units were magnetic tape or disk and magnetic core.
3. The assembly language was used as the programming language.
4. The sizes were smaller as compared to those of the first generation and they
used to consume low power and generate less heat.
5. There was an improvement in speed.
6. The input/output devices were magnetic tape and punched cards.
7. Examples are IBM 1401, IBM 7094 AND IBM 7090, UNIVAC 1107, and so
on.
The Third Generation of Computers- (the 1960s-1970s)

1. The main electronic components used in the computers of the era 1060s to
1970s were integrated circuits ICs.
2. The memory storing units were the magnetic disk or take and a large magnetic
core.
3. High-level languages such as BASIC, COBOL, Pascal were used as the
programming language.
4. The sizes were smaller and efficient and the computers were called
minicomputers.
5. There was an improvement in reliability and speed as compared to the second
generation of computers.
6. The input/output devices were keyboards, magnetic tape monitor, printer, etc.
7. Examples are IBM 370, IBM 360, UNIVAC 1108 and so on.

The Fourth Generation of Computers- (1970s-present)

1. The main electronic components used in the fourth generation of computers are
microprocessors and very large scale integration (VLSI).
2. When thousands of transistors are attached to a single microchip, it is known as
VLSI.
3. Semiconductor memory storage units such as RAM, ROM, etc were
introduced.
 4. RAM (random-access memory)- Temporarily stores the programs and data and
the contents are lost when the computer is shut down.
5. ROM (read-only memory)- Permanently stores the data and programs and the
contents are retained even after shutting down the computer.
6. High-level languages such as C#, JAVA, Python, JavaScript are used as
programming languages.
7. The sizes are smaller and the speed has improved.
8. The input/output devices are a monitor, mouse, keyboard, printer, and so on.
9. Examples are STAR 1000, APPLE II, IBM PC, and so on.

The Fifth Generation of Computers- (present and the future)

1. The main electronic components that are used in the present generation of
computers is Artificial Intelligence which uses the parallel processing method
and the Ultra-Large Scale Integration (ULSI).
2. The fifth generation of computers understands the natural human language.
3. The speeds are really fast and the sizes are also small.
4. The fifth-generation computers are portable and have a huge storage capacity.
5. The input/output devices are keyboards, monitors, touchscreen pens, printers,
light scanners, and so on.
6. Examples are laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, etc.