A serial computer is a computer typified by
bit-serial architecture i.e., internally operating on one
bit or
digit
Digit may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* Numerical digit, as used in mathematics or computer science
** Hindu-Arabic numerals, the most common modern representation of numerical digits
* Digit (anatomy), the most distal part of a limb, such ...
for each
clock cycle. Machines with serial
main storage
Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.
The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer ...
devices such as acoustic or
magnetostrictive
Magnetostriction (cf. electrostriction) is a property of magnetic materials that causes them to change their shape or dimensions during the process of magnetization. The variation of materials' magnetization due to the applied magnetic field chan ...
delay lines and
rotating magnetic devices were usually serial computers.
Serial computers require much less hardware than their
parallel computing
Parallel computing is a type of computation in which many calculations or processes are carried out simultaneously. Large problems can often be divided into smaller ones, which can then be solved at the same time. There are several different fo ...
counterpart,
but are much slower. There are modern variants of the serial computer available as a
soft microprocessor which can serve niche purposes where size of the CPU is the main constraint.
The first computer that was not serial (the first parallel computer) was the
Whirlwind in 1951.
A serial computer is not necessarily the same as a computer with a
1-bit architecture
In computer architecture, 1-bit integers or other data units are those that are (1/8 octet) wide. Also, 1-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers of that size.
Th ...
, which is a subset of the serial computer class. 1-bit computer instructions operate on data consisting of single bits, whereas a serial computer can operate on ''N''-bit data widths, but does so a single bit at a time.
Serial machines
*
EDVAC (1949)
*
BINAC (1949)
*
SEAC (1950)
*
UNIVAC I (1951)
*
Elliott Brothers Elliott 153 (1954)
*
Bendix G-15 (1956)
*
LGP-30 (1956)
*
Elliott Brothers Elliott 803 (1958)
*
ZEBRA (1958)
*
D-17B
The D-17B (D17B) computer was used in the Minuteman I NS-1OQ missile guidance system. The complete guidance system contained a D-17B computer, the associated stable platform, and power supplies.
The D-17B weighed approximately , contained 1,521 ...
guidance computer (1962)
*
PDP-8/S (1966)
* General Electric
GE-PAC 4040 process control computer
*
F14 CADC
The F-14's Central Air Data Computer, also abbreviated as CADC, computes altitude, vertical speed, air speed, and mach number from sensor inputs such as pitot and static pressure and temperature. Earlier air data computer systems were electromech ...
(1970) transferred all data serially, but internally operated on many bits in parallel
*
Kenbak-1
The Kenbak-1 is considered by the Computer History Museum, the Computer Museum of America and the American Computer Museum to be the world's first "personal computer", invented by John Blankenbaker (born 1929) of Kenbak Corporation in 1970, and fi ...
(1971)
*
Datapoint 2200 (1971)
*
HP-35 (1972)
Massively parallel
Most of the early
massive parallel processing machines were built out of individual serial processors, including:
*
ICL Distributed Array Processor (1979)
*
Goodyear MPP (1983)
*
Connection Machine CM-1 (1985)
* Connection Machine CM-2 (1987)
*
MasPar MP-1 (1990) 32-bit architecture, internally processed 4 bits at a time
*
VIRAM1 computational RAM
Computational RAM (C-RAM) is random-access memory with central processing unit, processing elements integrated on the same chip. This enables C-RAM to be used as a SIMD computer. It also can be used to more efficiently use memory bandwidth within ...
(2003)
See also
*
1-bit computing
In computer architecture, 1-bit integers or other data units are those that are (1/8 octet) wide. Also, 1-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers of that size.
Th ...
*
BKM algorithm
*
CORDIC algorithm
References
Further reading
* (xiv+306 pages)
* Parhi, Keshab K., "A Systematic Approach for Design of Digit-Serial Signal Processing Architectures," ''IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems'', Vol. 38, No. 4, April 1991, pp. 358-375, https://doi.org/10.1109/31.75394
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Classes of computers
*Serial computers