[sdiy] Analog Computers ( again )

[Tim Stinchcombe]

> I've extensively searched online already so anyone have some 
> pointers for analog computer building blocks?  Reading some 
> usage tutorials right now and am pondering building some 
> simple blocks to play with.

A good place to start would be to get a copy of 'Electronic Analog and
Hybrid Computers', Korn & Korn, McGraw Hill, 1964, which seems to have been
something of a 'bible' in its day when it comes to analog computers. It
covers all the basics of operational amplifiers (the originals!),
integrators, differentiators, shed loads of diode limiters, diode function
generators, servo resolvers, multipliers, dividers, squarers, you name it. A
lot of it is tube based, but maybe no more than 50-50 tubes-semiconductors.
Plus of course sections on how to apply it all - solving differential
equations, linear programming, how to scale everything etc. There seem to be
plenty of reasonably priced copies about (e.g. abebooks.com).

Tim
__________________________________________________________
Tim Stinchcombe 

Cheltenham, Glos, UK
email: tim102 at tstinchcombe.freeserve.co.uk
www.timstinchcombe.co.uk