On Thu, 1 May 2003, Ethan Dicks wrote:
> --- "Peter C. Wallace" <pcw_at_mesanet.com> wrote:
> > Actually all analog computers are _not_ the same.
> >
> > For example: Resistive Sheet computers are very different....
>
> I have an idea of how an analog (electronic) computer would work
> (compared to a mechanical analog computer - that's voodoo with cams)...
>
> How does a resistive sheet computer work?
The one that I saw had a large (maybe 2 foot square) conductive sheet
(looked like carbon filled rubber) with a grid printed on it. There were sets
of probes for introducing potential "hills" in the sheet and other probes for
measuring the potential at any desired point on the sheet. My memory fails me
here but ISTR that some applications were determining equipotential lines
about odd shapes (using a custom shaped probe) and some kinds of thermal
problems.
>
> In the same vein (pun intended)... how would fluidic computers
> stack up? Digital? Analog? Mixed?
>
> -ethan
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>
Peter Wallace
Received on Thu May 01 2003 - 14:02:00 BST