Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!amdcad!weitek!aimt!phil
From: phil@aimt.UUCP (Phil Gustafson)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: non-binary hardware
Summary: Pentastables and Decastables
Message-ID: <1167@aimt.UUCP>
Date: 14 Sep 88 00:23:51 GMT
References: <1285@mcgill-vision.UUCP> <3473@phri.UUCP>
Organization: Famed Parquet Floor
Lines: 22

In article <3473@phri.UUCP>, roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
> mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse) writes:
> > By the way, does anyone know of a non-mechanical digital calculator or
> > computer that isn't essentially binary?
> 
> 	The bottom line is that digital and binary are essentially
> synonymous, although I suppose in theory you could define digital as
> discrete and have trinary, etc. logic.

Some old (real old, 50's and 60's) counters used 10-state ring
counters to hold digits.  These gadgets are binary as far as logic
levels go but decastable rather than bistable.  They're very much analogous
to wheeled mechanical calculaters.

A fast (for 1967) frequency counter I worked with once had a pentastable
prescalar ring.  Same thing.


-- 
				Phil Gustafson, Graphics/UN*X Consultant
				net address above
				1550 Martin Ave, San Jose, Ca 95126