322:
instructions that used the main store, the six bits P15-P20 selected one of the 64 logical delay lines. Bits P11-P14 determined the time at which 20 bits of data were written to or extracted from the delay line, and thus represented address of a word within the selected delay line. There were 32 destination gates and 32 source gates; the 10 address bits identified a data word within the store if either the source or destination required access to the store. The total number of source and destination combinations, or different instruction functions, was 1024, although only about 256 of these were used often. The machine had three 20-bit registers (A, B and C), two of which were involved in multiplication, one 10-bit register which could link to either half of a word, and a group of 16 20-bit registers, addressed via bits P11-P14. In addition the 20-bit program counter (S register), and the instruction register (K) were accessible.
29:
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supported the basic set of arithmetic and logical operations, as well as conditional and relative jumps (making it possible to write a library of subroutines). Instructions consisted of three components: a 5-bit "destination" P1-P5, a 5-bit "source" P6-P10, and a 10-bit "address" P11-P20. For
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has been written for it. The curators have decided that, aside from the cost of restoring the device, the huge number of repairs that would be required to make it safe to operate (CSIRAC used 30
389:
Interest in the machine was revived in the 1990s, as it was realised that many of its developers were ageing and history was being lost forever. A conference about the machine was held in 1996.
371:
In 1964, CSIRAC was shut down for the last time. Its historical significance was already recognised at that stage, and it was placed in storage with plans for its later exhibition in a museum.
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206:
in 2018 and is now on permanent display in the Think Ahead gallery. A comprehensive source of information about the CSIRA collection, its contributors and related topics is available from
757:
230:, and ran its first test program (multiplication of numbers) sometime in November 1949. In restricted operation from late 1950, publicly demonstrated and operational in 1951.
1015:
356:
344:
In 1950 CSIRAC was used to play music, the first known use of a digital computer for the purpose. The music was never recorded, but it has been accurately reconstructed.
363:, where it formed Australia's only academic computing facility until late 1956. Many pioneers of computer use in Australia had their first exposure to computing there.
359:'s decision that computing research was outside its purview, the machine was transferred from its home at the Radiophysics Laboratory at the CSIRO in Sydney, to the
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proved unsatisfactory. The machine was controlled through a console which allowed programs to be stepped through one instruction at a time, and featured
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1190:– A timeline and history of CSIRAC, as well as a collection of presentations from the 1996 conference on the machine.
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in 2000. It has not been operable since its shutdown, but many of the programs that ran on it have been preserved, and an
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1223:— From the Computation Laboratory at the University of Melbourne's Department of Computing and Information Systems
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with a total 4096-word capacity and an access time of 10 milliseconds. Its memory clock ran at 1000
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The machine was stored in a warehouse through the 1960s and 1970s, before being set up for exhibit at
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269:(termed the "digit trunk" in their design) is unusual compared to most computers in that it was
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Input to the machine was performed in the form of punched 3-inch (76 mm) wide, 12-track
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1059:"Automatic Computing Machinery: Technical Developments - AN AUTOMATIC COMPUTER IN AUSTRALIA"
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518:"CSIRAC (COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION AUTOMATIC COMPUTER)"
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called INTERPROGRAM was developed in 1960 by Geoff Hill. It was similar to early forms of
8:
1100:
Beard, M.; Pearcey T. (1984). "The
Genesis of an Early Stored-Program Computer: CSIRAC".
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Australia's first digital computer, and the fifth stored-program computer in the world
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Gesthuizen, Roland; Kidman, Gillian; Tan, Hazel; Pham, Caroline (13 January 2020).
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596:"MuSA 2017 - Early Computer Music Experiments in Australia, England and the USA"
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displays which showed the contents of registers. Output was through a standard
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and Maston Beard, working in large part independently of similar efforts across
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1250:— Description of Architecture, Programming details, and a Java Emulator
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1113:
1270:– Trevor Pearcey interview, MP3s of all of the music played by CSIRAC
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758:"CSIRAC - the world's oldest intact first-generation electronic computer"
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of power in operation) would detract from its historical authenticity.
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in 2018 and is now on permanent display in the Think Ahead gallery.
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288:. George Semkiw later redesigned the drum-read electronics to use
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33:
CSIRAC, Australia's first digital computer, as displayed at the
1301:
Resurrection: The
Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society
1297:"Dr Trevor Pearcey β at the Forefront of Early Computer Design"
1280:
Resurrection: The
Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society
249:
as its primary data storage, with a typical capacity of 768 20-
223:
1376:
Recipients of
Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers
1247:
276:
Most of CSIRAC's approximately 2000 valves were of the types
258:
55:
998:"How Australia played the world's first music on a computer"
628:"Early Computer Music Experiments in Australia and England"
337:, which was designed in 1963 for the 20-bit transistorized
285:
277:
111:
1276:"The CSIR Mark 1/CSIRAC : Australia's First Computer"
800:. David Hornsby, Doug McCann, Peter Thorne. 12 August 2021
238:
The machine was fairly representative of first-generation
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1172:
The Last of The First, CSIRAC: Australias First
Computer
752:
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873:. Office of Naval Research, Dept. of the Navy. p.
672:"Computer Sound Synthesis in 1951: The Music of CSIRAC"
386:) from 1980 to 1992. It was then returned to storage.
724:"13.1 Electronic music's origin story [BONUS]"
1151:
The Music of CSIRAC, Australia's first computer music
747:
120:
108:
1318:"Open Education Miniconf Keynote: The Who of CSIRAC"
1133:. Australian Computer Museum Society. pp. 45p.
794:"CSIRAC Chronology: CSIRAC, University of Melbourne"
114:
1241:— Paul Doornbusch's book review (in Spanish)
1198:. Chisholm Institute of Technology. pp. 192p.
1016:"Slide: CSIRAC Computer, Trevor Pearcey, 1980-1992"
437:It is listed as a National Engineering Landmark by
105:
325:The machine, like all machines of the era, had no
171:computer in the world. It is the oldest surviving
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867:Research, United States Office of Naval (1953).
1099:
1175:. University of Melbourne Computing Science.
910:"6V6 Beam Power pentode, 8-pin, 2.8 W heater"
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218:The CSIRAC was constructed by a team led by
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191:), and was the first in the world to play
27:
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559:
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857:, pp. viii, 2β3, 27, 30, 77, 79β80.
443:Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
400:The machine found a permanent home with
391:
346:
1193:
1102:IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
899:6SN7 Double triode, 8-pin, 3.8 W heater
870:A survey of automatic digital computers
1361:Computer-related introductions in 1949
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1331:from the original on 12 December 2021.
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934:KT66 Beam tetrode, 8-pin, 8.2 W heater
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563:
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1227:Australian National Treasure β CSIRAC
1128:
512:
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477:β Sydney University's second computer
384:Caulfield Campus of Monash University
1229:— Television segment on CSIRAC
1169:McCann, Doug; Thorne, Peter (2000).
665:
663:
661:
536:"CSIRAC: Australia's first computer"
419:for many years, it was relocated to
202:for many years, it was relocated to
173:first-generation electronic computer
1366:Science and technology in Australia
734:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
273:βit transferred one bit at a time.
13:
1295:Ainsworth, Barbara (Autumn 2014).
1131:CSIRAC: Australia's first computer
507:
253:words, supplemented by a parallel
242:-driven computer designs. It used
14:
1402:
1214:
1196:A History of Australian Computing
996:Doornbusch, Paul (26 June 2016).
658:
564:Fildes, Jonathan (17 June 2008).
376:Caulfield Institute of Technology
566:"Oldest computer music unveiled"
380:Chisholm Institute of Technology
101:
1030:
1022:. Item MM 68471. Archived from
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722:Werner, Joel (16 August 2019).
670:Doornbusch, Paul (March 2004).
378:(later the Caulfield Campus of
366:
528:
493:
396:CSIRAC display at Scienceworks
210:on their Collections website.
1:
1274:Thorne, Peter (Autumn 2014).
1076:10.1090/S0025-5718-52-99392-7
945:"CSIRAC paper tape (replica)"
481:
470:List of vacuum tube computers
465:History of computing hardware
780:Museums Victoria Collections
329:. A high-level interpreted
7:
1371:Heritage sites in Melbourne
1020:Museum Victoria Collections
838:Digital Computer Newsletter
524:. Heritage Victoria. H2217.
522:Victorian Heritage Register
448:
428:Victorian Heritage Register
10:
1407:
1063:Mathematics of Computation
1038:"CSIRAC Computer, 1949-64"
689:10.1162/014892604322970616
642:Cambridge University Press
213:
1148:Doornbusch, Paul (2005).
651:10.1017/S1355771817000206
626:Doornbusch, Paul (2017).
415:After being exhibited at
302:, after experiments with
233:
198:After being exhibited at
86:
71:
61:
51:
41:
26:
1194:Pearcey, Trevor (1988).
890:, pp. 8β11, 13, 91.
888:McCann & Thorne 2000
855:McCann & Thorne 2000
426:CSIRAC is listed on the
1351:One-of-a-kind computers
1248:CSIRAC Emulator in Java
1114:10.1109/MAHC.1984.10014
949:Computer History Museum
361:University of Melbourne
155:), originally known as
834:"9. C.S.I.R.O. Mark I"
818:: CS1 maint: others (
676:Computer Music Journal
397:
382:, and later again the
352:
1391:Australian inventions
1356:Vacuum tube computers
1233:The Computer 'CSIRAC'
1069:(39): 167β172. 1952.
1040:. Engineers Australia
844:(4): 6. October 1952.
430:and is included in a
395:
350:
1129:Deane, John (1997).
1108:(2). IEEE: 106β115.
916:on 27 September 2006
331:programming language
247:acoustic delay lines
1381:City of Hobsons Bay
1239:The Music Of CSIRAC
776:"CSIRAC Collection"
542:on 16 November 2007
439:Engineers Australia
23:
1259:www.doornbusch.net
1243:Google translation
798:cis.unimelb.edu.au
398:
355:In 1955, with the
353:
314:or to punch tape.
284:, EA50 diodes and
185:electro-mechanical
183:is older, but was
21:
1235:— 1965 film
1154:. Common Ground.
503:. 12 August 2021.
351:CSIRAC, side view
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1026:on 13 July 2012.
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1002:The Conversation
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973:. Archived from
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912:. Archived from
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538:. Archived from
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460:Electronic music
432:Heritage Overlay
417:Melbourne Museum
402:Museums Victoria
327:operating system
255:disk-type device
208:Museums Victoria
200:Melbourne Museum
181:Deutsches Museum
167:, and the fifth
165:digital computer
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977:on 1 April 2018
971:"CSIRAC design"
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1255:"CSIRAC Music"
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43:Also known as
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1262:. Retrieved
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1093:Bibliography
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1042:. Retrieved
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1024:the original
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979:. Retrieved
975:the original
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918:. Retrieved
914:the original
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837:
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737:. Retrieved
727:
682:(1): 11β12.
679:
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644:: 297β307 .
637:
631:
606:. Retrieved
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540:the original
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425:
421:Scienceworks
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399:
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370:
367:Preservation
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263:control unit
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204:Scienceworks
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133:ommonwealth
130:
129:
96:
95:
72:Release date
18:
1323:LinuxConfAU
546:21 December
312:teleprinter
304:punch cards
293:transistors
1340:Categories
955:13 October
920:19 January
608:18 October
487:References
482:References
300:paper tape
261:, and the
189:electronic
141:ndustrial
1309:0958-7403
1288:0958-7403
1085:0025-5718
698:0148-9267
410:kilowatts
290:germanium
163:'s first
161:Australia
157:CSIR Mk 1
149:utomatic
52:Developer
47:CSIR Mk 1
1329:Archived
1122:38316671
1044:27 April
981:14 April
814:cite web
706:10593824
501:"CSIRAC"
449:See also
406:emulator
226:and the
145:esearch
1188:Alt URL
804:24 June
577:18 June
475:SILLIAC
244:mercury
214:History
179:at the
177:Zuse Z4
153:omputer
77: (
1307:
1303:(67).
1286:
1282:(67).
1264:18 May
1202:
1179:
1158:
1137:
1120:
1083:
951:. 2010
739:13 May
704:
696:
271:serial
234:Design
224:Europe
187:, not
159:, was
97:CSIRAC
75:c.1949
22:CSIRAC
1118:S2CID
702:S2CID
640:(2).
357:CSIRO
335:BASIC
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