Re: The joy of FORTRAN

On 3/9/25 10:30 AM, Sn!pe wrote:
 > c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:
 >
 >> On 3/8/25 3:55 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
 >>> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:
 >>>
 >>>> rbowman <bowman@montana.com> writes:
 >>>>> On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 00:21:15 -0500, c186282 wrote:
 >>>>
 >>>>> Relay logic was sort of fun. You were building state machines with relays,
 >>>>> Eagle Signal electro-mechanical timers, limit switches, and so forth. I
 >>>>> never did it but even more fascinating were some of the complex machines
 >>>>> that were all cams, levers, gears, and springs except for the drive
 >>>>> motor.
 >>>>
 >>>> I use and repair relay logic even in these digital times:
 >>>>
 >>>> https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/target-pool
 >>>
 >>> That Target Pool looks a bit like my Jacks Open.
 >>>
 >>> I bought the Jacks Open and realized that as a home game, scoring special
 >>> just awarded credits.  Since we were playing at home credits were
 >>> meaningless.  The game had no Extra Ball feature.
 >>>
 >>> I figured out what kind of relay I needed, drilled a hole between the
 >>> flippers put a light there, and wired in the relay.  I was always struck
 >>> at how much like programming the wiring and relays were like.  I still
 >>> play the game.
 >>
 >>
 >>     Contemplate how similar electrics and PLUMBING are  :-)
 >>
 >>     Hmmmm ... betcha a 'hydraulic CPU' really could be made ...
 >>
 >>     I did find something long back, the equiv of a 'hydraulic
 >>     transformer' - high-pressure/low-volume to low-pressure/
 >>     high volume. Likely the reverse is possible without too
 >>     much complication. An oscillator using an air-chamber,
 >>     the 'capacitor', and proper flow resistance to tune
 >>     resonance freq and .......   :-)
 >>
 >>     If I had to explain electrics to someone from the
 >>     Roman empire days, I'd use plumbing analogies.
 >>
 >
 > It's been done:
 >
 > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Machine>
   That's a fascinating bit of tech ! Wonder why he
   used fluids instead of electrics ? Analog electronic
   computing had been around for a long time. Maybe
   ya just couldn't get enough steps into a sim with
   electrics before there was doom from complexity
   and error-amplification ?
   In any case, I think a DIGITAL CPU could also be
   made. Wouldn't have to be much, like a PIC-12xxx
   or something. Put it under a 100-ft square glass
   floor in some big tech center/museum so everyone
   can watch it do its thing (very slowly). A couple
   of user inputs of course, so they can watch their
   stuff flitter through the whole system. Would need
   some kind of display - hydraulic serial LCD.
   It'd be ultra-cool.
   I think MIT built at least part of a Babbage
   Difference Engine - I've seen vids of all the
   little brass gears and cogs working - hypnotic.
   DID see pix once of a guy who built a Z-80 inside
   his house, from discrete transistors. Took up
   three walls .....