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Analog Computers

blog.degruyter.com

1–10 of 107 posts

Re: Analog Computers

#2
The author certainly has a point, but I wonder if analog computers (in the sense of DA/AD + ICs that can be plugged into general purpose systems) suffer from economies of scale? Maybe energy + depreciation costs of general purpose computers are still lower than ordering a minimum of 10~100k units of some custom analog computer w/ good enough quality control.

Apparently something similar to FPGA exists for analog signals [1], I wonder how popular/practical it is.

[1] https://books.google.com.br/books?id=qjnnBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA93&lp...

Re: Analog Computers

#6
If any of you guys are into analog computing, just as an FYI, there's a sub-reddit dedicated to the topic (full disclosure, I started this particular one). analogcomputing.reddit.com

There's not a ton of content there yet, but please feel free to add anything you come across. I'm a fan of the idea and suspect, like the author of this piece, that there is "something there".

Re: Analog Computers

#7
The author's so called analog computers can be built by using FPGAs. And the term he might be reaching for is called data-flow programming.

Re: Analog Computers

#8
> Instead, you program it by changing the interconnection between its many computing elements – kind of like a brain

This is one of the worst "brain" analogies I've read lately.

Re: Analog Computers

#10
It would be interesting to simulate that airflow in LTSpice, given that that analog contraption can do it.
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