How planes were guided before digital computers

In the fifties, sixties, and even seventies, numeric computers were big machines stored in big rooms, and it was not possible to embark them aboard planes.
So, if it was not possible to embark a numeric computer aboard planes, how could planes guide themselves without the help of a remote computer?
In fact there is an answer to this question, and this answer is: analog computing.
Analog computing is a special technique which allows to perform operations directly on non numerized electric signals; it allows to program complex equations which are used in aeronautics and to control the flight of planes.
What makes this technique interesting is that it doesn't require as many transistors and as much compacity as a numeric computer, and therefore it was compatible with the technology of the time that numeric computers were only big machines unsuitable to be embarked on planes.
When numeric computers became compact enough to be embarked on planes, they first were not powerful enough to completely replace analog computers, and that's why hybrid computers were first used; a hybrid computer is an association between an analog computer and a digital computer; the analog computer executes complex equations that are required to control the flight of the plane, and the digital computer performs some special functions the analog computer can't do and provides a human interface; they communicate through converters which can convert an analog signal to a digital signal, or vice versa a digital signal to an analog signal.
Analog computers allowed to efficiently guide planes (and also space ships) before digital computers reached a level of power and compacity which allowed them to do the job alone.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NASA
• Apollo
• analog
• computer
• numeric
• flight
• control
• AGC
• operational
• amplifier
• equations
• connection
• embarked

[umloginqualquer]

Btw the music is satiagraha, right?

[hunchbacked]

@umloginqualquer

It's difficult to put the right kind of music because of the copyright; I have head videos blocked because of the music.



[oldmac6]

Very good an impressive video ! Just a question how do you convert anlog voltage for exemple from an Operational Amplifier to an Digital Computer. what was the "converter" ? Sorry for bad English i'm a french teenager.

[hunchbacked]

@oldmac6

In order to convert voltage from an Operational amplifiers to a digital computer, analog to digital converters are used.

With a network of resistors, it is possible to convert digital information into analog voltage; to convert the analog informtation to digital information, a clock is fed into a counter, and the counter counts till the converted analog output matches with the analog input to convert; the counter contents is then the converted digital information.

[hunchbacked]

Two people have rated this video negatively; they are probably idiots, because, if they were not, they would tell me why they don't like this video.

In fact, I think they rated it negatively not because they don't like it, but because they don't like me, it's personal!

[hunchbacked]

These analog systems are particularly efficient because of their technology.

The result of the command is compared with the command; the difference is the the command error; this error is amplified and reinjected to be compensated; this way the error can never diverge, since as soon as it does it is immediately corrected in a very fast way.

This makes the analog computer a very safe et reliable technique; it allowed to control planes and helicopters with quite a great level of security.

[umloginqualquer]

A bit boring because it's just a slideshow, but thumbs up for the content of it. And for the music, of course. :)

[uploadJ]

Nice documentation of a period in technological history. Thanks for the video.

- uploadJ

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[Darkwizzrobe]

If quantum computer take off then we are back to Analogue computing that would be very good I'd think.

[Rob26O259]

Oh, and I would have used my original nick (Rob260259) if you wouldn't have blocked me Hunch.