SAPO (computer)

TheSAPO(short forSamočinný počítač,“automatic computer” ) was the firstCzechoslovakcomputer.It operated in the years 1957–1960 inVýzkumný ústav matematických strojů,part of theCzechoslovak Academy of Sciences.The computer was the firstfault-tolerantcomputer – it had three parallelarithmetic logic units,which decided on the correct result by voting, an example oftriple modular redundancy(if all three results were different, the operation was repeated).

Artistic representation of the SAPO computer

SAPO was designed between 1950 and 1956 by a team led by CzechoslovakcyberneticspioneerAntonín Svoboda.Svoboda had experience from building in the United States, where he worked atMITuntil 1946. It was anelectromechanicaldesign with 7,000relaysand 400vacuum tubes,and amagnetic drum memorywith capacity of 1024 32-bitwords.Each instruction had 5 operands (addresses) – 2 for arithmetic operands, one for result and addresses of next instruction in case of positive and negative result. It operated on binary floating point numbers.

In 1960, after a spark from one of the relays ignited the greasing oil and the whole relay unit burnt down, it was decided not to repair the computer because of its obsolescence.

See also

• EPOS (computer)

Further reading

• Svoboda, Antonín(1980). "From Mechanical Linkages to Electronic Computers: Recollections from Czechoslovakia".IEEE.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)

External links

• Beginnings of computer design in Czechoslovakia (in Czech),Google translation
• Kovář, Petr."Samočinný počítač SAPO | Historie počítačů v Československu"[SAPO Automated Computer | History of Computers in Czechoslovakia].historiepocitacu.cz(in Czech).Retrieved4 January2018.Google translation