1958 FACOM 128B Japanese Relay Computer, still working!

Ғылым және технология

0:00 Intro
0:53 The FACOM 128B
1:53 History of relay computers
5:16 Trip to Mt Fuji and Fujitsu's Numazu plant
6:12 Detailed look at the FACOM 128B
10:33 Simple example: 3+3, deciphering the lights
12:49 Calculating square root of 2
13:44 Crossbar mechanical memory
17:07 Large calculation demo
21:30 Maintenance
22:34 FACOM and the rise of Fujitsu
23:16 More footage of the 128B in action
This FACOM 128B was designed in 1958 and built in 1959, and is part of Fujitsu's (and Japan's) first commercial computers series. It uses over 5,000 relays, and still works to this day! Samtec and Fujitsu arranged for me to see this very special machine in action during a recent visit to Japan.
Many thanks to Fujitsu:
Mayumi Funamura
Yoshio Takahashi
Tadao Hamada
and Samtec:
Yasuo Sasaki
Brian Vicich
for making the visit possible.
Special thanks to
Robert Woodhead
for providing precious technical information.
Some relevant links:
Outstanding CHM video on the early machines mentioned here: • Computer Pioneers: Pio...
Nice list of amateur relay computer projects: hackaday.io/project/11798-rel...
Viewer @aljawad solves the same problem on a HP-15C pocket calculator from 25 years later: • Hewlett Packard HP-15c...
Our sponsor for PCBs: www.pcbway.com
Support the team on Patreon: / curiousmarc
Merch on Teespring: teespring.com/stores/curiousm...
Learn more on companion site: www.curiousmarc.com
Contact info: kzread.infoa...

Пікірлер: 1 700

  • @Brokenrocktail
    @Brokenrocktail4 жыл бұрын

    1:27 that's my grandfather working on the ENIAC in 1950. He remembers them having him pose for that photo. He started out as one of the tube technicians in 1949-1950 but by 1952 he was in charge of all the maintenance on the ENIAC

  • @SachiraBhanu

    @SachiraBhanu

    Жыл бұрын

    You are lucky to have a man like him in your family. It's a great photo of history.

  • @RCAvhstape

    @RCAvhstape

    Жыл бұрын

    That's awesome.

  • @paterson.

    @paterson.

    Жыл бұрын

    This is so cool.

  • @manamsetty2664

    @manamsetty2664

    Жыл бұрын

    That's the most famous photo of an ENIAC

  • @Brokenrocktail

    @Brokenrocktail

    Жыл бұрын

    @@manamsetty2664 it’s one of the more famous photos yes. But that’s him, my family is sure of it and so was he

  • @slickstretch6391
    @slickstretch63914 жыл бұрын

    Man: "Computer, what's 3 + 3 ?" FACOM: "5 + 1" Man: "Uh, thanks... I guess."

  • @gantmj

    @gantmj

    4 жыл бұрын

    A common core answer, way before its time.

  • @alphaforce6998

    @alphaforce6998

    4 жыл бұрын

    Underrated comment.

  • @bottledwater2539

    @bottledwater2539

    4 жыл бұрын

    3+3? 10-4

  • @muhammadsolihin7310

    @muhammadsolihin7310

    4 жыл бұрын

    :)

  • @layton3503

    @layton3503

    4 жыл бұрын

    And it only cost $35.00 in electricity

  • @rydillo
    @rydillo2 жыл бұрын

    This is why I love Japan. Not only do they have this machine on display, but it is in perfect working order and they have people dedicated to maintaining it and demonstrating it to its fullest. I don't think there's any other country in the world that preserves it's history as well as Japan.

  • @suleestio6686

    @suleestio6686

    Жыл бұрын

    You love nanjing massacre too i guess..

  • @RJ6AV6

    @RJ6AV6

    Жыл бұрын

    Tons of other countries preserve their history lol what are you talking about 😅

  • @randomsnow6510

    @randomsnow6510

    Жыл бұрын

    we litterally have a working version of the first digital computer in the uk bruh

  • @GAURON123

    @GAURON123

    Жыл бұрын

    Ok weeb Never been on the Smithsonian?

  • @savedemperor8024

    @savedemperor8024

    6 ай бұрын

    @@poiu477 Your hedonistic delusions are what brings downfall on various societies these days

  • @crhendo
    @crhendo Жыл бұрын

    I visited this factory 30 years ago and remain truly amazed that the original demo is still in great shape

  • @chriswatson2407
    @chriswatson24074 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for relaying this information.

  • @0raffie0

    @0raffie0

    4 жыл бұрын

    XD

  • @SlavTiger

    @SlavTiger

    4 жыл бұрын

    Badum tsst

  • @coilsmoke2286

    @coilsmoke2286

    4 жыл бұрын

    GOOD 1

  • @newjargon1697

    @newjargon1697

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hahaha

  • @Perktube1

    @Perktube1

    4 жыл бұрын

    😁

  • @ihspan6892
    @ihspan68924 жыл бұрын

    This is an EXCELLENT video. No background music (thank you, thank you, thank you), plenty of photos and videos, well written, well researched, and the author, albeit present and distinct, is not the focus point. It's wonderful example. I wish there were more people creating videos like this. Thank you.

  • @josephrutha1060

    @josephrutha1060

    4 жыл бұрын

    I agree. Excellent video. They referenced and compared to the vintage telephone exchanges called crossbars. I am blessed with childhood memories of the "Number five crossbar" that my dad maintained for a living. Very impressive '50s technology. The "Connections Museum" has in it's collection the very last working number five crossbar in the world. A KZread search will turn up some some great videos of this wonderful piece of history.

  • @dilbyjones

    @dilbyjones

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeaaaa!!!

  • @TheSkunkyMonk

    @TheSkunkyMonk

    2 жыл бұрын

    Missed so many good videos because of background music

  • @woodworkerroyer8497

    @woodworkerroyer8497

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree. The videos very well made. I don't think BG music is bad, but the generic trash KZread has is. If people paid for good music, it would be a lot less annoying since you wouldn't hear the same trash all the time.

  • @TheSkunkyMonk

    @TheSkunkyMonk

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@woodworkerroyer8497 the real annoying part is when it is mixed super low so you can barely make it out.

  • @slerk9
    @slerk94 жыл бұрын

    I have always been impressed at the level of pride and meticulousness that Japanese engineers take in their work. Everything is precise and choreographed... down to the tool set!

  • @calags

    @calags

    2 жыл бұрын

    Everything looks so orderly too.

  • @SergeantExtreme

    @SergeantExtreme

    2 жыл бұрын

    That's the difference between the Japanese culture of feeling that working for a corporation is a great honor vs. the American culture of feeling that working for a corporation means you're being "exploited".

  • @blendpinexus1416

    @blendpinexus1416

    Жыл бұрын

    i too love the japanese craftsmanship. if you laid out a bunch of items from a particular category, removed the branding, and made sure you selected from across the companies that make that item i'm very likely to pick up the japenese one and say "i'll take this one"

  • @thesteelrodent1796

    @thesteelrodent1796

    Жыл бұрын

    @@SergeantExtreme Japanese corporations also make a big deal out of telling their employees how they fit into the greater whole and what happens to what they do once it passes on to something else. That way everyone knows what's happening at all times anywhere in the company, unlike the western culture where you often have no idea what they're doing on the other side of the wall. It also means everyone in a Japanese company knows exactly how many people have to wait for them if they screw up or call in sick

  • @ratulxy

    @ratulxy

    Жыл бұрын

    @@SergeantExtreme if exploitation is honour by Japanese standards, then the Japanese have been brainwashed well.

  • @JohnRineyIII
    @JohnRineyIII4 жыл бұрын

    I love the lines of this machine. Clean, sparse, modular, pure craftsmanship all the way down to the little labels on every component of the memory crossbars.

  • @MadOverlord
    @MadOverlord4 жыл бұрын

    As someone who got a chance to see this machine earlier this year (and on a maintenance day, so I met the full team dedicated to keeping this machine alive), I can state with authority that seeing this device in operation should be on the bucket list of every lover of computing history. It not only features a bunch of clever innovations that made it more powerful, but it has a visceral impact that is similar to that which you get when seeing the Difference Engine in operation.

  • @CuriousMarc

    @CuriousMarc

    4 жыл бұрын

    Robert, I must also thank you very much for providing me with your technical analysis derived from the Japanese documents. I need to add your name to the credits!

  • @user-ny5vp9be8v

    @user-ny5vp9be8v

    4 жыл бұрын

    Oh shit! It's the Animeigo guy!

  • @benjaminbenavidesiglesias52

    @benjaminbenavidesiglesias52

    4 жыл бұрын

    Is amazing... Thats for sure. Only in japan... Good for these, japan. 👍

  • @bearb1asting

    @bearb1asting

    4 жыл бұрын

    Robert Woodhead What a fabulous experience.

  • @rivards1

    @rivards1

    4 жыл бұрын

    Sure it's fancy, but can it run Wizardry? :-)

  • @rarbiart
    @rarbiart4 жыл бұрын

    so the japanese did spend time and money on preserving the history of their industrial legacy. Something we should definitly learn about.

  • @theseriousaccount

    @theseriousaccount

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ever heard of the Computer History Museum?

  • @Y2Kvids

    @Y2Kvids

    4 жыл бұрын

    They have photos atleast

  • @arifsaha

    @arifsaha

    4 жыл бұрын

    The oldest working digital computer is a UK one - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harwell_computer - kzread.info/dash/bejne/i6qEsJqrhZbafdY.html

  • @glidershower

    @glidershower

    4 жыл бұрын

    I saw a video a month ago of a guy restoring the landing computer of the Apollo program. How did he came across such an important piece of American aeronautical history? Why, NASA dumped it and a lot of other mission equipment on a warehouse. As trash they were auctioning to salvagers and space buffs.

  • @kens97sto171

    @kens97sto171

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@glidershower Yep. That was a good video . Apparently another AGC came up for auction.. they tried to bid on it It sold for $250,000. I think they said.

  • @Yakez42
    @Yakez424 жыл бұрын

    When computer is older than all the people in the room...

  • @autohmae

    @autohmae

    4 жыл бұрын

    And still not retired.

  • @Pau_Pau9

    @Pau_Pau9

    3 жыл бұрын

    When I am that old, I hope I can have cadre of people to look after me and have people visit me from all over the world. And have important things to do. Nobody will care that I am slow because I'm one of the kind. ;)

  • @fastica

    @fastica

    3 жыл бұрын

    That happens when my toddler is using my old iPad in his room.

  • @DrRadio155

    @DrRadio155

    3 жыл бұрын

    I work on power generating station, that older even than my dad

  • @victorw9403

    @victorw9403

    3 жыл бұрын

    Only because I wasn't there.

  • @MsMysticworld
    @MsMysticworld3 жыл бұрын

    The passion and dedication of a restorer, the effort of those people who funded it, just to preserve and maintain a piece of history in a good condition. A glimpse and part of history.

  • @FranLab
    @FranLab4 жыл бұрын

    What a beautiful machine. It took lots of love to restore that for sure!

  • @coilsmoke2286

    @coilsmoke2286

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hey Fran ! Small internet isn't it ? How much do you love this ... right >

  • @fss1704

    @fss1704

    4 жыл бұрын

    Pretty small world indeed

  • @VauxhallViva1975

    @VauxhallViva1975

    4 жыл бұрын

    12:25 - sounds like a ship engine idling!!!! Amazing machine. Great video, thanks for posting. How far we have come with technology....

  • @SkyDza

    @SkyDza

    3 жыл бұрын

    that love its called money :D

  • @xxhalfemptyxx7713

    @xxhalfemptyxx7713

    3 жыл бұрын

    OMG HI fran

  • @iNerdier
    @iNerdier4 жыл бұрын

    Skip ahead? I don't think you understand why I watch these videos...

  • @crazystuffproduction

    @crazystuffproduction

    4 жыл бұрын

    i could watch an hour easy from the host

  • @normkirk65

    @normkirk65

    4 жыл бұрын

    Agreed ! Love this !!!

  • @phreapersoonlijk

    @phreapersoonlijk

    4 жыл бұрын

    Aye, ASMR for nerds !

  • @Haruki_Aikawa

    @Haruki_Aikawa

    4 жыл бұрын

    The beautiful sounds of electronic yes’s and no’s 🤤🤤

  • @MisterKaen

    @MisterKaen

    4 жыл бұрын

    I feel you brother. Its fascinating

  • @TheTeflonTranny
    @TheTeflonTranny3 жыл бұрын

    I'm a telecommunications technician and I remember the cross-bar telephone exchanges as they were still in use in many locations 25 years ago here in Australia. The sound of them making and breaking connections was really quite hypnotic. They would travel in waves from one side of the switch bank to the other. It was only a matter of a few years though, before they were replaced by System 12 and AXE digital exchanges, ending the era of electromechanical switching telephone exchanges. Seeing videos like this one brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for this little trip down memory lane.

  • @James_Knott
    @James_Knott Жыл бұрын

    Back in the early 70s, I was a technician working in the Toronto Stock Exchange. There was a computer that was installed a year before I was born. It used both vacuum tubes and relays. It used a code called "excess 6", to make decimal counters. The value of the counter was 6 higher than the data. The reason for this was to simplify decoding "10". At that point, the counter would roll over, producing a carry and also resetting the counter to 6, which represented 0. A normal counter would require extra logic to detect when 10 was reached, so they went with excess 6. It also had a memory drum.

  • @RT-qd8yl

    @RT-qd8yl

    3 ай бұрын

    So really these are more like calculators right?

  • @James_Knott

    @James_Knott

    3 ай бұрын

    @@RT-qd8yl Not so much a calculator. It's purpose was to transmit stock prices to broker's offices. There were several trading posts on the the trading floor, where post boys would receive the bids and offers from the floor traders. They were also on the phone to some operators downstairs who would enter the prices on a keyboard that caused the post indicators to spin to the prices. That system I worked on would take the stock info and send it to boards in the broker's offices where the indicators would also spin. Later on, a connection was made to a Ferranti Packard 6000 computer for a stock inquiry system.

  • @gmcoelho
    @gmcoelho4 жыл бұрын

    It takes sqrt(2) seconds to calculate sqrt(2)...

  • @christoffer4862

    @christoffer4862

    4 жыл бұрын

    I wish they would have squared the result again, to see how accurate it is...

  • @tomr6955

    @tomr6955

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah I think the uploader intended it as a joke

  • @cezarcatalin1406

    @cezarcatalin1406

    4 жыл бұрын

    Not seconds... with optimisations it could take fractions of a second by doing it in a relay cascade of about 3 full cycles or about 1/10 of a second. I say this because the fastest permanent switching relays could be switched at 30Hz. Other kinds of relays like pulse relays can be switched much faster (kilohertz range)... but that’s the limit of what you can do with mechanical parts. Still, slow as fuck.

  • @SurfinScientist

    @SurfinScientist

    4 жыл бұрын

    You are on to something...

  • @garystewart3110

    @garystewart3110

    4 жыл бұрын

    On^n2 ;)

  • @ronniepirtlejr2606
    @ronniepirtlejr26064 жыл бұрын

    Japanese are Master Craftsman, they always take pride in their work! I have always admired the quality in Japanese products!

  • @NoNoseProduction

    @NoNoseProduction

    4 жыл бұрын

    Weeb

  • @pioneernut7487

    @pioneernut7487

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah made in japan stuff is Real quality. I have 30 years old made in japan stereo, still going

  • @ninepuchar1

    @ninepuchar1

    4 жыл бұрын

    Remember when there were used to products with "MADE IN JAPAN" 😢.

  • @alexanderrosales7675

    @alexanderrosales7675

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@NoNoseProduction Same i have a Panasonic record player and flip clock from 1973 and 1976 that still work, i just grease the motor on the flip clock occasionally.

  • @renoiskandar9706

    @renoiskandar9706

    3 жыл бұрын

    made in China

  • @squee222
    @squee2224 жыл бұрын

    I once did some work in the penthouse of an old relay driven elevator. Hearing the relay's click and clack while the logic was determined to open and close doors, turn on floor lights , and ding the bells really was something I will always remember - I can only imagine what it must be like to hear all those relays in person. Very cool

  • @xlch1757
    @xlch17573 ай бұрын

    Preserving our past will help ensure our future, what a beautiful piece of machinery.

  • @de_chief
    @de_chief4 жыл бұрын

    When my father was working for Fujitsu a few years ago, he took me to the Numazu complex to see this mainframe (and another that I can't remember the name of), and they fired it up for us - they even let me keep a printout. He also worked for Fujitsu in the mid to late 80's, then called FACOM here in Australia, as a mainframe operator and eventually worked his way up to several managerial roles and was one of the first foreign transfers to Fujitsu's head office in Tokyo. Not only were the machines IBM compatible, they were almost identical clones with remnants of IBM code which got Fujitsu into trouble later on. He told me that most operators kept an IBM manual in their car that they would use for error troubleshooting because the Fujitsu manual wasn't as good, but they weren't allowed to bring them into the building! Thanks for making this video, it was fun learning about relay computers. :)

  • @aarongreenfield9038

    @aarongreenfield9038

    4 жыл бұрын

    @DeChief. Do you still have that printout?

  • @beekarinsaan

    @beekarinsaan

    4 жыл бұрын

    Damn you should've got some. Lovin' from the uploader of this video. That's a lot of insightful information.

  • @de_chief

    @de_chief

    4 жыл бұрын

    Aaron Greenfield yup! It's rolled up in a tube somewhere, I was considering framing it.

  • @munnsie100

    @munnsie100

    3 жыл бұрын

    I had no idea we had FACOM in Australia! Interesting!

  • @DanafoxyVixen
    @DanafoxyVixen4 жыл бұрын

    Only have to replace about one relay a year despite being demo'ed daily? damn that's very good reliability. I guess this and lower power draw were the few clear advantage over Valves/Tubes in these early days

  • @Damien.D

    @Damien.D

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah. Electromechanical hardware is darn reliable, having a burn coil is extremely rare and everything needed to make it run is contact adjustments. Contacts are made to have a slight "sweeping" motion, thus are self cleaning. I do collect (and restore) pinball machines, and EM ones are easily the most reliable and easy to fix.

  • @dustysparks

    @dustysparks

    4 жыл бұрын

    Tommy Flowers proved that you could use tubes during WWII more reliably than relays but ONLY if you never shut them off! That's a lot of power to draw, but the advantage is speed. This was used in the Colossus to break teletype encryption (not Enigma, but Lorenz).

  • @jhallenworld

    @jhallenworld

    4 жыл бұрын

    Z3 enhanced reliability by turning off current during switching to avoid arcing the contacts. I wonder if the 128B did something like this?

  • @pioneernut7487

    @pioneernut7487

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah thats called made in japan. To this day made in japan stuff is better and reliable. I have 30 years made in japan hi-fi, still going strong and flawless. Made in china era was the worst that could affect us, but money is WHAT counts unfortunately

  • @flatfingertuning727

    @flatfingertuning727

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@jhallenworld I was wondering that too. If one used latching relays operated by a two-phase clock, one could avoid ever having any relay switch on or off while under load. It would be interesting to have a bit more explanation of how some parts of this computer were implemented. While 4,000 relays in some ways seems big and in some ways small, I would guess that that's probably equivalent to tens of thousands of transistors, since many relays would probably have multiple poles.

  • @stormtrooper9434
    @stormtrooper94343 жыл бұрын

    What a surprise!!... I worked 30 years ago as a technician for the latest crossbar systems operative in the first telephone company in Spain and I had no idea that this tecnology was used in computing... I knew that tubes and relays had been used until the introduction of transistors, but not in such a familiar way to me... Amazing...

  • @chap666ish
    @chap666ish4 жыл бұрын

    "Biquinary" - I really learned something new there. And I've been dabbling with computers since the 1970s. Thank you Marc.

  • @swp466
    @swp4664 жыл бұрын

    I'd like to see an attempt to divide by zero.

  • @peterbonnema8913

    @peterbonnema8913

    4 жыл бұрын

    That will burn up about halve the relays

  • @CuriousMarc

    @CuriousMarc

    4 жыл бұрын

    I just asked Fujitsu what would happen and they said: “Divide by 0: 128B detects divide-by-zero. It stops and turns \infty lamp on.” Which is the correct answer, approved by the IEEE standard from many years later!

  • @coilsmoke2286

    @coilsmoke2286

    4 жыл бұрын

    My first thought also ...Divide by zero ... I used to do that to my Dad's huge desktop mechanical calculator 55 years ago. It banged, clacking up a storm, while it's top part shifted back and forth, lifted up and down, numbers rolling over and over, shaking his desk forever till infinity...There's your result !

  • @statusquo9520

    @statusquo9520

    4 жыл бұрын

    It will kick you in the leg )

  • @joantorruella4891

    @joantorruella4891

    4 жыл бұрын

    It will probably catch on fire

  • @joesterling4299
    @joesterling42994 жыл бұрын

    12:25 - The clock speed on that CPU sounds like all of 2.5 Hz!

  • @shao1423

    @shao1423

    3 жыл бұрын

    An era when people can hear the CPU clock speed.

  • @boden_staendig

    @boden_staendig

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@shao1423 You can actually hear some modern processors work, too, due to their constant frequency changes. Intel's 6th generation Core processors, codenamed Skylake, were so noisy that Apple decided not to built them into their laptops.

  • @shao1423

    @shao1423

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@boden_staendig never knew that! Wouldn’t that be caused by the EMI to the audio signal? Since the MB on modern NB are so tiny.

  • @boden_staendig

    @boden_staendig

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@shao1423 It's coil whine.

  • @RWBHere

    @RWBHere

    2 жыл бұрын

    2.5 times the speed of the Dr. Konrad Zuse's relay computers from two decades earlier. Such is progress. 😉

  • @zzxxenith
    @zzxxenith3 жыл бұрын

    Its still the most amazing computer I've ever seen keep in mind its doing everything mechanically skip ahead no way!!!! Please forward our thanks and respect for the demonstration from Canada.

  • @leejamestheliar2085
    @leejamestheliar20854 жыл бұрын

    " Tons of memory "

  • @user-qp3qj2jv6f

    @user-qp3qj2jv6f

    3 жыл бұрын

    i mean that's 1.6kb, for what it did it was plenty

  • @RoerDaniel

    @RoerDaniel

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@user-qp3qj2jv6f i think he meant that it actually weighs over a ton

  • @user-qp3qj2jv6f

    @user-qp3qj2jv6f

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@RoerDaniel possibly

  • @wictimovgovonca320

    @wictimovgovonca320

    3 жыл бұрын

    Literally

  • @rennegaddefoxxe

    @rennegaddefoxxe

    3 жыл бұрын

    Literal tons of weight!

  • @Frisenette
    @Frisenette4 жыл бұрын

    Very impressive that such a behemoth was preserved so lovingly. I want to say it’s typical of Japan, but it is actually surprisingly common to see these early one offs in good shape and complete. The first couple of decades must have been the hardest to convince management of the importance of keeping it.

  • @coilsmoke2286

    @coilsmoke2286

    4 жыл бұрын

    It is in beautiful condition, marvelous !

  • @NYCZ31

    @NYCZ31

    3 жыл бұрын

    This is Japan we're talking about. The management weren't some sharks hired from outside, but men who had started in the company out of college and stayed with the company their entire lives. This is a machine they would introduced to in their orientation, grown up with, have been proud of, and felt responsible for taking care of it as not only a legacy of their company but the country as well.

  • @Frisenette

    @Frisenette

    3 жыл бұрын

    NYCZ31 even the Japanese with all their reverence for history and tradition can be surprisingly and seemingly randomly and stupidly pragmatic about what to preserve and what to throw away.

  • @fgaviator
    @fgaviator4 жыл бұрын

    Marc: Darling, let's make a trip to your home country! Japanese Wife: Yay! Marc: I have arranged a special visit to this vintage computer....

  • @demef758

    @demef758

    4 жыл бұрын

    Gotta admit that while Mrs. CuriousMarc looks a bit bored in this video, she is a very pretty woman!

  • @eddiehimself

    @eddiehimself

    4 жыл бұрын

    She's actually from North Korea. He said she reacted badly to seeing the mini Soviet flag next to the Soyuz clock because of the fact that she'd escaped from communism and that her family is detained in labour camps.

  • @CuriousMarc

    @CuriousMarc

    4 жыл бұрын

    @eddiehimself She is from Vietnam actually. Boat people refugee.

  • @Dooncat

    @Dooncat

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@CuriousMarc you good man with good heart also. merry christmas and happy new 2021 year for both, You and Your wife!!

  • @LordFalconsword
    @LordFalconsword4 жыл бұрын

    That was awesome! As a sci-fi writer, this video was pure red meat!

  • @dilbyjones

    @dilbyjones

    2 жыл бұрын

    It’s gold to a causal watcher like me

  • @dilbyjones

    @dilbyjones

    2 жыл бұрын

    It tackles linear equations easily!

  • @bombasticbuster9340
    @bombasticbuster93403 жыл бұрын

    On my way from school in the 70s and 80s, I loved walking by my small towns phone relay building. As I raided the garbage for wire, old bell sets, etc, I could hear the clicking and moving of the old style relay systems as someone dialed their number. It was built on the same land as the original switch board operators home back in the pre dial days.

  • @TurpInTexas
    @TurpInTexas4 жыл бұрын

    When I was a kid I used to work on relay based pinball machines from the 50's and 60's, that had some of the building blocks like adders and multipliers in them, and it I thought those were amazing and clever. I always wondered if there was such a thing as a full-scale relay based computer, so I can wonder no more. This video was the coolest thing in the way of computing I have ever seen! Thank you so much for capturing it in action and presenting it to us. I absolutely was mesmerized by it! :)

  • @HebaruSan
    @HebaruSan4 жыл бұрын

    3+3 = 1+5 confirmed

  • @0raffie0

    @0raffie0

    4 жыл бұрын

    Now have it do 1+5

  • @cometobrazil9916

    @cometobrazil9916

    4 жыл бұрын

    1 + 5 = 1 + 5

  • @dakoderii4221

    @dakoderii4221

    3 жыл бұрын

    This must be where Common Core math came from

  • @bettyswunghole3310

    @bettyswunghole3310

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm pretty sure it's 2+4, actually...

  • @ojkolsrud1
    @ojkolsrud14 жыл бұрын

    The sound that this machine makes in operation - it's beautiful in my ears. Solving that matrix is just magic, when you think about the fact that it was mechanical moving parts that did this work. Thanks for showing this, Marc! I regret the fact that I didn't know about this when I was in Japan.

  • @BlitzHopB
    @BlitzHopB4 жыл бұрын

    This is the content I want to watch on youtube! Love to see how these machines still spark a curiosit and happines in those people that work there. You can see they are loving it!

  • @Sir_Uncle_Ned
    @Sir_Uncle_Ned4 жыл бұрын

    There's a very odd satisfaction to hearing all those relays clicking away

  • @mikesanders6351

    @mikesanders6351

    4 жыл бұрын

    Having spent a long career maintaining various types of telephone exchanges, including the crossbar types this technology was based on, I can assure you it's not that pleasant - I now have to wear hearing aids due to long term exposure to the noise of these oddly satisfying relays clicking away.

  • @Dekkia_
    @Dekkia_4 жыл бұрын

    A few month back I found out about this computer and quickly discovered that most written information about it was in japanese. I also could not really find proper photos to see how it looks like. Thank you so much for making this video. It's truly an impressive machine.

  • @alex_inside
    @alex_inside4 жыл бұрын

    As a Electronics engineering student everyday I learn more about computers the less I can believe that they are possible, they are beautiful and complicated. I'm amazed!

  • @okboing
    @okboing2 жыл бұрын

    I love relay computers, the sound of them really let's you capture the somewhat regular patterns within a more unpredictable song of computation.

  • @LMacNeill
    @LMacNeill4 жыл бұрын

    That was so cool to watch!! I've never seen a real relay-based computer in action before. You know, the term "debugging" actually dates back to this era of relay-powered computers. Bugs would get sucked in because of all the air that had to be moved rapidly through the computer to keep it cool, and the bugs would get stuck in the relays' contacts, thus preventing them from working correctly. So "debugging" meant removing literal bugs from the relay contacts, to keep the computers running smoothly. The term stuck around all the way until today, even though it means something different.

  • @W4iteFlame

    @W4iteFlame

    Жыл бұрын

    That is actually cool to know. I've always wondered how literal it is

  • @mareksicinski3726

    @mareksicinski3726

    Жыл бұрын

    that is a myth, bug as something that bothers u was used already however there was one time a bug got stuck but ppl made a pun based on the existing term 'first time a 'bug' has actually been found!'

  • @rarbiart
    @rarbiart4 жыл бұрын

    16:53 Again those japanese dates, which count in the years of their respective majesty, so probably Shōwa 34.

  • @CuriousMarc

    @CuriousMarc

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, you are right! I was wondering where he saw that date! You can look it up here: www.ewc.co.jp/Pages/Information/CalendarEN.aspx. It actually translates to 1959. Close enough.

  • @jamesharrell4360
    @jamesharrell43604 жыл бұрын

    This makes sense as to why every retro space movie had boards and boards of blinking lights. Also.. I have always wanted to make those blinking light panels for my shed. This whole video was awesome. Thank You.

  • @fanatic26
    @fanatic264 жыл бұрын

    Things like this NEED to be saved and recorded in this way. This is the very definition of the power of the human mind and our ability to achieve anything we set our mind to. I am simply astonished at the scale and ability of these machines. On top of that, every old sci fi show worth its salt had computers modeled after these inventions. You can SEE a console lifted straight out of one of these machine on the bridge of the Enterprise and it would fit right in!

  • @mysticmarble94
    @mysticmarble944 жыл бұрын

    *Thumbs up if you didn't skip during that precious last calculation* 👍

  • @donmoore7785

    @donmoore7785

    4 жыл бұрын

    It's kind of funny that Marc doesn't realize 95% of his viewers would have no interest in skipping ahead. Or he is just being very polite.

  • @CMDRSweeper

    @CMDRSweeper

    4 жыл бұрын

    How can you... During it my jaw was on my desk. I guess when you view a relay as just something to switch a circuit in a car, and you then get to see them doing this, is just amazing. A sum of boring components come together to make something great, how can you DARE to skip it.

  • @carlosfuentes4643

    @carlosfuentes4643

    4 жыл бұрын

    The guy that is talking is soooooo boring

  • @garystewart3110

    @garystewart3110

    4 жыл бұрын

    but the noise. I couldn't imagine being a computer scientist in those days. People complain about a loud cooling fan nowdays lol.

  • @yintaozen5353

    @yintaozen5353

    4 жыл бұрын

    👍🏼

  • @larryscott3982
    @larryscott39824 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely gorgeous. A fine testament to Japanese attention to detail and craftsmanship.

  • @orglarovin
    @orglarovin4 жыл бұрын

    Utterly fantastic to see it calculating... its like standing inside a microprocessor. All kids should see this!

  • @swamihuman9395
    @swamihuman93953 жыл бұрын

    FANTASTIC! Thx so much for taking the time to produce and share this. You clearly put a lot of work (and love) into this! Congrats on a job well done:)

  • @aaronfidelisrecine
    @aaronfidelisrecine3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for taking the time to film this. What an amazing piece of history.

  • @PeterVC
    @PeterVC4 жыл бұрын

    This is so impressive, I love the sound it makes while running the program. I'm really glad you kept the footage of the complete calculation.

  • @josephgaviota

    @josephgaviota

    3 жыл бұрын

    100% agree.

  • @borandolph1267
    @borandolph1267 Жыл бұрын

    That's incredible! Thank you for recording that!

  • @Dkarim87
    @Dkarim872 жыл бұрын

    Great job going there and taking a look at that fascinating thing.

  • @Jimfoxyboy
    @Jimfoxyboy4 жыл бұрын

    Wow, pretty impressive. Sounds like its playing own kind of music while its doing the calculations.

  • @ewanmurray153
    @ewanmurray1533 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this with us, and more importantly a big thank you to the restoration team! Alot of hard work and love went into that

  • @turbojoe2
    @turbojoe24 жыл бұрын

    Pretty amazing they still have this machine, and it works. Cheers!

  • @SuperMagicHyperDrive
    @SuperMagicHyperDrive3 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic video, thanks for taking the time to provide so much detail 👍

  • @chriholt
    @chriholt4 жыл бұрын

    You continue to amaze Marc,thank you so much. I had never heard of relay computers, but wow.

  • @wdavem
    @wdavem4 жыл бұрын

    This is fantastic! I've seen the Casio relay calculators but this is way more interesting. When learning about digital logic a while back, I tried guessing how to build some relay computer parts out of big relay elevator controllers. It all started because I wanted to design a simple sequencer out of relays but got a shift register *by accident*! I had first discovered it could also work as a register and then nearly fainted when it began shifting data (I'd never heard of a shift register before). I didnt get anywhere close to designing a whole computer but it was too interesting to give up so I still have 3 elevator controllers (300 relays).

  • @wdavem

    @wdavem

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@asificam1 For many people, that is completely true in totally realistic context. No doubt. My situation was unusual: I was a teen over 20 years ago with no access to knowledge of how to NOT blow up transistors; yet I did know relays, basic electricity and just enough logic to build something unrelated to the shift register... it was to run one of those ball machine art things. Once I saw the diode relay logic really do it's thing... it was just too interesting! I wasn't bothered by how it could seem in this context over 20 years later. These days I'm into analog transistor circuits that run about 5 mhz, and relays that switch at least 10 amps, for my job. I've learned that it takes fewer then 300 relays to make a computer processor. Relays can have some weird and unlikely advantages when the whole thing is allowed to follow the path of most interesting (where you want to hear and therefore understand the current states by the sound the machine is making, the amps they can switch, that you can very easily poke some relays with a stick to change the state + other things)

  • @dogwalker666

    @dogwalker666

    4 жыл бұрын

    A sequencer is easy out of relays I have built them before but if you want a relay sequencer use a Uniselector they were designed for it and plc,s still emulate them in software.

  • @dogwalker666

    @dogwalker666

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@asificam1 bc107 for the steam punk look or if you can get them AC128 I have worked on antique Industrial control cards that used DTL in discreet components.

  • @wdavem

    @wdavem

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@dogwalker666 Ah, I have a Uniselector! What I made (in1996) was actually too simple, made of 5 volt SPDT relays with LED's as diode logic. In the end it did what I wanted with the parts I had. Since then I've got loads of stuff, I'd likely use a rotary relay if I were doing that project now.

  • @wdavem

    @wdavem

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@dogwalker666 I forgot to add though (you already know), led's don't like being used the way I did. The LED's were acting both as suppressor diodes for the relays turning off and as logic (memory) sustain when in shift register mode... I think... It's been a while.

  • @AnalogWolf
    @AnalogWolf3 жыл бұрын

    Very fascinating. Thank you very much for this, and I wish I could thank your hosts for their kindness.

  • @bobcharlie2337
    @bobcharlie23374 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video, you can really appreciate the hard work it took to restore this computer, and how far computers have come. Just awesome.

  • @solarbirdyz
    @solarbirdyz4 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely delightful. And skip ahead through something like an actual relay computer actually running an actual problem? Never! Thank you for keeping all of it in.

  • @cdanielh128
    @cdanielh1284 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating video. Thank you so much for sharing. To be able to be apart of preserving such a wonderful piece of history would be quite an honor! Hearing it I just closed my eyes and enjoyed for a moment. I would not think of skipping such an amazing machine speaking. It's like listening to an older person telling stories. I can hear the same story over and over!

  • @MickeyMishra
    @MickeyMishra3 жыл бұрын

    it really is nice being around engineering types and people who appreciate these kinds of things. Thank you so much for bringing this to the rest of the world

  • @daveb4446
    @daveb444611 ай бұрын

    This was great! I really appreciate that somebody put so much effort into making this.

  • @pixelflow
    @pixelflow4 жыл бұрын

    What a wonderful restoration, its nice to see corporate history museums like this. The seiko one is particularly complete!

  • @spotterinc.engineering5207
    @spotterinc.engineering52074 жыл бұрын

    As always interesting and uniquely informative as well as entertaining! I love the use of telephone components in the early computers. I actually built a small telephone relay computer when I was in high school in 1962 - but nothing so sophisticated. I later worked with electro-mechanical telephone systems, including those made by Fujitsu. Those telephone system components were designed to last 50 years or more.

  • @Technoid_Mutant
    @Technoid_Mutant2 жыл бұрын

    I'm impressed as heck. What a wonderful machine. Bravo!

  • @aldondourf
    @aldondourf4 жыл бұрын

    What a great piece of history. Congratulations to the team that keeps that machine alive so we all can learn from the past. Thank you very much for making this video.

  • @azharc123
    @azharc1232 жыл бұрын

    You must be honoured to be given such a deep insight into this fabulous machine. Thanks for sharing. Truly remarkable

  • @naota3k
    @naota3k4 жыл бұрын

    The fact that you can watch a HD video of this amazing machine on a portable telephone you can carry around in your pocket, is insane. Think about how "simple" these computers were; it literally had to return a result of '6' with two digits (5+1). The fact that engineers were even able to theorize this stuff is mind blowing.

  • @otarela
    @otarela4 жыл бұрын

    Many thanks to such people who keep history in so perfect condition!

  • @NotHumant8727
    @NotHumant87273 жыл бұрын

    Very nice that you have shown how it works and what can be used for.

  • @MichaelKathke
    @MichaelKathke4 жыл бұрын

    The high quality in every bit of the machine and the ease of the user interface are very impressive. Interesting to see the implemented random access read only memory! That's a huge speed up and simplification for the software developers back then. Very interesting video!

  • @Lucknutxbl
    @Lucknutxbl4 жыл бұрын

    That paper loop blew my mind, a real life programming loop!

  • @steve1978ger

    @steve1978ger

    4 жыл бұрын

    Isn't it wonderful? I love a computer where you can touch the actual bits. Also, "昭和34" - no Gregorian years for me, domo arigato :)

  • @johnwelander
    @johnwelander3 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating video, thank you to all who participated!

  • @jobkneppers
    @jobkneppers Жыл бұрын

    Wonderful video! I'll watch this again and again. Thank you Marc! Stay safe and be happy. Best, Job

  • @MPBG
    @MPBG4 жыл бұрын

    My shaver made in Japan. I'm shaving every day for 2 minutes already 7 years and it's still working perfectly fine.

  • @Hoshikani

    @Hoshikani

    4 жыл бұрын

    MrBorysPBG what brand?

  • @softair2166

    @softair2166

    4 жыл бұрын

    MrBorysPBG So you shaved for 3 days, 15 hours and 12 minutes total.

  • @Paul-gz5dp
    @Paul-gz5dp4 жыл бұрын

    Glad to see that they saved at least one, as quite often happens with older things is they are destroyed and when that happens we loose our basics of how something works. Also old equipment is a good learning tool to get to understand the modern equipment and is usually available at a much lower cost.

  • @CuriousMarc

    @CuriousMarc

    4 жыл бұрын

    You just described premise of this channel, pretty much exactly!

  • @almosthuman4457
    @almosthuman44573 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for documenting and sharing this.

  • @juanpablonieto3854
    @juanpablonieto38549 ай бұрын

    Absolutely marvelous the concept, the complexity and the well preserved this computer is.

  • @user-dd2xg5yz7q

    @user-dd2xg5yz7q

    5 ай бұрын

    LED表示なのでこの分野ではまだ新しい機械です

  • @fdama
    @fdama3 жыл бұрын

    5:53 I like how he adds the Japanese “Eto” in the middle of his English.

  • @RT-qd8yl

    @RT-qd8yl

    3 ай бұрын

    I thought he was tossing in some Russian for flair.

  • @GregGothAckMiell
    @GregGothAckMiell4 жыл бұрын

    I love the sound of electromechanical computers, makes me want to make music from the auditory patterns and loops

  • @revenevan11

    @revenevan11

    4 жыл бұрын

    Please do!

  • @JanMessersmith
    @JanMessersmith3 жыл бұрын

    Excellent presentation of a historical subject.

  • @hinsatobing
    @hinsatobing3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for making this video, and thank you to Fujitsu for preserving the relay computer.

  • @martinhaub6828
    @martinhaub68282 жыл бұрын

    Amazing! Gotta go to Japan and see this in operation. Whoever designed this was brilliant.

  • @systemchris
    @systemchris3 жыл бұрын

    Tadao Hamada deserves more than a round of applause for his restoration efforts

  • @jamesplotkin4674
    @jamesplotkin46744 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating! Thanks for this.

  • @RolandElliottFirstG
    @RolandElliottFirstG3 жыл бұрын

    Very nice, great to see such honour in preserving the old computer.

  • @ridefast0
    @ridefast03 жыл бұрын

    That was a perfect video, thank you so much for making and uploading something so interesting and impressive. If anybody doubts the power of this machine, just try inverting a five by five matrix by hand. Congratulations to the design, build and maintain teams.

  • @kopashamsu9913
    @kopashamsu99133 жыл бұрын

    Just to let you know Fujitsu's Fugaku is the world's fastest computer as of 2020.

  • @fuxi1444
    @fuxi14442 жыл бұрын

    This needs to be the most coolest and well preserved pice of history I’ve ever seen

  • @NortelGeek
    @NortelGeek3 жыл бұрын

    The sounds are exquisite. I wish I had keyboard that make such beautiful sounds. Thank you so much for this video!

  • @sona11111111
    @sona111111113 жыл бұрын

    Ha the loop being an actual loop of paper is hilarious and mind blowing after imagining some of the nested loop madness I need almost everyday at work =P

  • @bladactania

    @bladactania

    Жыл бұрын

    Probably where the term originated.

  • @MSIContent
    @MSIContent4 жыл бұрын

    Simply awesome. I spend my life programming and started 30+ years ago. I love watching the roots of the industry and what a gift to have this so well restored. As has been mentioned in other comments.. no way I’m skipping ahead! It’s all about the clicking and flashing lights! 😋

  • @ravis1059

    @ravis1059

    Жыл бұрын

    Totally 😅. Too bad the current computers cant make those sounds

  • @boele0707
    @boele07074 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic that it stil works!

  • @BoredInNW6
    @BoredInNW64 жыл бұрын

    Beautiful! Thanks so much for this.

  • @flymario8046
    @flymario80464 жыл бұрын

    Tons of memory... Literally! :)

  • @slowlymakingsmoke
    @slowlymakingsmoke4 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating tour of an amazing machine. I just love the sounds it makes.

  • @oswald1068
    @oswald10683 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video and tour among these historic and beautiful machines

  • @SlavTiger
    @SlavTiger4 жыл бұрын

    I'm in awe watching this machine work

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