The development of electronic computers has gone through four generations. What is the basis for their division?

The development of electronic computers has gone through four generations, which are divided based on the "electronic components that make up the computer"; the first generation of computers used vacuum electron tubes, the second generation of computers used transistors, and the third generation of computers used medium and Small-scale integrated circuits, 4th generation computers use large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits.

Computer, commonly known as computer, is a modern electronic computing machine used for high-speed calculations. It can perform numerical calculations, logical calculations, and With storage memory function. It is a modern intelligent electronic device that can run according to the program and process massive data automatically and at high speed.

The development of electronic computers has gone through four generations, and their classification is based on "the electronic components that constitute the computer."

1st generation: tube digital machine (1946-1958)

In terms of hardware, the logic components use vacuum tubes, and the main memory uses mercury delays Line, cathode ray oscilloscope tube electrostatic memory, magnetic drum, magnetic core; external memory uses magnetic tape. The software uses machine language and assembly language. The application fields are mainly military and scientific computing.

The disadvantages are large size, high power consumption and poor reliability. The speed is slow (generally thousands to tens of thousands of times per second) and expensive, but it lays the foundation for future computer development.

2nd Generation: Transistor Digital Machine (1958-1964)

Software operating systems, high-level languages ​​and their compiler application fields are based on scientific computing and transactions Mainly processing, and began to enter the field of industrial control. It is characterized by reduced size, reduced energy consumption, improved reliability, increased computing speed (generally 100,000 operations per second, and can be as high as 3 million operations), and performance that is greatly improved compared to the first generation computers.

3rd Generation: Integrated Circuit Digital Machine (1964-1970)

In terms of hardware, the logic components use medium and small scale integrated circuits (MSI, SSI). Main memory still uses magnetic cores. In terms of software, time-sharing operating systems and structured and large-scale programming methods have emerged. It is characterized by faster speed (generally millions to tens of millions of times per second), reliability has been significantly improved, prices have further dropped, and products have become generalized, serialized and standardized. Application fields began to enter the fields of word processing and graphics and image processing.

4th Generation: Large Scale Integrated Circuit Computer (1970 to present)

In terms of hardware, logic components use large-scale and very large-scale integrated circuits (LSI and VLSI) . In terms of software, database management systems, network management systems and object-oriented languages ​​have emerged. In 1971, the world's first microprocessor was born in Silicon Valley, USA, ushering in a new era of microcomputers. The application fields are gradually moving from scientific computing, transaction management, and process control to the home.

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