Since project reports were suspended last year, there has been significant activity, technical and organisational.
The project is alive and well and has passed a milestone that now allows resolution of uncertainties that were impeding progress.
Tim Robinson in the US has expanded the analysis and technical description of Babbage’s design drawings for the Engine – a task that has taken some ten years. The text runs to over 150,000 words and is in a useably publishable state of completion.
The analysis informs answers to central questions which, while unanswered, would compromise implementation decisions – such as which version of the Engine, the design of which evolved over some four decades, would best represent the machine’s features and capabilities; the level of completeness of various stages of design; how close to the manufacturing capabilities of the period should the physical implementation meaningfully attempt, and how best to manage the trade-off between complexity and performance.
Exploratory trial constructions are underway: Len Shustek has implemented the anticipating carriage mechanism exploring the use of 3D printed parts for the calculating mechanism and stepper-motors for timing, sequencing and control.
Tim Robinson has made a trial layout of the complex gearing of the Mill, described in Plan 27, in wood laminate. In addition Tim writes “I now do have an 'RTL' level simulation of division per F/218 running. I have not yet written up the findings, but except for a few small bugs it works as intended. There is considerable sophistication in Babbage's use of the hardware which does have some implications for greater complexity in the control than I had previously appreciated, but nothing insurmountable. After incorporating fixes for the issues, I have run randomized testing equivalent to about five years continuous cranking on nothing but division, and everything has passed.”
An interested party has commissioned a documentary film of the project starting with interviewing the people involved in the project to capture views of the technical, historical and museological value (not to mention sanity) of attempting to construct this new/old machine, with the film footage banked for use further down the line.
In organisational terms, we are exploring avenues to publish the technical analysis.
Doron Swade
Please keep us updated.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could post video of the anticipating carriage running? I’d love to see it!
ReplyDeleteHello there, me and a small team are working on developing a mod for the video game “Vintage Story” based upon the Analytical Engine. We are working on making it completely programmable and functional within the game-world, based as closely to the real Analytical Engine as possible. I was wondering if anyone involved with this project would be willing to share some of the technical data and analysis that has been performed on the Analytical Engine? We are trying to figure out how to integrate the mechanics and logic of the machine into the game in a way that gives the player maximal immersion, balanced by the limitations of the game engine itself.
ReplyDeleteHaving a compilation of information on the Analytical Engine; such as the design of each major system, the general schematics for the machine and its parts, the technical aspects as to how punch cards are moved and processed, and so on- would be incredible to have access to. It’d allow us to replicate the Analytical Engine in the game as realistically as possible and give credence to your work and the work of Charles Babbage.
Thank you for your time!
To All: Please pardon my ignorance. I'm not up to date with all the notes. Has anybody looked into shrinking all aspects of physical engine down to wrist watch gear sizes such that the entire apparatus could fit on a table top? It occurs to me that instead of using thousands of 5 lb cast iron gears (I'm exagerating) that instead thousands of tiny gears could reduce the cost/time to build a working machine. This would not reduce the complexity of the design. In fact the minaturization process would add some complexity. I'm thinking of building a machine similiar to the Curta Calculator.
ReplyDeleteHow can I get involved in the project? I own a small machine shop and have machining experience. I would love to contribute.
ReplyDeleteAll fascinating and highly encouraging, many congratulations on everyone's efforts. Are there any pencilled-in dates for the several next steps? 1. Publication of the technical analysis? 2. Trialling / modelling in metal? 3. Releasing the documentary film?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteI would love to help with the 3D printing efforts, I have been working on my own Difference Engine https://youtu.be/NvORut3h904 for the past year and I have something that is working.
I would love to contribute with this project!