These historic machines calculate using physical moving parts, primarily electrically driven relays and stepping switches, instead of semiconductor logic gates. They bridge the gap between pure mechanical calculators and fully electronic computers. Because relays take milliseconds to physically open and close, these systems are massively slower, louder, and more power-hungry than even the simplest transistor-based processors.
The museum is restoring an old electromechanical computer, so we need to source a few hundred vintage relays.
Related terms
Relay
An electrically operated switch that uses a small control signal to toggle a much larger load circuit.
Solid-state
Built entirely from semiconductor materials without moving parts or vacuum gaps.
Digital electronics
The branch of electronics dealing with signals that have discrete, quantized voltage levels.