I wonder how much of this is serious. Sounds pretty nifty.

https://physicsworld.com/a/analogue-computer-could-use-sound-to-make-rapid-calculations/

 

I believe that analog computers are more volatile than digital computers because their threshold values are smaller, (in a digital computer the threshold value for 1 "High" is 3.5v and up, depending on the computer. In analog computers the threshold values can be as small as a tenth of a volt. Causing their error rates to be significantly higher than those of digital computers.

 

Though I am basing this comment off the analog computers of the 20s - 50s, so things might have changed since then..

 

Analog computers have no "threshold" as such, they give continuous (not discrete) voltage outputs.
Where did you get that "tenth of a volt" value?

 

I had ( sorry have ) a **** casio**** sorry commodore!! analogue calculator... When you press '=' it goes off somewhere (probably making tea ) before it returns with the answer.... Got to laugh really..

 

Analog computers have no "threshold" as such, they give continuous (not discrete) voltage outputs.
Where did you get that "tenth of a volt" value?

I guess i'm dumb then.. forget what I said.

 

Cool stuff. Back in the 80's the fire-control 'analog' electromechanical computers for the BB-62 class ships were still operational for generating a firing solution (20-plus variable calculus problems in real-time) for targets. The MK-1A I believe was still there but primary control was given to modern computers during the upgrades to feed signals in the system. We installed the ships data processing mini-computers. http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/ENGINEERING/OP2074.html

Mk 47 computer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangekeeper

7 total videos about fire-control computers.

 

The WWII Norden bombsight was one of the most complex mechanical analog computers of its time, containing about 2000 parts.
Its design was a closely guarded secret during the war.

 

Now that's computer engineering!!

 

Are there any books about mechanical computers?

 

The WWII Norden bombsight was one of the most complex mechanical analog computers of its time, containing about 2000 parts.
Its design was a closely guarded secret during the war.

A footnote:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hair-wwii-babnik-norden-bombsight

Babnik Brown went on to work with the State Federation of Labor, and never moved out of her hometown. But in 1987, at the age of 80, she finally received word about the fate of her donated hair. It came in the form of a letter from President Ronald Reagan himself, wishing her a happy birthday. The surprising letter not only thanked Babnik Brown for her selfless donation, but also mentioned that her hair had been used to create the reticule in the famous Norden bombsight—a top-secret WWII targeting device.
...
As the story was reported by the Associated Press, the developers of the sight had trouble finding a material for the crosshairs that would not flex or deform in the constantly shifting altitude and temperature of a bomber. They tried conventional wire, and even the silk of a black widow spider, before the military found Babnik Brown’s blonde hair to be a perfect fit.

 

Are there any books about mechanical computers?

These guys were the experts. You might get lucky searching for their designs and patents.
http://web.mit.edu/STS.035/www/PDFs/Newell.pdf

 

Back in the day, I built an analog computer hat was described in either popular electronics or radio-Electronics.
It plotted the trajectory of a bounceing ball by varying things like initial height, initial forward velocity from 0, the diameter of the ball, the medium damping factor, the ability for the ball to compress. I'd need to look at the front panel. I believe it used 741 OP amps.

I did find this surfing: http://web.mit.edu/6.101/www/s2015/projects/mohamoud_Project_Final_Report.pdf