BESM

BESM ( БЭСМ ) is the name of a Russian mainframe series. It stands for " Быстродействующая Электронно - Счётная Машина " ( literal translation: " Quick work end electron - calculating machine ").

Types

BESM -1 was the first computer system from the series and had 5000 vacuum tubes. Only a BESM -1 was built. When she was finished in 1952, at first she was the fastest computer in Europe. Floating point numbers were encoded as 39 -bit words, there were 32 bits for the numeric portion, 1 bit for the sign and 1 5 bits for the exponent used. The read / write memory was Ferritkernspeicher. The external memory consisted of four magnetic tape storage, which could save 30 000 words each. In addition, a magnetic drum was connected with a capacity of 5120 words, and an access rate of 800 words / min. The computing power was 8-10 KFlops. Excluding the cooling system of the tube computer consumed about 30 kW.

BESM -2, BESM -3M and BESM - 4 also consisted of tubes.

BESM - 4 was the first transistor computer of the socialist part of the world.

BESM -6 was a completely newly developed super- computer system was developed in 1965 at the Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Technology, and produced from 1967, also for export. The BESM -6 was used, for example at the Technical University of Dresden. A total of up to 1987 355 units were produced.

BESM -6 was the first Soviet computers with an operating system. The programming language Fortran -4 was used.

Successor of BESM was Elbrus.

• Mainframe
• Historical Computers