3 ms·

Ken, surely frames significantly pre-date the computer? They were used in telephone exchanges. The Colossus reproduction at Bletchley is constructed from frames

Ken, surely frames significantly pre-date the computer? They were used in telephone exchanges. The Colossus reproduction at Bletchley is constructed from frames.

ggm 2y ago
Likewise bus bars, and hence data bus
Animats 2y ago
Telephone switches introduced the idea of frames. They were the first systems to have enough components to require modular organization. Western Electric tended to use 24 inch spacing. 19 inch racks seem to come from railroad interlocking and may have been introduced by Union Switch and Signal, founded by Westinghouse in 1881, and still around, as a unit of Ansaldo.
kens 2y ago
I discuss this a bit in footnote 1. Thousands of things were built on frames before computers, of course. However, IBM both built computers from semi-portable cabinets built around metal frames and also referred to the computer's units as "frames", including the "main frame". Telephone systems used main distribution frames, but these are unrelated. First, they look nothing like a computer mainframe, being a large rack with cable connections. Second, there isn't a path from the telephony systems to the computer mainframes; if the first mainframes were developed at Bell Labs, for instance, it would be plausible. As for Colossus, it was built on 90-inch racks, called the J rack, K rack, S rack, C rack, and so forth; see https://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/lorenz/colossus.htm https://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/lorenz/colossus.htm
- cyberax 2y ago
  AT&T had https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Five_Crossbar_Switching_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Five_Crossbar_Switching... in 1947. It used relay-driven "markers" to set up a call that goes through various frames. So it's entirely possible that somebody from the telephone industry decided to borrow a term of art from it for computing.
- BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
  Could you kindly write a blog post regarding a recent development in GaN chargers? Many thanks.

Ken, surely frames significantly pre-date the computer? They were used in telephone exchanges. The Colossus reproduction at Bletchley is constructed from frames.

ggm 2y ago

Likewise bus bars, and hence data bus

Animats 2y ago

Telephone switches introduced the idea of frames. They were the first systems to have enough components to require modular organization. Western Electric tended to use 24 inch spacing. 19 inch racks seem to come from railroad interlocking and may have been introduced by Union Switch and Signal, founded by Westinghouse in 1881, and still around, as a unit of Ansaldo.

kens 2y ago

I discuss this a bit in footnote 1. Thousands of things were built on frames before computers, of course. However, IBM both built computers from semi-portable cabinets built around metal frames and also referred to the computer's units as "frames", including the "main frame". Telephone systems used main distribution frames, but these are unrelated. First, they look nothing like a computer mainframe, being a large rack with cable connections. Second, there isn't a path from the telephony systems to the computer mainframes; if the first mainframes were developed at Bell Labs, for instance, it would be plausible. As for Colossus, it was built on 90-inch racks, called the J rack, K rack, S rack, C rack, and so forth; see https://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/lorenz/colossus.htm https://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/lorenz/colossus.htm

cyberax 2y ago
AT&T had https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Five_Crossbar_Switching_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Five_Crossbar_Switching... in 1947. It used relay-driven "markers" to set up a call that goes through various frames. So it's entirely possible that somebody from the telephone industry decided to borrow a term of art from it for computing.
BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
Could you kindly write a blog post regarding a recent development in GaN chargers? Many thanks.