This project is motivated by a need to raise awareness of and popularize analog and analog-digital hybrid computing. Analog computing is a computing paradigm (next to digital and quantum computing) currently experiencing a comeback, chiefly due to its strengths in terms of performance and energy efficiency. Analog-digital hybrid computing, combining the specific strengths of both analog and digital computing, is likewise experiencing a comeback. However, due to a lack of educational support and resources, there is a general shortage of analog and analog-digital hybrid computing talent in the engineering and computing fields. The lack of educational analog computing resources has been addressed recently with the release of THE ANALOG THING (also referred to as THAT), an open-source analog computer for students and hobbyists. To address the lack of educational analog-digital hybrid computing resources, this project aims to develop a hybrid controller for use with THE ANALOG THING. This controller is expected to enable students and hobbyists to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to develop high-performance, energy-efficient analog-digital hybrid computing technologies for the 21st century.
Analog-digital hybrid computing requires a digital computer and an analog computer to operate in concert. The digital side of this analog-digital pairing, with its universal functionality as well as its familiar and mature user interface, offers itself as the host side from where to control the pairing. However, no common hardware interface for such a pairing is readily available to establish the connection between a host PC or laptop and THE ANALOG THING. An intermediate device is needed to translate the commands from the host to control and read values from THAT. The hybrid controller I am designing is this intermediate device. The hybrid controller will not only translate host commands into control signals for THAT, but it will also be equipped with a set of digital potentiometers to provide programmable coefficient variations within the machine unit of THAT (-10V to +10V), and to sample up to four of its output signals back to the host. Via the hybrid controller, the host will also be able to detect and control the working mode of THAT. Altogether, the hybrid controller is expected to support the following functions:
- Read analog signals
- Modify analog signals
- Read and write analog signals simultaneously
- Detecting operating IC/OP/HALT modes
- Take control of THAT by setting the operating IC/OP/HALT modes
The following image shows a breadboard prototype of the hybrid controller under development.
Once the hybrid controller is implemented and tested, I will write a user manual and ans a set of analog-digital hybrid exercises for use in hybrid computing related learning and teaching.
