👉 Brass computing, also known as analog or electromechanical computing, is an early method of digital computation that utilized vacuum tubes and, later, electromechanical switches made from brass. These components were used to perform arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction by physically moving brass contacts along tracks or circuits to represent binary numbers. The brass switches were crucial because they could be easily controlled by electrical signals, allowing for the execution of complex calculations. This technology laid foundational principles for modern computing, particularly in the development of integrated circuits and microprocessors. Despite being largely replaced by electronic and digital technologies, brass computing was pivotal in the evolution of computing, demonstrating the ingenuity of early engineers in solving computational problems before the advent of transistors and semiconductors.
