The Elliott 803 Calculator Machine: A Window into Computing History

As we press read and the new program is set to launch on BDU, it's clear that this machine is an early example of a computer designed for mathematical calculations. The process of loading a new program onto the machine is reminiscent of plugging in a USB stick or inserting a CD, highlighting the similarities between ancient and modern computing methods.

The Elliott 803 is an electromechanical calculator that was developed in the 1960s and made its way to Bletchley Park in early 1944. The machine's capabilities are impressive, considering it was designed over 60 years ago. It can perform a range of mathematical operations, from simple arithmetic to more complex calculations involving multiple numbers.

One of the most interesting programs running on the Elliott 803 is a countdown numbers game solver. This program uses a combination of algorithms and mathematical techniques to try and hit a target number, albeit with some limitations due to the machine's processing power. The beeping noise emanating from the machine is an essential part of its operation, serving as a visual indicator of the calculations being performed.

The program in question is set to solve for 937, using a combination of numbers to arrive at the solution. However, the machine struggles with this particular problem, taking time to crunch the numbers and eventually giving up after a few attempts. This highlights the challenges that ancient computers faced when performing complex calculations, especially compared to modern computers which can perform such tasks instantly.

To overcome this limitation, the program is reset and given a new task: solving for 480. This time, the machine successfully arrives at the solution using a combination of algorithms and mathematical techniques. While the task may seem simple by today's standards, it showcases the machine's capabilities and limitations in performing complex calculations.

The final step involves wrapping up the session and switching to a different mode on the machine. A paper tape is inserted, which serves as a makeshift storage medium for the program. The Red Lamp comes on, indicating that the machine is now in a new state, ready to launch into a new program.

This concludes our exploration of the Elliott 803 calculator machine at Bletchley Park. As we move forward, it's essential to remember that this machine represents an early example of computing technology and was likely used for a variety of purposes beyond just mathematical calculations. The program that follows will give us insight into how the machine can be engaged in a more entertaining manner, providing a fun and interactive experience for those present.

A new tape is inserted, and we're about to launch into a different program. This time, it's not going to appear on the monitor; instead, it will play an entertainer through a real hole-punch tape. The machine has a unique way of outputting information, using this method to create a fun and engaging experience for those present. By showcasing these types of programs and outputs, we can gain a better understanding of how early computing technology was used and appreciated.

As we continue our journey into the world of computing history, it's essential to remember that machines like the Elliott 803 played a significant role in shaping the industry as we know it today. Their limitations and capabilities serve as a reminder of the challenges faced by pioneers in computing, who worked tirelessly to develop and improve their craft.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enWe're Gonna Have a look at the 903It's a machine that we did have a very quick look at when we did our last video here when we had a look aroundgenerally at the MuseumBut what we're going to do is actually turn it onHave a closer look at it and see what it does talk about how how useful it is to us here at thebecause the reason why I like this machine so much is because it's it's from 1966 and it's pretty much theEarliest machine in the Museum that we can still have up and running and reprogramming it just as it was then we do have someOlder kit around here as wellBut for the most part we don't quite have the expertise yet to get it back up and runningSo they're kind of inanimate objects, but this particular machinewe have great fun with we're going to turn it on we're going to see what it does andSo I think we'll go straight into thatheard a big noise when you started. What was that? Yeah? Well, we have fans kicking normally, but the really big noiseThat sounds like a motor revving isComing from if I just move these things aroundIt's coming from in here. Which is the punch tape printer?because we're going to load new programs on this using punch tape andThis is the original printer with it of course, so you're just running out blank tape here punching the new programmingWhich is also another fun thing that I like explained to school kids when we have in that this isexactly the same as copy pasting a file onto a cD is just a way ofPutting a new program onto a portable storage medium now. We're cheating a little bit with this computer originallyIt would have been running with a teleprinter where we've got a video screen here, because keeps running costs a little bit lowerSo that's not quite authenticbut all the actualWorkings of the Hardware is exactly as it was so it should all be set up and ready to run the programAnd there we areWell this one is at the moment. It's not playing the most mathematically advanced program in the worldIt's playing noughts and crosses for usThis was actually written in 2013 this program so again, not quiteAuthentic to the time, but of course the hardware is still as original as ever was althoughWe have some people who say we should do more serious computing applications with these machines, and we totally agree with thatWe do so do some more serious stuff. We find that for guided tours with school groups and so onIt's really good just to have little fun distractionsThey can more immediately engage with alongside the kind of more serious number-crunching stuff, so I'm on this oneWe can play a little game with lots and will set it offthe computers going to decide where to moveSure enough it's going to take the classic Gambit of going right in the middleWhich now means that it's impossible to win, okay?And we can choose let's go at this point. So I'm going to go in the bottom-left Corner down thereNow although it is impossible to beat the machine at this gameWe have lots and lots of school kids who will nevertheless try and do just that they will play game through completionThey'll inevitably draw or lose and then most of them all want to try and have another go at unfortunatelyI have to move the guided tours on there at that moment reallySo yeah, we we could play a lot of games of noughts and crosses if we just left them to itThe grid is just numbered one to nineAnd you just select the appropriate number of depending on where you want to go. So here. I'd better block him offSo that's number eight down there. So there we go it could take a whileIt could yeah when I first started doing these these guided toursWe are actually using the elliot and turning it on and so onIWas a bit concerned at first that this would be a bit slow and the kids would lose interestand they'd run off and go and play on the snares instead andBut actually no they find it quite entertaining, and they do immediately engage with itthe younger kids as wellAnd in fact you know going right up toTeenagers who we'd expect to be a bit a bit more surly a bit more grumpy about the whole thing but um but noit's surprisingly engaging a little bit of software this and yeah as I mentioned lots of people will try and beat the computer andInevitably fail, so I'll make one last moveWe'll go in the top corner, and then we might try another program on it. I thinkFirstly, I need to reset the so we'll stop this simulation going hereFiddle with the switches it. It's relatively straightforward. It's just switching itPreviously we have all of these ones up and these two down to change it into a mode where we can read new tapeWe're just switching it and that's relatively simpleIt's a good thing as well because I can just say to the kidsGet in touch you press that switch for me you do this and that because it's quite straightforwardSo that's always nice letting them get hands-on with itSo what we then need to do is pick a new program, so I think wellYeah, we'll go for this one way up, so we start off with the black bitAnd then we get to the actual code at the end there, so we're going to do is put it through thatI'm wrap itYeah, we've got a bit of a squirrel going on hereI did once have a tape got soTwisted and tangled that we couldn't run it through the little motor. We've got here to wind it back up again andA colleague, and I literally had spend about an hourJust undoing each little crease in the tape so we could get it wrapped back upit's safe to say we haven't used that tape sinceRight now we should be a bit sake us so they aren't so we set the machine this light sugar mumHurry up, so we got the red lamp. That's appeared there which means we're all ready to goI press read and and as soon as this tape is finished running throw the new program will launch on BDU there, soThis is exactly the same in as plugging in UsB stick plugging in a cDIt's just a way of reading new programs from from a storage medium so it gets to the end and new program startsJust beneath the end of knots and crosses there, so this one as you can see is the countdown numbers game solverWe've moved away from lots and crosses. We're into a bit more complicated mathematics now so I can just pickSix numbers give it a target will compute those numbers to try and hit the target just as in the countdown numbers gameSo let's pick something at randomAnd it's going to try and get937 outSo now it's going to try and work out how to do itIt can't do it using just one number or two what's going to happen now isThe big thing that we've got here the noise which sounds like the machine is horrendously broken is in fact finethis is just the noise that the machine makes when it'sComputing same as just any old strange beeps you might get from your computer when it's working somethingSo but the problem with this machine is that because it's from 1966It's not quite as powerful as something we have today it takes a long time to crunch these numbersSo if I've given it something quite difficult it can't do it using using four of the numbersit's trying to do it with five now andIt gets longer and longer more of those numbers it has to useso if it can't do it with five it will try and do it with six and that could take ICould take anything up to two or three minutes. I think for it to work out the the calculationThe beeping is it's just the speaker on the backIt does have audio capacity, but it's it's just yeah, it's kind of like the beeps you get on a motherboardIt's just to signify that the machine is currently functioning is trying to crunch those numbersIt doesn't like it this one is too hard what we'll do instead is we will stop that program runningI need to reset it now because I need to put it back in the mode toread the program that's already in there rather than running from a new tape so we'll switch it round again andCountdown program starts again, I'll give it something easy this time. I'll give it some nice big even numbers five tento six three andfifty and it's got to try and get480 that seems like a nice round set of numbers for it to try and work outSo this time hopefully it's going to manage it for usThere we go. It's done itWorks out how to do that times 50 minus so 10 times 48 equals 480 there you goSo that one was a bit simple at that timeI should have it something a bit easier work out first time aroundBut you did get to see just how hard this machine finds it to donumbers that modern computers would just do instantaneously andso that's one of the more interesting kind of mathematical programs that we have it doing and I think we'll run one more andWe'll get it to do something fun again. This one's going to come out. I need to wrap it up of courseSo put it in hereTurn this onHere we go. haven't got a paper cut yet from this one day. I probably willAnd there we are that's that one all sorted out for usSo I will leave that there feel it probably in a minute, and we'll put one last tape in to line up the tape againChange it back into the mode where it's reading programs instead of reading from memorythe Red Lamp comes on andThere we goOnce again, it will launch straight into the program as soon as this is done this timeIt's not going to appear on the monitor. It's a slightly different form of output this time round. We'll find out in just a momentAnd a real that hole-punch tape is just used to make it play the entertainerwe like to change from the serious programs that kind of crunch numbers show kids how the computer is doing some seriousMathematics and so I'll give them an idea of what it might have done in its proper functionWhen it was in use in 60s and 70sbut then we also like to show them through kind of fun music and through little games and so on andGive them an idea of how engaging this sort of stuff can be so there we are. That's the elliott 9:03Move to Bletchley park here in early 1944 and came into action pretty soon thereafter\n"