CIFA-1, the first Romanian computer

CIFA is the acronym for "Calculatorul Institutului de Fizică Atomică" (English: Computer of Atomic Physics Institute).

CIFA-1, the first Romanian computer, was built in 1957 under the guidance of Victor Toma.[1] The experimental first-generation model CIFA-1 was reproduced in small numbers both in the original variant with vacuum tubes as well as in two variants using transistors: CIFA-10X and CET 500.[2]

CIFA-1 was Romanias contribution to the development of computers in socialist countries (together with the USSR, the GDR, Polish People's Republic and CSSR).[3][4]

CIFA-1

CIFA-3

The logic designs for CIFA-1 started in 1953, at the Academy Physics Institute in Măgurele, with Victor Toma as the head of the project.[1][3] It was presented at the International Symposium in Dresden in 1955, and the prototype, which used 1500 vacuum tubes, a cylindrical magnet memory and machine code programming, was finished in 1957. Its size was that of three chifforobes, it had a paper tape input and a typewriter output and was able of solving 50 operations per second.[5][6]

CIFA-1 was in use for two years. After it was decommissioned, it was scrapped and no part of it survived today.[6][7]

Later computers

Later CIFA computers were CIFA-2 (800 vacuum tubes) in 1959, CIFA-3 (for the Bucharest University's Computer Center) in 1961 and CIFA-4 in 1962.[1] Other Romanian computers of the era are MECIPT-1 (1961), MECIPT-2 (1964) at the Polytechnic Institute of Timișoara, MARICA, DACICC-1 and DACICC-200 at the T. Popoviciu Institute of Numerical Analysis, Cluj-Napoca.[2][3][5][8][9]

VITOSHA was the first Bulgarian computer, built in 1962-1963 on the basis of a cultural agreement between the Romanian and Bulgarian Academies of Science. It was based on CIFA-3.[3][5]

CIFA Computer Characteristics

Computer ModelCIFA-1CIFA-4CIFA-101CIFA-102
Year 1957196219621964
Number of computers produced 4415
Semiconductive diodes 2500 3000
Vacuum tubes 800 350
Computing speed 50 op/s 50 - 2000 op/s
Internal memory type cylinder 50 rot/s cylinder 50 rot/s
Internal memory capacity 512 words × 4 bits 4 k words × 4 bits
Peripherals • punch card reader 15 characters/s
• writer 8 characters/s		 • punch card reader 15 characters/s
• writer 8 characters/s		 • punch card reader 100 characters/s
• writer 8 characters/s
Number of instructions 16 32
Word length 31 32
Word processing mode parallel serial
Power utilization 5 kW 1 kW

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vințan, Lucian N. (August 2007). "Maeştri ai ingineriei calculatoarelor. Pagini de istorie" (PDF). Univers Ingineresc. 16 (Year XVIII) (398). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Sandu, Luiza (11 June 2014). "Scurtă istorie a informaticii românești (1957-1990)". Market Watch. No. 165. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Drăgănescu, Mihai (2001). "Realizarea de calculatoare şi reţele de calculatoare în România (1953-1985)". Academica. November - December 2001: 43–45.
  4. ↑ Drăgănescu, Mihai (September 2002). "Perspectivele societăţii cunoaşterii în România" (PDF). Communication at the Fifth Scientific Symposium of the Romanian Engineers from Everywhere.
  5. 1 2 3 Baltac, Vasile; Gligor, Horia (19 September 2014). "Some Key Aspects in the History of Computing in Romania" (PDF). Presentation at the 8th IT STAR WS on History of Computing in Szeged.
  6. 1 2 Lovin, Tiberiu (13 July 2007). "Tatăl calculatoarelor din țările socialiste". România Liberă. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Păvălașc, Marian (16 May 2016). "Originile IT-ul românesc, cel mai performant sector al economiei de azi. Primele calculatoare românești aveau 30 km de cabluri". Libertatea. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Cătinaș, Emil (30 November 2018). "Istoricul Institutului de Calcul: Fondarea analizei numerice din România, contribuţii la fondarea informaticii din România". Romanian Academy: Tiberiu Popoviciu Institute of Numerical Analysis. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  9. ↑ Baltac Vasile, Gligor Horia. https://www.academia.edu/11555241/Some_Key_Aspects_in_the_History_of_Computers_in_Romania "Some Key Aspects of in the History of |Computers in Romania". Proceedings of the 8th IT STAR Workshop on History of Computers. IT STAR 2014: 117–121. {{cite journal}}: Check |url= value (help)


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