What changes will three state transistors bring to computing??

[clamum]

2 bits at the same time

"If I had three state transistors? I'll tell ya what I'd do, man, two bits at the same time."

 

[AMCRambler]

Okay, for us not up to speed on the progress of transistor development, what is the third state? The other two are "on" and "off" (0 and 1), right? So, the third is....?

Soooo yes, no and...maybe?

 

[Jaepheth]

I thought memristors were going to be the big thing; analog computers, closer neuron mimicking, and whatnot.

 

[MrPickins]

Negative voltage, reverse current, etc.

e.g. instead of +5V for 1, and 0V for 0, you could have +5V for +1, 0V for 0 and -5V for -1.

The soviets did a lot of experimental work with balanced ternary (+1,0,-1) computers, because it could reduce the amount of logic required because large numbers would need fewer gates. In particular, things like multiplication used a lot less logic and were faster than binary, because the carry chains were much shorter.

Conventional transistors and tubes were a better match for binary than ternary, so the construction of ternary computers was awkward. It could be done, they had developed three-state transistors. However, binary was more practical because it used simpler transistors and simpler logic gates with much simpler behavior.

I'm having a hard time working out how a ternary ALU would be designed; binary is so drilled into my brain.

 

[John Connor]

Nah, Neronet processors are where it's at.

 

[clamum]

Nah, Neronet processors are where it's at.

Neural net processors? lol

 

[SunnyD]

Neural net processors? lol

No. Neronet. It's what the ancient Romans used.

 

[John Connor]

Neural net processors? lol

<----This guy had too much to drink last night.