Japan Semiconductor Innovation 50 (A-2 1950s)
Transistor-based Computer (Electrotechnical Laboratory)
Denki-Shikenjo (Electrotechnical Laboratory, under the Agency
of Industrial Science and Technology of MITI) developed and operated first
transistor-based computer in Japan, ETL Mark III, in July 1956. This machine
was the first transistor-based computer on the computer development roadmap
in Japan which started from a relay-based computer, ETL Mark I, developed
in 1952.
Along with the successor ETL Mark IV, the computer technology in Japan with
semiconductor application made much progress, and led to the commercialization
of Japanese computers. Computer industry made a big growth, formed an infrastructure
of modern IT society, and drove semiconductor industry in the areas of high
performance devices, memories and others.
About 130pcs of point contact transistors and 1,800pcs of germanium diodes
were used in the logic circuitry, and ultra sonic delay elements were used
in the main memory of ETL Mark III.
| ETL Mark III |
 |
| Quote from Computer Museum HP |