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was particularly well known for making complex designs work in spite of the tyranny of numbers. His attention to detail and ability to fund several attempts at a working design meant that pure engineering effort could overcome the problems they faced. Yet even Cray eventually succumbed to the problem
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Since each module was relatively custom, modules were assembled and soldered by hand or with limited automation. As a result, they suffered major reliability problems. Even a single bad component or solder joint could render the entire module inoperative. Even with properly working modules, the mass
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For some time now, electronic man has known how 'in principle' to extend greatly his visual, tactile, and mental abilities through the digital transmission and processing of all kinds of information. However, all these functions suffer from what has been called 'the tyranny of numbers.' Such systems,
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of wiring connecting them together was another source of construction and reliability problems. As computers grew in complexity, and the number of modules increased, the complexity of making a machine actually work grew more and more difficult. This was the "tyranny of numbers".
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were major purchasers of early ICs, where their small size and light weight overcame any cost issues. They demanded high reliability, and the industry's response not only provided the desired reliability but meant that the increased yield had the effect of driving down prices.
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ICs from the early 1960s were not complex enough for general computer use, but as the complexity increased through the 1960s, practically all computers switched to IC-based designs. The result was what are today referred to as the
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of a standardized size, with a connector on one edge that allowed them to be plugged into the power and signaling lines of the machine, and were then wired to other modules using
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At the time, computers were typically built up from a series of "modules", each module containing the electronics needed to perform a single function. A complex circuit like an
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by hand. In order to improve performance, more components would be needed, and it seemed that future designs would consist almost entirely of wiring.
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because of their complex digital nature, require hundreds, thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of electron devices.
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would generally require several modules working in concert. The modules were typically built on
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The first known recorded use of the term in this context was made by the Vice
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in an article celebrating the 10th anniversary of the invention of the
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could be used to make all common electronic components (
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