The term “smallest computer” is controversial, not only because different companies want to appropriate this achievement for themselves, but also because the very definition of a computer in such cases is a matter of debate. The latest achievement belongs to the team from the University of Michigan, which created such a computer that even rice grain looks gigantic compared to it.
Temperature Sensor - The Smallest Computer Known
The new device has a cube shape with a side of 0.3 mm. This is about a tenth of the previous device, which was announced as the smallest IBM computer in March 2018. The size of that computer was comparable to the size of a grain of sand.
The composition of the Michigan computer includes:
- CPU;
- RAM;
- photovoltaic power system;
- Wireless transmitter and receiver that communicate using light pulses.
The base station directs light to the chip to power it. In turn, the chip uses light pulses to send data to the base station using a transmitting LED. At first glance, it seems unbelievable that the light is used both to power the computer and to transfer data. The Michigan team solved this problem as follows: instead of photosensitive diodes, switching capacitors are used in the computer.
Tiny computer use cases
The smallest computer is designed to be used as an accurate temperature sensor. It has the ability to control the temperature with an accuracy of 0.1 ° C. It performs this function by converting temperature values into time intervals and comparing them with constant time intervals transmitted to the chip by the base station.
One of the applications of the smallest computer is supposed to be the detection and treatment of cancer. The hypothesis that cancer cells are hotter than healthy tissue allows scientists to believe that the use of an accurate temperature sensor will be necessary in the fight against serious illness.
The temperature sensor is small and biocompatible, so it can be implanted into a cancer patient mouse. The sensor will provide information about changes in temperature in diseased cells compared to healthy ones. Thanks to this, it will be possible to determine whether the prescribed therapy is beneficial.
Meanwhile, a debate broke out between scientists over whether this sensor can be called a computer. According to some of them, as soon as the device is left without power, all its programs and data will be erased from memory. Therefore, it cannot be considered a full-fledged computer.
Raspberry Pi Learning Microcomputers
What other records exist in this area? One of the smallest computers includes microcomputers. This is a series of small single-board devices. They were developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation to teach computer science at school. The first model was much more popular than expected. Its sales have long gone beyond the target market. Among other things, it has found its application in robotics.
The Raspberry Pi does not contain a chassis or peripherals (such as a keyboard and mouse). But some components were still included in separate sets of equipment that came with the computer.
In February 2015, more than 5 million Raspberry Pi computers were sold, making them the best-selling British computers. In March 2018, the number of sales reached 19 million.
Microcomputer Overview
Several models have been released that differ in memory capacity and peripheral support capabilities.
The figure shows the microcomputer device corresponding to models B and B +. The models A and A +, as well as Pi Zero, have a similar structure, but they lack a LAN adapter and a USB hub. In them, the USB port is connected directly to the integrated circuit.
The LAN adapter on models B and B + is connected to an optional USB port. In them, the LAN adapter and the USB interface are made in a separate diagram. In B + and later models, this circuitry contains a 5-port USB hub, of which 4 are available. Version B has only 2 USB ports. On a Pi Zero computer, the USB port is connected directly to the integrated circuit, but this model uses a micro USB port.