ILLIAC

One of the most successful of the early electronic computers built after World War II, ILLIAC (Illinois Automatic Computer) was born in the old Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory at Illinois through the collaboration of faculty in the Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Mathematics departments. ILLIAC progressed through five generations, securing Illinois’s reputation as the leader in the field of large scale, high-performance computing. Each new ILLIAC incorporated innovations in architecture, memory, logic, and software that spread throughout the computer world. Today the ILLIAC tradition continues at Illinois with Trusted ILLIAC, a 500-processor cluster combining high performance, transpar- ency, and security.



ILLIAC I (Source: Centennial History of the Department of ECE)

ILLIAC TIMELINE

ILLIAC's History and Influences: An interactive Mind Map

THE ILLIACS

ORDVAC and ILLIAC I
ILLIAC II
ILLIAC III
ILLIAC IV
CEDAR

Related Pages
Multiple versions of the ILLIAC line were used in pioneering the field of computer music.  The ILLIAC I was used by Lejaren Hiller to compose The ILLIAC Suite.  Hiller would go on to use the ILLIAC II as well.  Later, parts from ILLIAC II were used by Salvatore Martirano to create the Sal-Mar Construction; the first musical instrument to generate dynamic impovisatory electronic music.