Mercury: a high-speed digital computer

Details are given of the design and construction of a new universal high-speed serial digital computer with a digit repetition frequency of 1 Mc/s. Logical differences between the production machine, called `Mercury¿ and its prototype, which was built at Manchester University, are discussed in some detail. The constructional techniques adopted for the electronic equipment are described and reasons are given for their adoption in terms of accessibility and ease of cooling. A detailed order code is appended.