Z23 (computer)

The Z23 was a second-generation electronic computer designed and built by Konrad Zuse's company, Zuse KG, in Germany. Introduced in 1961, it was a significant step forward from Zuse's earlier relay-based machines, utilizing transistor technology for its logic circuits. This transition to transistors allowed for a considerably smaller size, lower power consumption, and higher computational speed compared to its predecessors like the Z11 and Z22.

The Z23 employed a floating-point number representation, crucial for scientific and engineering calculations. It had a word length of 40 bits, with 32 bits for the mantissa and 8 bits for the exponent. Its main memory consisted of magnetic drum storage, offering a capacity of several thousand words. Punched tape was used for input and output, with optional peripherals like a typewriter or plotter available.

The instruction set of the Z23 included a range of arithmetic operations, logical operations, and input/output instructions. Programming was typically done in a machine-oriented language or an early form of ALGOL 60.

The Z23 found applications in various fields, including scientific research, engineering design, and business data processing. It was sold to universities, research institutions, and industrial companies across Europe. The machine is recognized as an important milestone in the development of computer technology in Germany and played a role in the wider adoption of computing in the early 1960s.