The Binary Curta


It is my believe that the Curta could have survived the digital age.
Using the standard parts with only minor modification a Binary Curta was well within reach.

This is how it could have looked...

Limitations of the Binary Curta

Accuracy

This model is base on the Type I Curta.
It inherits the number of (binary) digits:

item digits range (bin) range (decimal) remarks
settings 8 00000000 .. 11111111 0 .. 255  
results 11 00000000000 .. 11111111111 0 ... 2047  
turns counter 6 000000 .. 111111 0 .. 63  

Some notes on the construction

The Setters and wheels

These parts are easy: just a shorter version of the decimal setters.
The wheels are only engraved with 0 and 1.
In fact any surplus wheels with 0 to 9 engraved could have been use too!

The Step Drum for the Adder

No need for many teeth here...

The Step Drum for the Turns Counter

No need for many teeth here...

The carry lever actuating pins on the back of the results wheels

To keep the design simple there are 5 carry lever actuating pins on the rear of the results wheels.
This way the result wheels can just keep rotating.
When clearing the wheel it is however forced in a fixed zero-position, and may well show a zero a few times.

Complicated? No because it uses the standard decimal wheels with only a few pins added and different engraving.


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