Design and construction of a balanced ternary ALU with potential future cybernetic intelligent systems applications

Central to the operation of any future cybernetic intelligent system based on digital principles is the method of representation of individual states in the system, together with the fundamental operations for moving from one state to the next. All modern computer systems on which these cybernetic systems are based have the binary representational system at their core. This system uses just two states representing variously the numerical values zero and one, or the logic values true and false. However the potential benefits of the balanced ternary method of representing symbolic data have been known for some time. We restate these benefits within a brief historical context and propose the adoption of a convenient standardised nomenclature. We then describe the design and construction of a 1-trit (trit being the ternary equivalent of the bit) balanced ternary ALU (Arithmetic and Logic Unit) based on DPDT (double-pole double-throw) relays. The potential use of this device as an educational tool in teaching computer science students basic principles of ternary and other multiple-value computing paradigms is also discussed. We briefly conclude with a look at some visions of the future where ternary computing may form the core of cybernetic intelligent systems based on advances in nanoelectromechanical technology.