Hybrid computer

The first desktop hybrid computing system was the Hycomp 250, released by Packard Bell in 1961.

[4] In general, analog computers are extraordinarily fast, since they are able to solve most mathematically complex equations at the rate at which a signal traverses the circuit, which is generally an appreciable fraction of the speed of light.

The advantages are at least threefold: noise within the system is minimized (and tends not to be additive), no common grounding system is required, and there is minimal degradation of the signal even if there are substantial differences in activity of the cells along a path (only the signal delays tend to vary).

In 2015, researchers at Columbia University published a paper[5] on a small scale hybrid computer in 65 nm CMOS technology.

A robot experiment in the paper demonstrates the use of the hybrid computing chip in today's emerging low-power embedded applications.