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243_MasterPieces_04b.qxd  4/18/03  7:07 PM  Page 189





                                                                               PneumADDic II • Masterpiece 4   189


                        PneumADDic II uses air pressure to change the location of the piston head, and
                    therefore remember a new value.The pressure inlets for the Piston sub-assemblies play
                    the role of the value input for our Carry Memory.The RCX only allows pressure
                    through to the Carry Memory inputs at certain times during the addition process. When
                    pressure is applied, the Carry Memory remembers the new value.The pneumatic switch,
                    which you remember has its lever position controlled by the pneumatic piston, acts as the
                    memory output of Carry Memory. Pressure applied to the pneumatic switch is routed to
                    the switch’s ports based on the direction the lever is leaning.
                        It takes time for the pneumatic adding circuit to calculate the answer. When new
                    values are fed to the circuit via the RCX and motorized pneumatic switches, the changes
                    affect the gates connected to the motorized switches. When the outputs of the first gates
                    change, they affect the next gates in the circuit. When these outputs change, they affect
                    the next gates and so on. We must let all those changes happen before we know that the
                    Carry calculated by the pneumatic adding circuit is correct. Only then can we make the
                    Carry Memory remember the Carry value, by applying pressure to the inlet of the switch
                    that drives the Carry Memory.


                              Carry Memory Step 0























                            Carry Memory Step 1
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