Computer CER 10 — part of an arithmetic unit

Manufacturer: Institute Mihajlo Pupin

Place and time of production: Belgrade, SFRY, 1956–1960

Dimensions (cm): 161 . 95 . 23

Inventory number: Т:127.2

In 1956, Institute Boris Kidrič — Vinča, under the leadership of the first two experts in this field, Tihomir Aleksić and Rajko Tomović, began designing and manufacturing the first local computer, Digital Electronic Computer — CER 10. Produced using a combination of electronic tube, relay and transistor technologies, it was one of the first independently developed computers in Europe. This prototype, which was moved to Institute Mihajlo Pupin in the meantime, was completed and presented to the public in 1960, after which, with additional amendments, it was installed at the Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy in Tanjug’s building, where it had been used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for deciphering tasks.

Until 1975, increasingly more advanced models of CER computers, 11, 20 and 30, 202, 12, 101 and 111 were produced and used by large state companies, institutions and the Army. 

With its six double-door metal closets and peripheral units, it would take over a whole 80 m2 air-conditioned room and consume 10 kW/h. It had 1,750 electronic tubes and 1,500 transistors installed in it. It had 4 kB primary memory and it could calculate with an average speed of 50,000 operations per second, which is, for the sake of comparison, million times less memory and 40,000 slower than today’s average personal computer. 

Preserved parts of computers CER 10, 12 and 111 were donated to the Museum of Science and Technology by Institute Mihajlo Pupin in 2006.