HITAC 3010

The HITAC 3010 was a mid-sized computer for office use, modeled on the RCA 301 made by RCA (a technology partner of Hitachi) and produced domestically in Japan. The standard configuration had a cycle time of seven microseconds and a memory capacity of either 20,000 or 40,000 characters (one character consisted of 6 + 1 bits). The machine's hardware features included the easy character-by-character data processing and the ability to connect various input and output devices in a building-block configuration. On the software side, the HITAC 3010 was equipped with an assembly system and office software packages.

One architectural feature was the adoption of table-based technology for arithmetic operations. This permitted the inclusion of code-conversion instructions for character strings using conversion tables. In addition to performing ordinary code conversions, these instructions could be used for various applications, such as converting character codes on cards (12-bit codes) to the internal codes (6-bit codes). Because of the logic characteristics of the basic circuitry employed in the machine, it was somewhat difficult to construct a base-10 addition and subtraction circuit. As a workaround, addition and subtraction instructions used tables to perform operations. The HITAC 3010 lacked a multiplication instruction, so it was equipped with a subroutine, which also made use of tables, that performed multiplications through iterations of additions. The table technology was even used for sorting operations and controlling line printers.

The first machine was delivered to the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Office in 1962, where it helped streamline office work.