The Jvlagazine of

July/ August

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page 5 DESIGN OF THE PERClEPTRON

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Magnetic core making is a fine art at Telemeter Magnetics, Inc., wher'e the most experienced technologists in the field follow the
production of your cores every step of the way: from specification for your individual application ... through the most painstaking
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are the finest and most complete in the entire ferrite storage industry; for example, there's the uncanny precision equipment that
grades 18,000 cores per hour. Pioneers in the development of magnetic cores from the beginning, TMI today is the nation's head-
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PRODUCTION CERAMIC FIRING GRADING QUALITY CONTROL

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 DATA
FEATURES
5 Design of the Perceptron
12 Digital Computing at Saab; Sweden's Only AircraflManufacturer
Applies Technical Data Processing
18 Reading the High Speed Printers
30 Automatic Error Correction---:-Now; DATAmatic Announces
Orthotronic Control
35 Ferranti Transactor; Trans Canada Air Line Operations Streamlined

ARTICLES
the automatic handling ~f
38 I-A Conference Computer Clinic
information 40 WESCON EDP Offerings Listed
42 Datamation Down Under; An Aussie Comments on the Industry
43 More ICIP Plans-Four Named to Committee
volume 4, number 43 Papers Sought for 1959 W ICC
48 English Firm Markets Tape Punch Typewriter

DEPARTMENTS
11 Datamation Abroad
34 Datamation Book Capsules
3 Datamation in Business and Science
39 Datamation on Campus
41 Important Dates in Datamation
44 New Datamation Literature
22 New. Products in Datamation
29 People Moving Up in Datamation

OVER 24,000 CIRCULATION PUBLISHER & EDITOR Frank D. Thompson

Research and Engineering is. circulated without
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users of automatic, information-handling. equip-
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Published bi-monthly by the Relyea Publishing
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Corp. The tradema-ks R/E and Research & Engi~
neerlng are the property of the Relyea Publishing 103 Park Ave., New York 17, N.Y., LExington 2-0541
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R/E, The Magazine of DATAMATION, wel-
comes manuscripts of three general types: applica~ CLEVELAND DISTRICT MANAGER Albert Pudvan
tion articles 'dealing with small, medium and large
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Research & Engineering, luly/ August 1958

 DATA FROM THIS

OR THIS • • • • • •

CAN BE AUTOMATICALLY PLOTTED BY

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D A TAP LOT TE R
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2 The Magazine of:C RTR

 DRTR I in business and science

EPSCO INSTALLS Epsco, Inc. has delivered and installed an auto-

MULTI-CHANNEL DATA SYSTEM matic, multi-channel data acquisition and computer
linkage system at the Engineering Research Labora-
tories, Republic Aviation Corp., Farmingdale, L. I.,
N. Y. The system is being used initially to control
data from air frame structural tests. Wind tunnel
l.nstrumentation applications will follow. Assembled
from producion engin~er~d building block modules,
the system in its present form excites and processes
structural analysis data from 200 low-level strain
gage sources; sequences, amplifies, samples and
'converts the data into digital form at rates up to
'4000 converters p'er second; and prepares magnetic
t~pe for direct entry into a 704. .

DR. MORTON: .The possibility of computers which might be able to

THINKING COMPUTERS COMING think for themselves was foreseen by Dr. John A.
Morton, Bell Laboratories' director of device
development. He said that computers with from 10 to
100 times the speed and complexity of today's models
"are almost a certainty. We can possibly look
forward to electronic systems that can learn from
past experience in helping themselves to solve
new problems." He said that if we insist these
machines cannot think, we will have to redefine our
concept of thought. (See page five.)

NEW FACILITIES A 102,000 sq. ft. facility housing the new data
OPEN, UNDER CONSTRUCTION processing laboratory of Sylvania Electronic
Systems, a division of Sylvania Electric Products,
Inc., has been opened in Needham, Mass. Laboratory
work includes development of Ballistic Missile Early
Warning Systems for the Air Force and the Mobile
Digi tal Computer System for the Army • .' • • Aero-
nutronic Systems, Inc., a Ford subsidiary, is fast
completing architectural and engineering work on a
125,000 sq. ft. computer development building.
Construction was begun in late July at Newport
Beach, Calif. and a completion goal has been set for
next June. The facility will be a fully equipped
structure for research, development and manufacture
of special purpose computers.

. CONTRACTS SET Burroughs borp. announced in Detroit that it has

FOR EDPS MANUFACTURERS been awarded a $17,'418,352 contract by the Air Force
for the construction of 24 coordinate data
processing systems to be used in the SAGE system of
continental air defense • • • • Ramo-Wooldridge in'
Los, Angeles now has a $13~ million contract for
installation and operation of an automatic data
processing system at the Army Electronic Proving
Ground, F~rt Huachuca, Ariz • • • • An air-ground
communications system deSigned to cut air traffic
delays and help solve the problem of mid-air
collisions will be developed by RCA under a
$1,400,000 contract awarded by the Airways
Modernization Board. The contract calls for
production of experimental equipment capable of
obtaining flight information from up to 500 aircr~ft
in two minutes.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 3

 'IJf,tHk/\, IImll liul/ilimoklfllk/\', III;, Illkl ,f/I/Ulfi,,fI,;Wi,'"I1,," "I\'.-/~tt;;1 ,,;,aNli ''fitif~~tllrt''if;lIIl1 I~rl UI.'1.Y1IUlrulll,\ d~,mtft(lli(i f)(Ii,WI ,Ih'''YI /Jln'r~UI
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"What Mr. Von Newmann is saying here deserves careful consideration. Themaihematical field 0/ symbolic logic (Of
Boolean algebra) has been eminently successful in producing our modern control systems and digital computingma-
chines. Nevertheless, the attempts to account for the operation of the human brain by similar principles have always
broken down under close scrutiny. A different kind of mathematics-primarily statistical in nature-seems to be in-
volved. The difficulty in 'Comprehending the operation of the perceptron (even by a highly trained mathematical audi-
ence) could not be stated better than in this passage."-DR. FRANK ROSENBLATT, Cornell Aeronautical Labora'tory.

For many years scientists have been endeavoring to produce a machine to have original ideas? This question, contends
an accurate model of the human brain. The processes by Dr. Rosenblatt, is the real keynote of our story.
which the brain operates have been the subject of much "With regard to the perceptron," he said, "it appears
study by biologists, mathem~ticians and engineers alike and that we must answer this question concerning original
the possibilities of using brain-like processes for the inter- ideas in the affirmative."
pretation. of extremely complex information have been the On June 10, Dr. Rosenblatt explained, a successful ex-
goal behind years of work. periment was conducted at Cornell. This experiment re-
A few weeks ago the office of Naval Research announced presents the first time a machine demonstrated its ability
that some work which had been performed at Cornell Aero- to form a spontaneous concept or idea based on its observa-
nautical Laboratory, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., indicated that at tions of visual forms and to attach symbols in a meaningful
last a machine operating on the principle of the human fashion to things that it sees.
brain appeared possible, at least as a laboratory model. The In the June 10 experiment, the 704 used to simulate a
work at Cornell, performed on an IBM 704 computer, perceptron was tested with the problem. of distinguishing
simulated the presentation to a: crude visual, sensory device left squares from right squares. This task could be done
of a number of different stimuli. The system of perceptory quite readily by a· conventional computer program using
interpretation consisted of a number of randomly connected specially contrived rules. The important thing is that this
repetitive circuits. was not a program for distinguishing left squares from right
The 704 experiment showed that circulatory communica- squares. It was a program which could have enabled the
tion links would be set up in the connective repetitive cir- 704, equally well, to distinguish A's from B's, squares from
cuits in a relationship corresponding to the appliance triangles, pictures of· ships from pictures of airplanes.
stimuli; After only a few applications of the appliance "If the 704 were many times larger and faster than it is
stimuli, the simulated system in the 704 was able to rec- and had the necessary sensory inputs," said Dr. Rosenblatt,
ognize which of the stimuli was· presented to the input. "the same program would enable it to distinguish Fords
The concept of the perceptron was developed by Dr. from Chevrolets, Wagner from Mozart, bombers from
Frank Rosenblatt, a research psychologist at Cornell ·work- fighters, airplanes from missiles."
ing under contract with the Office of Naval Research. On What witnesses saw was a very simplified application of
July 7 he conducted a· demonstration of the simulated per- general and enormously versatile principles. .
ceptron system at Suitland, Md., for members of the press Dr. Rosenblatt continued:
and other official observers. Many of the remarks which he "The perceptron is not a digital computer. We are used
made at this demonstration follow. to hearing digital computers described as giant electronic
Dr. Rosenblatt began the story of the perceptron by brains and this is responsible for many popular misconcep-
posing a question which he calls one of the most contro- tions. Now, it is true that computers are very good at some-
versial in the history of scientific thinking: Is it possible for thing, which people, by· and large, do very badly-that is,

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 5

DESIGN OF THE PERCEPTION

they do arithmetic. But this comparison of computers with original experiments on the perceptron involved a "forced
the brain seems to me an unfortunate one. It suggests to learning" process. Studies of perceptual learning continued
many people that because a computer does certain things at C. A. L. with the internal research program. Navy sup-
that the brain can do, the brain must work something like port began in July, 1957 under Project PARA.
a computer. Actually, the way in which the brain works is The very important theory of Statistical Separability
still almost entirely unknown-although we believe that we followed at this time. Then came the first simulation ex-
may finally be on the right track ... periments aimed at proving ability of the perceptron to
"Computers perform two functions which they share with learn when specifically taught correct response. Although
the brain: (1) decision making, based on logical rules, and the problem of spontaneous organization was still un-
(2) control. The human brain performs these functions answered last year, a new theory predicted spontaneous
together with a: third form: interpretation of the environ- organization resulting from slight mociifications in the origi-
ment. nal system.
"Why do we hold interpretatiop. of the environment to
Finally, the successful simulation took place on June 10.
be so important? The answer is to be found in certain laws
Dr. Rosenblatt emphasized the difference between the
which really stem from' the physical science of thermo-'
perceptron and the 704 used for the simulation experi-
dynamics. It can be shown that a system with a completely
ment. He explained that in the perceptron simulation pro-
self-contained logic can never spontaneously improve in
gram the computer must follow specific rules since this
its ability to organize, and to draw valid conclusions from,
is all it can do. The rules which are used here, however,
information. Changes in such a: system will, in general, lead
are not the kind that tell it how to derive the answer to an
to deterioration, rather than improvement, in performance.
. explicit problem, such as multiplying two numbers, or
"On the other hand, a system which is capable of re-
telling A's from X's. The rules are specifically concerned
organizing its own logic to correspond to a logical organiza-,
only with the changes in the perceptron which result from
tion which already exists in the universe around it takes on
its experience. They are rules for changing the responses
very different properties indeed. .such a system can im-
of the system so that, as time goes on, the same data (the
prove (if it is properly constructed) by observing and learn-
data in this case being coded images of visual forms) will
ing from the organization of the surrounding world. The
yield different answers. They are, in short, rules which
human brain is such a system. It is this ability to interpret
control the adaptation or learning that goes on as the ma-
the environment which allows the human brain to rec-
chine gains expefience from the particular artificial en-
ognize and devise the logical nIles which are applied by
vironment that we have contrived.
the computer. Conceptualization of the environment is
the first step towards creative thinking." Continuing, Dr. Rosenblatt pointed out that the 704,
like any· digital computer, is very inefficient when used
direct recognition
Continuing his explanation, Cornell's chief perceptron in 'this way. There are at least three major differences be-
tween a digital computer an'd a perceptron which stem
architect went on to say that the perceptron does not recog-
nize forms, shapes,or other items by matching them against from differences in organization of the two systems.
a stored inventory of similar images previously fed into it The m~in differences are in speed, size, and couplings
by an operator, nor by performing a mathematical analysis with the environment (the inputs of the system). The ex-
of characteristics. Instead, the recognition is_ direct, and periment which will take some 15 or 20 minutes to per-
essentially instantaneous, since the association by which a form on the 704 might require only a few thousandths of
perceived 'stimulus is identified' is derived in the form of a second on a perceptron. To equal the memory capacity
new pathways through the system rather than from a coded of _a perceptron which might ultimately be built in the
representation of the original stimulus. This, Dr. Rosenblatt size of an office desk, we might require hundreds of 704
went on, is much like a man who gets a direct view of an memories. In the simulation program, the environment,
object through his eyes from which impulses flow through as well as the wiring diagram of the perceptron must be
his nervous system to the brain, in tum enabling him to stored in the memory of the 704. The 704 has no "sensing
instantly recognize and identify that object for someone. organs" which would enable it to accept visual forms or
Dr. Rosenblatt explained that the perceptual discovery ,auditory inputs directly. Such input devices will, of course,
of the "kinds" or "classes" of objects which make up' our be available for the perceptron.
environment is quite different from the sort of activity which. "We plan to build an actual pilot model of the percep-
we go through in performing mental arithmetic or analyz- tron in the course of the coming year," said Dr. Rosenblatt.
ing the possibilities of a chess situation. He stated that it "This' first model will be quite elementary but will be
s~emed to be much more direct and intuitive; that our capable of doing at least as much as the digital simulation
hypotheses emerge from ohservation and experience ap-· programs can do and probably somewhat more too. I must
parently spontaneously rather than as a formula solution. emphasize that we are not yet ready for advanced appli-
The history of the perceptron program began at Cornell cations of the perceptron. The development and explora-
University as a study of memory mechanisms in 1953. The tion' of this concept, however, appears to be one of the

6 The Magazine of DR.T~MRTICN

 Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory's Dr. Frank Rosenblatt, research psychologist, checks simulation results of the perceptron, first non·
biological system capable of perceiving, recognizing and identifying Lts surroundings. Actual perceptron model to be built within year.

most important scientific challenges of our time." Many applications, while actually within the realm of c
The psychologist cited two reasons for this position: (1) achievement, are still a part of the future and really can-
the theory of the perceptron is the first "brain model" to not be fully or properly evaluated at this stage of percep-
be wholly consistent with whatever is known of the biolo- tron's development. The concept of this system is still in
gical nervous system. Unlike previously proposed systems, its infancy, and its basic theory must first be extended; ,
the perceptron does not violate any known facts about the Additional steps to be taken will involve such things as:
central nervous system. (2) aside from its purely scientific lowering. the cost and size of its construction well below
importance, systems similar to the perceptron could possi- that of units which can now be built with conventional
bly serve a most important function for the western world. components presently available; studying· the behavior of
Our survival may some day depend on our ability to make laboratory models in response to environments -ranging
speedy and accurate interpretations of very complex data. from the mixture of simple geometrical forms,'now being
An advantage in the field of intelligent automata might simulated by current programs,' to' s~ch complex problems
go a long way toward making up an initial disadvantage as the discrimination 'of speech:ancl hllman faces; and de-
in other fields. Such a possibility cannot be ignored. ,velopment of sensing devices suitable for providing vis~al
and auditory inputs to the system. -'
some applications Although practical applications of the perceptron,pro-
Automatic landing systems, automatic pilots, and recog- gram, which is a major undertaking, :should not be ex,pect-
nition systems of almost every variety could conceivably ed in the immediate future, nevertheless it now seems clear
make use of the perceptron, and its application to library that with the perceptron, a new field of research, both
research and data gathering for scientific purposes already for engineering and for the theory of intelligent systems,
seems clearly indicated. has come of age.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 7

DESIGN OF THE PERCEPTRON

HUMAN BRAIN: Receives information from the visual world, recognizes and identifies images, and
transmits signals to body muscles. The brain acts on information from other sensory
channels in simi lar fashion.

Sensory System: Eye, ___ ~

Optical Tracf, includes several relay
with muscles which ::::::--....
centerin~ and /d ~, stations, prior to vi sua I projecti on

r
J

permi.t
t area.

- , /-
tra.ckin g of moving //'(/
oblects. 1M Vi.'uol Projection Area, receives

---------~~r) Image from eye.

L\

._-~/'
~~/// .~-:.~ ~ Association System:
~~-- ---~0:/
,
~
.: - l
-~
f~ Visual Association Area, learns
~ ~
./
t~ recognize an~ i.nterpret
visual forms; originates
control signals to --

\W}))~ '~& signals to selected muscles.

Optical Nerve \--,
\~~ Motor Nerves, in spinal cord, carry
" ~ signals to muscles.
\.

T he illustrations on these pages show the similarity in output units by strengthening the signals in some chan-
general functional organization between a perceptron and nels and weakening the signals in other channels. The
a brain. The perceptron receives visual images through an connections of the system are largely random, although
optical device which is somewhat similar to a TV camera. the general flow of impulses proceeds from the sensory
A mosaic of photocells in this device serves a function end to the response end. The effects by which the associa-
simila r to that of the retina in the eye . These photocells tion system is able to "remember" the preferred connec-
transform light energy into electrical signals, which are tions are primarily statistical, or probabilistic.
carried by a cable to the Association System. This system
is composed of a great number of small electronic units
which appear to be similar in function (and in their "wir- These effects were predicted and analyzed for the first
ing diagram") to the association cells in the brain. These time in Rosenblatt's "Theory of Statistical Separability,"
units respond to the "visual" input signals, and generate which was originally released in a Cornell Aeronautical
electrical impulses, which are analogues to the nerve im- Laboratory report in January, 1958. This theory shows
pulses generated by association cells. how it is possible for the same association cells to respond,
in an apparently identical manner, to a great variety of
different stimuli, while the statistical aggregate of asso-
T he association system acts primarily as a relay sta- ciation cells is still able to respond selectively to each in-
tion, which can change the connections between input and dividual stimulus. The predicted effects can be observed

8 The Magazine of 0 F=lTR~ =

 PERCEPTRON: Receives information from the visual world, recognizes and identifies images, and
transmits signals to control motors or recording devices. For auditory pattern
recognition, the camera can be replaced with a microphone.

Output Cable

~ ,~
./~ ~P"-,-.-./
'------1U// __.~"
W
--'~ .. /
Sensory System: Input Association System: Display ana Control Unit:
camera, with aiming learns to recognize and permits experimenters to
servos, which allow interpret visual forms; observe performance and
Perceptron to center originates control signals to control the learning
or track moving obiects. to servos and recording process.
devices.

only in large numbers of cells. Once a sufficient number wiring diagram, such as interchanging sets of wires, are
of cells is obtained, a perceptron becomes a highly effi- likely to make no difference at all in its ability to perform.
cient systelTL, capable of recognizing similarities, forming T he first perceptron to be built will be designed as a
generalizations, and discovering for itself the classes of laboratory research tool, in which patch hoards will per-
forms of which its environment is composed. mit the flexible interconnection of units in different ways,
for experimental purposes. According to present plans,
the laboratory model will have an input s)'Steln consisting
of 400 photocells, and may have as many as 1000 asso-
Systems which operate on the basis of "statistical sep- ciation cells, or "A-units." This system should be capable
arability" are fundamentally different in principle from of distinguishing letters of the alphabet, simple visual
digital computers, and form control systems which carry forms, and pictures which are sufficiently dissimilar so
out their operations by symbolic logic. Unlike a digital that the perceptron is not confused by their silnilarity.
computer. in whirh the dipping of a sing/p wire might
incapacitate the machine, lhe perceplron will continue to
functz-oll CL'cn if a large fraction of its association srstem~
is destroyed_ Furthermore, a percept ron can be "designed" JAlrger system.s would he capable of recof,nizinf, much
by wiring its units together at randoTlL so long as certain finer shades of difference ill rislia/ forms, and could accept
general constraints are· observed. Small differences in the auditory, or other input llledia. as H'cll.

Research &- Engineering. fuly/Au{!,ust 1958 9

 COMPUTER OUTPUT

I
..............................I-+--+--+--+--l--4--I-..+--J-f----<i-f-+-+,-i--+--+-l'-~
t--t-+-+--+--t--+--+-+-+-+--+--+--+--l-j-+-+-+--!--I--!-4--I--+-4-4--+-";-~+-~-.- - .............!-f---t--I

..... - - -1--1-.-+-·1-..1--1--1-·+···..··· - ......- ...-+-J.-f--lI--lI--I--.J-~,,*-+-+--1

"~'0-~~~:-~~--~-~~~
I

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10 The Alagazine of DRTRf'v'1t=1Ti N
 DRTR abroad

SYMPOSIUM SET In Strasbourg, France, the International Associa-

TO REVIEW ANALOG FIELD tion for Analog Computing will hold an international
symposium on the problems of analog computation from
Sept. 1 to 7. The symposium will be divided into
three sections.: mathematical and physical problems
in analog computers, diverse applications, and simu-
lators and relations between analog and digital
couputers. Symposium organizer is Dr. F. H. Raymond,
c/o S. E. A., 138 Boulevard de Verdun, Courbevoie
(Seine), France. An exhibit of analog computers will
also be held from August 30 to Sept. 8.

FIRMS IN JAPAN Japanese firms are showing increasing interest in

BUY U.S. EDP EQUIPMENT computer installations and sales of U. S.-made
general purpose machines are being made to banks,
government agencies, electrical manufacturers and
heavy industry companies. Remington Rand has.
delivered 28 Univacs, twenty-two 120's and six 60's
while IBM reports 10 orders for 650's and one each
for a 704 and 705. So far, the two firms have
graduated about 700 from training courses on their
various models • • • A Bendix G-15D computer
delivered to the Japan National Railways in May,
1957, has already brought about a 10% efficiency
increase in the movement of commodities, according
to Mamoru Hosaka, research engineer in the rail-
road's automatic control laboratory.

CEC SUBSIDIARY A German subsidiary, Consolidated Electrodynamics

OPENED IN FRANKFURT Corp., GmbH, will serve as a central sales and
service facility for the parent California firm in
Western Europe and the United Kingdom. The wholly
owned subsidiary will provide improved and direct
factory service to users of CEe's data processing
instrumentation and analytical and control equip-
ment. Located at Weissfrauenstras~e 3, Frankfurt am
Main, the company will also serve CEC's European
network of sales representatives. A. W. Brandmaier
is manager of the German-company.

BOOK, BULLETIN Three translations of the book "Office Work and

NOW AVAILABLE ABROAD Automation" by Howard S. Levin, published by John
Wiley and Sons, are now available abroad. In
Holland, the publisher is J. H. deBussy, Amsterdam;
in Germany - Nest Verlag, Frankfurt; and in Japan -
Dobunkan Publishing Co., Tokyo • • • • Bulletin of
the International Computation C;nter, a monthly
tabloid magazine, is currently being published in
Rome. English and French editions arc printed. For
information write the Center at Palazzo degli
Uffici, Zona dell-'EUR, Rome.

Research & Engineering, July / August ] 95R 11

 Left: SARA's control desk surrounded by
IBM and Creed equipment. Page 12 and
above: Swedish Air Force's Dragon. Lower
left: Dragon measurement centers in star-
board armament bay. Lower right: SEDA;
built by Saab and Electronic Associates, Inc.

J
sweden s only aircraft manufacturer
applies technical data processing

by ETIENNE J. GUERIN Saab works on a cost plus basis, on orders from the
Royal Swedish Air Force. Last fiscal year, Air Force ap-
DATAMATION Correspondent propriations amounted to $100 million. Next fiscal year,
in Northern Europe
equipment appropriations will be raised to $150 million.
These funds cover procurement and development of new
In Scandinavia, Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget - SAAB
equipment. The Swedish Air Force's future equipment is
in short - dominates the picture as a leading user in elec-
governed by a 7 -year program with a cost limit of some
tronics. Their engineering staff· has successfully p~t them
1 billion dollars. This program is "rolling," i. e. revised
to work for high-speed aircraft manufacturing.
annually to cover latest requirements.
Saab is Sweden's lone aircraft manufacturer. A pri-
vate enterprise, its main plant is located in Linkoping, 125 Prototype work is normally done on 3 Hying test air-
miles from Stockholm. The largest part of its output is planes and one ground structural test airplane. It may also
delivered to the Royal Swedish Air Force - Flygvapnet be mentioned that Linkoping offers an average of 200
- which consists of 50 squadrons or some 1,000 planes. fine weather, Hying days a year, thus giving less than 100
The Saab-32 Lansen, a two-seater all-weather jet fighter Hying hours a year to test airplanes. For instance, an air-
bomber with air to ground missiles, is currently being pro- craft· which was ready for Hight testing before Christmas
duced on a large scale in different versions. Latest model could only be tested at the end of January. This partly
is the Saab-35A Draken (Dragon), a supersonic single- explains the need of 'rapid data processing at Saab.
seat double delta wing jet interceptor equipped with air- Saab uses an integrated automatic computing system
to-air missiles and other weapons. The Draken has a top from the early sta'ges, which speeds considerably the pre-
speed of Mach 1.8. liminary design process. That covers all the engineering,
Except for the engine, the armament and some smaller phases, such as aerodynamics, thermodynamics, layout
components, the Draken is entirely engineered and pro- drawing, weights and structures, fitness for production,
duced by Saab. Aviation experts praise its first-class en- and many other properties.
gineering, the technical ability behind it as well as the This is reHected in the organization chart of the com-
close cooperation between Saab and Flygvapnet (i. e. the pany which employs more than 1,000 persons in its dif-
Air Force). ferent engineering divisions. Engineering is divided into

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 13

DIGITAL COMPUTING AT SAAB

Left to right, SARA's power supply. drum, control. memory and arithmetic units, control desk relays and storage buffer unit.

experimental analysis, theorical analysis ·and design. The tape reader, with a speed of 200 digits per second. Output
department of theorical analysis itself is subdivided into is a Creed tape punch with a speed of 25 digits per sec-
aerodynamics, structure, flutter, numerical lofting and a ond. A new output will soon be installed, a BESK high-
technical data processing bureau. This serves all engineer- speed punch with a speed of 150 digits per second, re-
ing phases of aircraft manufacture. putedly one of the fastest in the world.
sara,. a digital computer . Saab is in the process of installing in SARA six Ampex
Saab has built its own digital computer, SARA, which 212 magnetic tape recorders with a tape speed of 60
is short for SAab RakneAutomat - or Saab Computer. It inches per second. The basic unit is usually delivered with
was first tested late in 1957. a tape speed of 30 inches per second, and that alteration
SARA is an improved version of BESK - Binary Elec- was done as a custom order.
tronic Sequence Computer or Binar Elektronisk Sekvens Saab plans to build in the near future, a transistorized
Kalkylator in Swedish - built in 1954 by the Swedish storage buffer unit with logical-circuits mounted on print-
Board of Computing Machinery, Matematikmaskinnamn- ed circuit plug-in assemblies. It will be used as an output
den. This was incidentally the second computer built by buffering system to provide compatibility with an IBM 528
that semi-official agency, the first oile BARK - Binary accumulating reproducer as output equipment on SARA.
Arithmetic Relay Computer or Binar Aritmetisk Rela Kal- We should mention also that this machine has different
kylator - being basically a mathematical relay using a feed speeds: 200 cards per minute at the input and 100
plugboard program. BESK is comparable to an IBM 701 cards per minute at the output.
except that programs are on tape instead of cards. Future plans also include the use of an external core
Although the 512-word Williams tube memory of BESK storage to replace the drum function in SARA, with its
had given satisfactory results during the period Saab used probable use as a storage buffer unit. This will tentatively
it prior to SARA's operation, Matematikmaskinnamnden be effected in about 2 years time and these changes will
later on decided to substitute for it a core memory with be made progressively when the storage buffer unit and
1,024 words. SARA also uses a 1,024-words, each word punch card equipment mentioned above, have been in-
of 40 bits, ferrite core memory and it is soon to be doubled stalled.
to 2,048 words. 2 magnetic drums each storing 4,000
seda and others
words have a revolution speed of 3,000 rpm. Addition
time, 60 microseconds, multiplication, 400 microseconds. Saab also uses two IBM 604 electronic calculating
Input used is a Ferranti Mark II High-Speed 5-channel punches, an IBM ePG and the Saab Electronic Differential

14 The Magazine of CRTFU,-l

 ber of points taken at random on the fram'e are defined
by numerical values. This method of numerical lofting
which 'was pioneered in the aircraft industry by Saab, has
produced remarkable results in work simplification. Stress
problems and numerical lofting are mostly calculated
on the IBM 650 following the matrix procedure mentioned
briefly in this paragraph.
The final characteristics of an aircraft and its operational .
capabilities are function of the accuracy with which a
given number of aerodynamic parameters of the air mass
through which that aircraft flies can be measured. Air
data, as these parameters are collectively referred to, in-
clude total pressure, static pressure, angle of attack; angle
of sideslip and temperature from which other information
is in turn derived. These measurements have become in-
creasingly difficult to make at high speeds and altitudes
because of the dynamic and static transducer response
limitations; and the computing and indicating system limi-
tations. With SEDA, the analog computer, the air forces
are represented by a rational approximation of the re-
duced frequency for which the integrators can be used
in the case of the positive powers, and for which special
passive network inpedances are used in the case of the
negative powers. Flutter analysis is done by turning a
gang-potentiometer representing flight speed, until the
cathode ray image shows zero damping on the transient,
Analyzer (the SEDA). SEDA is the principal tool of the which is repeated on the cathode ray screen with a fre~
Saab Analog Computing Center which is part of the or- quency of about 20 cps~
ganization of the Systems Engineering Department. They
test flight data handling
have been using it extensively for different problems of
guidance and control of military aircraft, often with hard- The future will reflect deep changes in data processing
ware from the aircraft included in the computing circuitry. at Saab and especially in the \vork of data reduction. A
Other departments, too, can have their problems solved spokesman stated: "After making preliminary studies in
at the center, The aerodynamicists, to quote an example, order to determine what type of data recording Saab
have found it useful when treating problems of aerody~ should use, the engineering department has re'ached the
namic h~ating. 'conclusion that data should be recorded on tape." One
At present -it is the biggest analog computer in Sweden. principal reason why oscillographs will progressively be
Apart from two or three racks of multipliers and diode- replaced by tape recording is the possibilities of rapid
resistance-function generators built by Saab, all the equip- automatic flight test data handling. Another is that vibra-
ment comes from Electronic Associates, Inc. of N ew York. tion and noise can be recorded up to higher frequency
It includes in its present form and among other items, 140 ranges on magnetic tape and are easier to analyze. For
DC-amplifiers, and three plugboard and control desks. This the present, flight test data are recorded on oscillographs
makes it possible to compute two or three problems at and photographed instrument panels. In one such instance,
the same time, if they have convenient size. A big problem, two Heiland oscillographs occupied the whole of a Draken
of course, will occupy all the machine. As a matter of radar nose section during recent test flight measurements.
fact, the problems tend to outgrow the machine, so it will U sing the port and starboard armament bays as measure-
have to be considerably enlarged in the near future. ment centers, the pilot can easily switch from one to an-
The company has conducted special studies in applying other different type of program while in flight, thus sav-
matrix analysis to structural analysis. The process of syn- ing time.
thesization is used in the preliminary design of an air- In some cases oscillographs a~'e analyzed with oscillo-
plane. It is employed to make parameter studies such as gram readers, type Benson-Lehner Oscar E, and with one
wing areas, tail sizes, etc, Because of the aerodynamicre- type designed by Saab and based on Speedomax mechani-
quirements as well as those of the production people, cal. When oscillographs were used, the main complaint
Saab has developed a method to define the aircraft's geo- was that either photographs or an oscillograph P1anual
metry in mathematic form, i e the earlier body plan-view were needed for interpretation, a practice found to be too
has been replaced by a table of coordinates, where a num- time-consuming. Of the very extensive flight test pro-

Resparch &- Engineering, July/August 1958 15

 computed
[
seconds

systems division Conso lid a ted Elect rod ynarn ics [

300 N. Sierra Madre Villa, Pasadena, California / Offices in Principal Cities Throughout the.World e
The system includes end
instruments, calibration, cabling,
data-conditioning, patching
facilities, analog-to-digital
conversion, timing, analog
magnetic-tape equipment,
and digital computer.

Circle 5 on Reader Service Card.

16 The. Magazine of DATAMRTION
 DIGITAL COMPUTING AT SAAB,

grams, automatic data reduction in computers has been worth while." And after issuing a warning, "we have had
made preferably on strain gage measurements, such as some occasions where the machines have helped ,us to
wing and tail-loads and five-component load measure- obtain results in much shorter time than we dared·to hope,
ments on external stores. Pressure-distribution measure- but it should also be admitted that we have at times failed
ments and theodolite data have also been handled in digi- : to have results ready when desired." His conclusion was
tal computers. on a cheerful note: "The net results have been important
Saab's way of recording data on tape is original. They gains in cost savings, accuracy and speed and the main
use 8 channels for data and no sprocket hole. Three chan-
nels are used for word and block pulse, in 'order to save
BORJE LANGEFORS, 43, is head of the Numerical
simpler logic, and 5 checking channel$ instead of the
Analysis Department at Saab. He graduated from the,
usual one-offering greater accuracy than the standard Malmo Technical School and received mathematical
system. One pulse error is self-correcting, 2 pulse errors training at the KT H (Royal. Technical College):, and
register an error signal. the University of Stockholm. He visited the U.S. in .
Also the use of fixed block numbers on the tape' per- 1954, touring I BAt facilities in New York and the
mits a tape search on a single tape unit while simultane- ,MIT center for servo mechanisms. He also visited
ously reading or writing on another tape. ' Douglas and Northrop aircraft plants in California.
Future plans include the recording of Hight test data
LARS SJODIN, 36, is chief of Saab's Delta Reduction
in FM (analog) and digital forms. This is the way it will Department, Measuring Section. He started with
probably be done, subject of course to changes during Saab in 1945 and lefi only long enough to attend and
proving time. FM wide band and FM/RDB will be used graduate from the Royal Institute of Technology in
for modulation, of vibration, noise and transients, while Stockholm in 1954.
static and quasi-static data will b~. digitized by a Minida-
SVEN YNCVELL, 30, is chief of the SARA Pro-
trac DAC in the airplane and will be recorded on mag-
gramming Section. Here he supervises 30 people.,.
netic tape. Yngvell has a, BS degree from Lund University in
Saab's Test Instrument Section is at present working Southern Sweden.
on a strain gage bridge excitation system, whose main ad-
vantage is the elimination of correction for drift of bridge These are the personalities who, along with Hans C.
voltage. It is ,based on pulse excitation of the bridge and Anderson, Saab public relations head, kindly dis-
switching on the input voltage side. cussed their work and projects with the author, and
to whom he expresses his thanks. '
The requirements of jet aircraft' testing have proved
that pulse modulation alone is not accurate enough. Also
in the future studies realm comes the determination of question seems to be ,if development will ever be fast
which type of quick look system will be the best applied enough to keep pace with our (at Saab) continuously grow-
to tag important data parts Jor processing purposes. Then ing appetite for high computing capacity.~'
,special equipment will be engineered to scan parts of The addition of constantly 'improved" elec,tronic equip-:
magnetic tape in the quick look system and to translate ment, new integrated systems to maintain a balanced data
automatically the tagged parts into SARA (digital)' input processing How, the solution found to data reduction prob-
tape. lems, and the broad plans for the future should certainly
Equipment on hand includes an Ampex 800 and an- 'not fail to bring out better and faster aircraft from Swe-
other magnetic tape recorder which will soon be delivered: den's aeronautical engineers. '
by Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp. and sara can sing
data reduction SARA has a built-in loudspeaker and their programmers
Data recorded on magnetic tape permits instant playback 'have prepared a Swedish song, Oxdragarsangen (Oxen
and unlimited analysis features. Tape playback speed can cart driver song) by troubadour Evert Taube. Here are
be considerably reduced and rapid transients can be re- SARA's basic operations with their code:
corded on low-response equipment for a detailed study. + 00 - minus 01 - 1+1 02 - 1-1 03 - etc.
Basically waveshape and Fourier analysis of the waveshape which by using a musical scale gives:.
are the basic data required here. 300 ID0081A008 lA00818008 180082CII0 1800818008
Costs in engineering computations have been reduced,
4
308 lAo081A0081900819008 IF1181FI08 lA0081A008
the elapsed time for obtaining the solution to engineering 310 1800818008 2CII018008 180081A008 lA00819008
problems has also been reduced, and problems involving 318 190081F118 IFI081A008 lA0081FI08 IFI081AOI0
parametric investigations have been solved promptly, 320 IFI081FI08 19008190081E0081E008 IDOI000008
which would have been impractical to be solved any other 328 IFI081A008 lA0081F108· IFI081AOI0 IFI081FI08
way. As stated by Borje Langefors: "The experience so 330 1900819008 lE0081E008 IDOI0ID008 COOOOOOOOO
far has been very promising and led to the conclusion That was the lighter side of SARA, but the other one
that the procurement of still' more ~ffective computers is is quite busy with serious work.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 17

 In the January/February issue oJ DATAMATION, a de-
tailed article was presented covering a survey oj computer
output devices which present data in graphic Jorm. In
that article your editors mentioned that we would, in a
later issue, offer a survey oj high speed tabulating devices.
The. inJormation from this survey is presented herewith.
The development oj high speed printers has taken place
along three lines-{1) mechanical printers, (2) cathode
ray tube display devices and (3) those using the electro-
Jax techniques. ,
All of the above have distinct advantages and disad-
vantages depending on the application and the computing
devices with which they will operate. The descriptive data
was obtained directly/rom the manufacturers and more
details on all units may be obtained by circling the ap-
propriate number on the reader service card.
Pictured on these pages are units from Burroughs Corp.,
DATAmatic, a Division of Minneapolis-Honeywell Regula-
tor Co.; Remington Rand, a division of Sperry Rand
Corp.; National Cash Register Co.; Stromberg-Carlson,
a division of General Dynamics Corp; and International
Business Machines Corp.

Electrographic Recording is a. :technique by which mes-

BURROUGHS sages can be received automatically and the electronic

impulses assembled into printed characters and words. at
a speed of 30,000 matrix characters per second. Either
matrix or preformed characters may be obtained. In ap-
plication, controlled, visible dots by direct electrical im-
pulse means are produced. The Burrough~ process utilizes
a controlled source of electricity to form small charged
areas on a surface such as coated paper. The electrostatic
latent image formed by the charged areas is made visible
by application of powdered ink, permanently fixed by
heat. The recording head comprises 35 tiny wires lead-
ing into - and through a triangular piece of plastic. The
wires are polished flush with one corner of the triangle,
or printing head, to form a rectangle seven wires high
by· five wires wide. This is the matrix - 72 of them in
a row to form a printing line. They do not touch the
paper· but are maintained at a fixed distance from the
surface. Electric pulses will selectively charge all 35
wires or any combination of those wires in each head to
form a symbol. .

18 The Magazine of DRTRMRTIO N

 Analex Corp.'s series 56-24 desk model prints on four
inch wide single, multiple carbon or heat transfer type
forms. The printer provides 24 possible printing positions
in each line - and anyone of 56 (or 64) characters may
print in each position. Columns are spaced 10 to the inch
and lines are spaced six to the inch. Printing rate may be
up to 600 lines per minute for alpha-numeric printing or
up to 1200 lines per minute for numeric printing. The
56-24 may be used with a decoder to print directly from
a computer or, by supplying the proper reader, buffer
and control units, it may be used in off-line operations
to print from magnetic tape or punched cards. This unit

ANALEX can be used to print out real time data from automated
manufacturing processes and for check listing, addressing,
computation and inventory control.

Datamatic's converter and printer was designed for data

processing requiring a high document-per-hour printing
rate. The converter unit accepts information from mag-
netic tape, provides any editing or format arrangement
desired and converts the information signals into impulses
which operate the printer. Some converter editing features:
Any number of characters may be deleted from a given
line of print, any combination of characters may be emitt-
ed on a constant or variable basis, the information to be
printed can control its position on a given line, and con-
trol of field information is completely flexible. One operat-
ing feature of the converter - every phase of information
transmission from magnetic tape to print hammer is veri-
fied automatically utilizing special weight count, p~rity
and echo-back checking. Printer specs include printing
speed of 900 120-character-lirtes per minute.

Printing up to· 78,000 characters in a single minute on

paper is the claim maae for RemRand's UNIVAC printer.
Operating on output tape, this unit offers a selection of 51
characters-letters, numbers and pnnctuation marks-on a
130-character-wide line. Printing is possible in any format
desired, on sprocket-fed paper-either blank or preprinted
- from four to 27 inches wide, and up to card stock in
weight. Interchangeable plugboards provide complete con-
trol· over the printed output. The printing system is com-
posed of four separate units interconnected by cables. The
tape reader is a modified clutch operated Uniservo, whose
function is to convert information recorded on magnetic
tape in the form of magnetic spots into a similar pattern of
electrical pulses. The printing unit contains the operator's

IlIJJIH-tm - RAN 0
control panel, the electro-mechanical printing mecha-
nism, and the paper feeding mechanism. The memory unit
contains a cold cathode gas tube memory having a 120
digit capacity.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 19

READING THE HIGH SPEED PRINTERS.

In the National Cash Register Printer, a helical track of

needles is arranged around the surface of a drum. Directly
over the drum, is a permeable bar. The magnetic field
which places the image on the paper is established be- •
tween the needle points and the bar. During the time
that a particular needle point is passing under the bar,
a magnetic flux path is established between the needle
and the bar only when the coil is energized. Seven verti-
cal scans are allotted for each character. The scan is
energized for the full height of a given character if a
full vertical line is to be recorded for that portion of the
character; or the scan is energized for only a portion of
the time as needed. The image is made visible by ex-
posure to a ferromagnetic powder attracted to the mag-
netized portions. of the paper. Heat is applied for fix. Pic-
tured at left is a prototype unit.

In the S-C 5000, electrical impulses from a computer are:

translated into a display of numbers, letters and symbols
by means of the Charactron shaped beam tube. Inside
the tube, which is similar to a TV picture tube, an elec-
tronic gun shoots its beam through tiny shaped openings
which form the beam into characters. In the xerographic
pro·cess, these characters are projected by an optical system
onto the charged surface of a selenium drum. The latent
images thus produced are developed by cascading a dry
powder, oppositely charged, over the drum, and then
printed on continuous rolls of paper. The seven-inch
shaped beam tube reproduces 64 characters-the alphabet,
numbers and 28 symbols. Stromberg-Carlson's unit will
print computer output at a reported 4,680 lines per minute
on rolls of paper, or on sheets cut to desired size.

International Business Machine's, cathode ray tube recorder

displays information in graphic form by means of small
dots on the face of the cathode ray tube. The digital-to-
analog converter consists of two units, a 740 recorder
and a 780 display, and is controlled by the stored program
of the computer. The recorder contains a 7-in. cathode
ray tube characterized by a raster consisting of 1,024
positions' for' the ordinate deflection and the same number
for the abscissa deflection. The tube has a persistance of
several microseconds and precise deflection traits. Its
position .stability is better than 0.1 percent and a maximum
error of 0.5 percent positional accuracy is claimed. The
display unit' contains a 21-in. cathode ray tube which
displays a raster similar to that in the recording unit tube.
This unit is cable connected to the recorder. Data points
are displayed on both tubes at a rate of better than 7,000
per second.

Circle 101 on Reader Service Card.

20 The Magazine of DRTRM.RTICN

This letter moved an engineer ahead 5 years
Two years ago a man took 10 minutes to write this letter. Today he enjoys the
responsibility and professional standing in the Autonetics Division of North
American that might have taken 5 years to achieve elsewhere.

COMPUTERS AT AUTONETICS-A FIELD OF OPPORTUNITY

At Autonetics we have concentrated on developing original techniques
in transistor circuitry, miniaturization, and quantity manufacture of
precision components. For only with these new arts is it possible to
create computers so small, rugged, reliable-yet so big in performance
-that they can meet the demands of the space age or the increasingly
complex problems of industry.
Our engineers have designed and built both analog and digital com-
puters-for inertial navigation, bombing-navigation, armament con-
trol, flight control and data processing equipment. Out of this experi-
ence, Autonetics built the first transistorized digital computer of true
general purpose capacity.
Today at Autonetics there's· a respected combination of scientists,
engineers, and production men constantly forging ahead into vital new
technologies. Every state of the art is represented, from preliminary
conception right through manufacturing. Facilities are the finest-and
it's just a short jaunt to mountains, beaches or desert.
You owe it to yourself to consider how far you can advance by
entering this exceptionally promising field right now. Here are the
opportunities:
LOGICAL DESIGN • SMALL COMPUTER PROGRAMMING • SYSTEMS
DESIGN, DEVEL.OPMENT AND TEST • TRANSISTOR CIRCUITRY •
MAGNETIC MEMORY • SYSTEMS INTEGRATION • FIELD SERVICE
ENGINEERING.
Write your letter today. Please include a resume of your qualifications.
Decide now to investigate your opportunities at Autonetics. Reply will be
prompt, factual,. confidential.
Write F. H. Benning, Manager, Employment Services.
9150 E. Imperial Highway, Downey, California

Autonetics
A DIVISION OF NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.

N E R V.E C E N T E .R 0 F THE NEW I N D U S T R I A. L ERA

Circle, 6 on Reader Service Card ..

Research & Engineering, July / August 1958 21

 I> new products inCRTR

magnetic tape reel system contains 240 contact holes. For times to 'form special laboratory gear
information write AMP, INC., Harris- as needed. It is possible to rapidly as-
This instrumentation reel offers ma.., burg, Penna. or 'use reader' card. semble shift registers, counters, pulse o
chined construction through9ut, rigid Circle 151 on Reader Service Card.
generators, pattern generators and ex-
flanges which are tapered for a low perimental prototypes in a brief time
by the use of this system. The designs,
switch readout counter based on large scale computer experi-
ence, afford a considerable saving in
A 40-count-per-second, 5 digit readout project time, manpower and reliability
counter offers a life of over 300,000,- Qheckout in handling digital problems,
000 counts. The Neuron 'counter is in- the manufacturer states. For informa-
amount of inertia, and a newly-de- tion write HARVEY-WELLS ELEC-
signed, self-centering hub. It can be TRONICS, INC., R&D Div., 5168
used on all conventional tape record- Washington Street, West Roxbury,
ers. Employed in its manufacture is Massachusetts or use reader card.
a tape-threading method which elimi-
Circle 153 on Reader Service Card.
nates the conventional threading slot
in the hub along with the resultant
distortion of the tape when wound
under high tension. Instead, a high-
friction synthetic rubber ring bonded 'selector switch
to the hub enables the tape to grip
the reel with only a single turn by Model BD2E rotary selectOr switch
hand sufficient to "bury" the end of tended for military and industrial high that holds up to four 12-position waf-
the tape. For information write: MIN- vibration and extreme G-Ioad appli- ersand weighs 3 112 oz. is now availa-
NESOTA MINING AND MANU- cations. A unique bi-directional step-
FACTURING CO., 900 Bush St., St. ping mechanism' for adding and sub-
Paul 6, Minn. or use reader card. tracting will not double-index during
shock, vibration or voltage surges. The
Circle 150 on Reader Service Clltrd. counters are rapid-follow digital func-
tion indicators to provide position of
programming system almost any discrete variable or for
storing in-out information for tabula-
A light-weight patchcord program--
tion. The switch readout feature is an
ming system designed for reprogram- etched 10-point switch and circuit
ming of airborne circuitry, the 240 combination which makes each point
on the switch externally available. For
information write DA T A INSTR U- ble. It is actuated by a rotary solenoid
,MENTS DIVISION, TelecOlnputing weighing 2 oz., 1 VB in. in diameter,
Corporation, 12838 Saticoy St., North .as used in the Explorer I 'earth satel":
Hollywood, Calif. or use reader card. 'lite. The remaining 1112 oz. includes
indexing shaft" ratchet mechanism and
Circle 152 on Reader Service Card.
four wafers. Maximum dimensions are
,2-29/32 in. x 1% in. x 1% in. This
transistor building blocks new rotary stepping switch performs
such switching jobs as stepping;
system, weighs 3% lbs. and has been Data Blocs may be combined by a :counting, programming, circuit select-
miniaturized to conserve space. Re- pluggable pin-jack system to rapidly; ing and homing. Remotely controlled,
movable, pre-patched boards make produce special test equipment and 'it can be either self-stepped or exter-
complete circuitry reprogramming nally impulsed and has a service life
possible in a matter of seconds. The of 500,000 steps. Operating voltagE:
unit itself is constructed of alumil'lUm is 3 to 300 vdc, and minimum pulse
alloy and will withstand shock and vi- length is 20 milliseconds. For in-
bration, according to the manufactur- fOrmation write G. H. LELAND,
er. Seating of patchcord pins are also INC., 123 Webster St., Dayton 2,
designed for shock resistance. For ver- complete digital systems. The 'basic Ohio or use reader service card.
satility of circuit combinations, the blocks can be reused any number of Circle 154 on Reader Service Card.

22 The Magazine of CRTRl\.4RTiCN

 . NEW PRODUCTS

ceramic permanent magnets product of both transmission and re- per second. The manufacturer states
ception and provide a built-in control it will literally follow a single func-
Barium ferrite; a permanent magnet system for remote apparatus. Measure- tion on an incremental basis. A digital
• material having what the manufac-. ments: 39 in. high, 6 in. wide, 18V2 number is always present in the out-

...... ..-,........ ..-.

turer calls "extremely high coercive in. deep with a keyboard projection of put register, with the change being
4~ in. For information write TELE- entered every five microseconds (to
TYPE CORP., Dept. SP-1, 4100 Ful- accuracies of 0.01%). The counter
lerton, Chicago 39, Ill. or use card. used accepts three types of input: -1,
:
,Circle 156 on Reader S~t.:vice Card .
+ 1 and 0 (or no change). Variations

• "'= .'
---,~ ;,: .'
of the basic M -1 can produce square
roots or quotients in the conversion
€I . _ ..•• tape strip reader process. The multiverter is complete-
. ly transistorized. For information
-,g "g~. A completely transistorized perforated 4write PACKARD-BELL COMPUTER

••••••
tape strip reader, the 909 is suitable CORP., 1905 S. Armacost Ave~, Los
for rack or console mounting. Some . Angeles 25, Calif., or use reader card.
Circle 158 on Rea4er. Service Card.
force" is now available. This inexpen-
sive material can be formed into intri-
cate shapes to close tolerances with
no subsequent machining operations tape reader
by conventional ceramic techniques.
Literature, electrical property charts This perforated tape reader handle~
and drawings showing stock shapes tape strips or reels with equal facility.
are available. For information write D. It can operate at speeds up to 750
M. STEWARD MANUFACTURING
CO., Chattanooga, Tenn. or use car.d.
Circle 155 on Reader Service Card.
. of its features - character reading
speeds up to 1,000 characters per sec-
ond, simple in-line threading, three
millisecond starting time, stops on
send-receive set . STOP character (0.2 millisecond) and
will read next character after start,
Providing facilities for typing, tape photo diode head reads any tape, am- .
punching, tape transmission and tape bient temperature up to 125 F with 0

reception, this set operates at 100 10,000 hour life and it is not affected
by temperature changes. For infor-
mation write POTTER INSTRU-
MENT CO., INC., Sunnyside Blvd.,
Plainview, L. 1., N. Y., or use card.
Circle 157 on Reader Service Card.

incremental multiverter
characters per second, with less than
Model M-1 converts voltages to digits
5 milliseconds start or stop time. At
in a single high information channel
300 characters per second it stops in
at rates as high as 200,000 conversions
~he space following the stop charac-
ter. For 750 character per second op-
eration, a two character stop space is
recommended. All standard 5, 6, 7 or
8 level tapes (plus sprocket hole) are
words-per-minute. The unit can also handled and 11/16 in., % in. or 1 in.
send and receive page copy on mes- wide tapes can be used interchange-
sage paper or multi-part business ably. Other characteristics include
forms, accommodate tape as a by complete remote control of forward,

Research & Engineering, July / August 1958 23

NEW PRODUCTS

reverse, stop· and speed change; and pressure sensing is accomplished by a system provides immediate traces, uni-
bi-directional operation of both reels variable inductance ac transducer, the form both in density and width. There
and strips. For information write transducer coil being part of an in- are eight standard chart speeds (.4 to
DIGITRONICS CORP., Albertson tegral oscillator tank circuit. The in- 100 millimeters per second) and an o
Ave., Albertson, Long Island, New strument therefore has infinite resolu- accessory low speed range chart drive.
York or use reader service card. tion and provides repeatability of 1% For information write BRUSH IN-
Circle 159 on Reader Service Card.
or better. The pressure acting on ei- STRUMENTS, 3405 Perkins Ave.,
ther or both sides of a diaphragm Cleveland 14, Ohio or use card.
causes the coil inductance to vary the Circle 162 on Reader Service Card.
oscillator frequency which can be pre-
germanium diode
tuned by the factory to any of the 18
RDB sub-carrier telemetering chan-
Switching time of .9 milli-microsec- airborne telemeter
nels from 400 cycles per second to 70
onds has been achieved by a new ger-
KC per second. For information write
manium diode. The S570G is on the The 30 x 30 PDM/FM airborne tele-
DATRAN ELECTRONICS, 1836
Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach, meter is the first completely solid-
Calif., or use reader service card. rstate "pulse duration modulation
. multi-

Circle 161 on Reader Service Card.

recording system

An eight-channel, ultralinear record-

ing system, model RD 1648 00, with
coder introduced in a major missile
rectilinear readout and thermal writ-
program. The multicoder, shown as
order of 50 times faster than other the smaller package connected to its
available computer diodes, according companion 7Y2 watt VHFIFM trans-
to the manufacturer. New manufactur- mitter, is also available in all standard
ing techniques have resulted in a IRIG sampling configurations for
stored charge (after a lOrna forward PAM and PDM applications. No me-
current) smaller than that of a 3 mi- chanical commutation is employed.
cro-microfarad capacitor at 6 volts. The multicoder consists· of a complete-
Another diode, the S555G, is speci- ly solid-state electronic commutator,
fied at 6 milli-microseconds and offers keyer and power supply designed for
better dc characteristics. For informa- o to + 5 V operation. Linearity is bet-
tion write TRANSITRON ELEC- ter than ~ in. of 1%. For information
TRONIC CORP., Wakefield, Massa- "write GENERAL DEVICES, INC.,
chusetts or use reader service card. Princeton, N. J. or use reader card.
Circle 163 on Reader Service Card.
Circle 160 on Reader Service Card.

•
pressure-frequency transducer miniature magnetic dutch

This instrument is completely self- Series 1500 clutches are available in

contained with only dc current re- 'ing features a choice of two individual double ended models with either servo
quired as input power. The basic plug-in amplifiers. One amplifier in or Range type mounting surfaces. Fea-
the medium gain dc system has a sen-
sitivity of 10 millivolts per chart line
(mm) with a stability better than %
chart line per hour. The other ampli-
fier has a stability of better than 1/10
chart line per hour and a sensitivity of
50 millivolts per chart line (mm).
Thermal writing feature of the new

24 Circle 7 on Reader Service Card. ~

 int

I
...
I
 .. . all new ... easy to let
Subroutines to calculate trigonometric, logarithmic, expo-
nential and other functions are integral parts of INTERCOM
1000 and may be automatically inserted in any selected
portion of the memory. The calculation of any subroutine
function may then be called for in a program with a single
command. For example, the two commands below, added
to the preceding program, would enable the computation
in radians of ~ 2
GENERAL DeSCRIPTION sin a -bc
d
If' you can learn to use a desk calculator, you can learn to
use an electronic computer ... in just four hours. INTERCOM Command Memory
1000 is a new system of writing computer instructions that NOTES
Code Address
makes this possible. Perform square root subroutine,
Developed especially for the Bendix G-15 General Purpose which begins at address 1597. 08 1597
Digital Computer, this major advance in technique makes Leave result in accumulator.
it truly practical to place a computer right in the office or Perform sine subroutine, which
laboratory. There it can be used by the men who know the begins at address 1442. Leave 08 1442
GJ
problems best. The inefficiency of waiting for "computing result in accumulator. u
center" solutions is eliminated.
VERSATILE COMMANDS ..
C
GJ

..
CI)
INTERCOM 1000 is a complete general purpose system, in
which commands and data may be stored in the com-
puter's internal memory. Internally stored commands can
be obeyed automatically.
Although the INTERCOM 1000 command list is simple, it is
complete. For example, conditional transfers of control may
be based on a variety of conditions, as shown in the com-
mand list. By a single command, the contents of any mem-
-.,
"'CI)"
cCI)
c
Each INTERCOM 1000 command results in a number of
internal operations. Much time is saved, and the program-
ory location may be typed out in fixed or floating deci~al .
E
CI)

mer. need know only the few commands shown on the

opposite page. This "command list" is short enough to be
point form.
Index registers provide facilities for writing a single set of .
a.
0
easy to understand and use, yet complete enough to give commands which will operate automatically on different "'"a.
the user unusual versatility. sets of data. This "address modification" feature, which can CI)
CI)
eliminate many repetitive program steps, is another reason
-
~
Each INTERCOM 1000 command is represented by a two- why INTERCOM 1000 is so easy to use. 0
digit code. To write an instruction, the user need only l it
specify the desired code, together with the four-digit Carriage returns and tab stops can be programmed as part CI)
a..,
memory address where he has previously stored the data
on which he wishes to operate.
The portion of an INTERCOM program shown below illus-
of the typewriter output commands. A single command is
available for adjustment of the typewriter paper to ~any
position. This feature is useful when output is to be typed
in assigned spaces on a form, or in any special composition.
-l it
.c
01
trates the simplicity of problem preparation for the G-15. No plugboard wiring is required. ..
:;)
0
This program is for the calculation of
a 2 -bc
d
INPUT·OUTPUT
One of INTERCOM 1000's important features is its ability to
':~
-
.c
.. ~
A.
l'I
where a, b, c and d are stored in memory positions 1100, accept data for the computer without any adjustmen,t of I~

1101, 1102 and 1103 respectively. Each operation is per- decimal points. With most other computers, numbers must ~
formed on the contents of an arithmetic register called the have their decimal points moved to the far left or the num-
accumulator, and the answer appears in the accumulator. bers must be translated into an entirely different number
system. With INTERCOM 1000, the number 36.052,; for
NOTES Command Memory example, is entered into the computer in exactly that form,
Code Address
36.052. Answers are also returned with the decimal point
Clear accumulator and add b 42 1101 in the normal position. No scaling is required in this type
of fixed point input and output. .
Multiply b, in accumulator, by c 44 1102
Numbers may also be fed in and out of the computer in
Store bc 49 1104 floating decimal point notation, with a positive or negative
Clear accumulator and add a 42 1100 range of magnitude from 10-38 to 1038 . This range is far
larger than that of any other computer in the G-15's class.
Multiply a, in accumulator by a 44 1100 Input and output are accomplished by the computer's type-
Subtract bc from a2 41 1104 writer, paper tape punch, and high speed photoelectric
paper tape reader. Punched card input-output, and mag-
Divide a2 -bc, in accumulator by d 48 1103 netic tape units are available.
 CODE
') learn and use 42
43
Up to four Bendix Magnetic tape units may be used, each 40
providing 300,000 words of low-cost auxiliary storage. 41
Commands are provided to read from and write on tape, 44
48
write file number, search for file number, and reverse tape.
47
Each file may consist of any number of blocks of 100
words each. 49
45
Commands for reading and punching cards are available
for use when a card accessory is employed.
29
COMPUTATION
20
All internal computation is carried out in floating point
form with a magnitude ranging from 10- 38 to 10 38 • The 22
high upper limit of INTERCOM 1000 greatly reduces the 23
possibility of overflow in computation, while the low bot- 26
tom limit assures that numbers of very small magnitude 28
will not be lost in computation. 16
INTERCOM 1000 is faster than any floating point system in 18
CI)
u the G-15 price range.
..
C
CI)
The programmer has a choice of five or twelve digit accu-
..
CI)
"- racy, using the same commands. The five digit system 55

-.,
CI)
gives additional internal memory space for program and 51
cCI) data, where higher accuracy is not required. 52
c A command may be obeyed from internal storage or may 50
..
E
CI)
be typed on the typewriter and directly executed. No plug-
boards, pegboards, or other mechanical program devices
39
33

0
"-
..
a.
are required with the G-15. 38
32
a. PROGRAM CHeCKOUT 34
CI)
CI) 30
Complete facilities are providea for "debugging" a new

-a.
..lIIi:
31
0 program. The operator may execute one command at a
l it
CI)
time, or query the computer to obtain operating infor-
mation. A program may be executed automatically with
.2lit individual commands typed out where desired. Changes
may easily be made in the program from the typewriter
.c
C) keybo~rd. The computer can be told to automatically type

..
:::»
0 ou t the commands of an INTERCOM 1000 program in flow
chart form.
63
,67

-'1 -= 68
"5
"

i'
'I a.. OTHeR MeTHODS 69
tl
Il ' INTEHCOM 1000 has been developed for those who need 08
~ and want the advantages of electronic computation but 35
06
not the costs and administration problems of computing
centers, large staffs of computer specialists, and extensive
employee training programs.
Some firms have problems of such complexity that they do 70
need computer experts on their staff. They too will appre- 71
ciate the G-15, because of the versatility of its basic pro- 72
gramming system. Programmers with more sophisticated 73
needs will find that commands are available for complete 74
control over every internal operation of the computer. 75
76
The G-1S, alone in its class, offers programming systems
77
best suited to every user. This versatility also means ex-
pandability. G-1S users find that as their problems and
abilities grow in sophistication, they need only to change
their methods of use, rather than purchase more expensive
equipment.
 offices

205 East 42nd Street

New York 17. New York
Telephone ORegon 9-6990

919 North Michigan Avenue

Chicago 11. Illinois
IJ
Telephone Michigan 2·6692 I

1000 Connecticut Avenue. N.W.

Washington 6, D.C.

~~~
Telephone STerling 3·15Q8

about the
5630 Arbor Vitae Street
The G-15 is a general purpose digital computer. Los Angeles 45. California
Low in cost and of medium speed, it is useful for an almost Telephone ORegon 8·6262
unlimited range of applications. Its physical size has been
kept small by the use of serial logic and time sharing techniques
in internal design.
1511 Bryan Street
The basic price of the computer includes an electric Dallas 1. Texas
typewriter for input, output and control, a high-speed photo- Telephone Riverside 7·8805 ....,.
.....
electric paper tape reader, and a paper tape punch.
Punched card equipment and magnetic tape memory units may
be obtained as accessories. Special accessories include an
inexpensive device which enables the computer to perform as a 2337 Shattuck Avenue
digital differential analyzer, for direct solution of Berkeley 4, California

differential equations. Telephone THornwall 3·5706

G-15s are available on either a lease or purchase basis.

For detailed specifications and applications data, contact the
Bendix Computer office nearest you. You will be surprised at the EXPORT
low-cost and simplicity of electronic computation with
the G-15, already serving scores of progressive businesses,
Computing Devices of Canada
large and small, throughout the world. P.O. Box 508
Ottawa 4. Ontario. Canada
Telephone PArkway 8·1761

Bendix International Division

205 East 42nd Street
DIVISION OF BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION. LOS ANGELES. CALIF. New York 17, New York
Telephone MUrrayhill 3·1100

1-058 -R078 PRINTED IN U.SA

 NEW PRODUCTS

tures include fast response and torque forating and feeding equipment asso-
values up to 100 in.-oz. with torque ciated with tape control applications.
iIi completely disengaged position. En- ,For information write NATIONAL
gagement can be accomplished with- VUL'CANIZED FIBRE CO., 1058
out axial movement of either input or Beech Street, Wilmington 99, Del-
output shaft. Design features are aware or use reader service card.
adaptable to high vibration and shock Circle 167 on Reader Service Card.
conditions. Sizes Y2 in. to 3 in. in di-
ameter. For information write MAG-
NETEC CORP., 11785 Olympic
Boulevard, Los Angeles 64, Cali- tape transport system
fornia or use reader service card. used manually. The Hexibility of the
Circle 164 on Reader Service Card.
system is a result of the modular ar- Now available is model 424 fully-
rangement of specially designed con- transistorized tape transport system, a
tact strips of 22 contacts and the fact data recop:J-ing system which records,
that the programming may be accom-
magnetic memory drums plished by the use of single patch-
cords, multiple contact patchcords or
A small, lightweight, aluminum mag- permanent wiring.' In the case of per-
netic drum head, % in. in diameter' manent programming it is perfectly
by 1 Va in. long~ and .024 track width 'feasible to wire in such resistors,. ca-
pacitors, etc., as may be required for
certain specific uses without increas-
ing the size of the programming
board in any way. For information
write VIRGINIA ELECTRONICS
CO., INC., River Road and B. & O.
,Railroad, Washington 16, D. C.
Circle 166 on Reader Service Card. stores and reproduces analog or digi-
tal data. Two independent capstan
drives with high speed start-stop
control tape times of less than 2 milliseconds, per-
is now in production. The OL-12-E mit tape to operate in either direction
features balanced low impedance A thin, vulcanized fibre tape, designed at speeds from 60 ips to 150 ips. Tape
windings, low record current and high for use on tape controlled automatic widths from ~ to 2 in., storage bins
playback voltage for use with tran- programming equipment, is made of for 3,000 in. of tape, modular con-
sistorized circuits. Bit densities of up~ struction and moderate power dissipa>
to 200 bits per inch at 1 mil spacing;' tion are listed as outstanding features.
read and record information at high For information write D. G. C. HARE
frequencies. Other features include CO., 30 Burtis Ave., New Canaan,
all-metal construction, continuous op- Connecticut or use reader card.
erations at high temperature, milled Circle 168 on Reader Service Card.
Hat perpendicular to gap. For infor-'
mation write MIDWESTERN IN-
STRUMENTS, Data Storage Devices
Div., P. O. Box 7189, Tulsa, Okla- d'igital voltmeter
homa or use reader service card.
.005-in. thick slate gray vulcanized Model 406 provides a quick means of
Circle 165 on Reader Service Card.
fibre. This cellulose plastic tape has measuring both AC voltages to .1%
a tensile strength of better than 600 and DC measurements within ± 1
psi, high density, low porosity, excel-
patchcord programming system lent abrasion resistance and is easily
punched, the manufacturer claims.
This system is an extension of multi- Other contentions - it will not stretch
ple contact connectors beyond the out of shape during use and it pro-
point where such connectors can be duces a minimum of wear on the per-

+ Circle 7 on Reader Service Card.

NEW PRODUCTS

digit. Selection of AC or DC opera- 110 parts per million. The entire me-
tion is accomplished by turning a chanical structure of this instrument
front panel switch; Complete plug-in is· first assembled, and the bearings
packaging of all major units is avail- preloaded in the exact mechanical en-
•
able in either rack mounted or port- vironment in. which they will operate.
able models. For information write The critical coding disk is then in- ..
ZINN INSTRUMENTS, 213 S. stalled, mechanically aligned through
Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne, Calif. a sensitive phase-measurement proce-
Circle 169 on Reader Service Card.
dure, and then sealed permanently in
place. Accuracy of shaft-angle indi-
cation can now be realistically held to
better than ± 2.5 minutes of arc. At
delay line 366 rpm, the probability of a I-bit
error, representing only a ± 1.3 minute
This manufacturer reports that the ex- maximum angular error, is 0.75. Read-
than previous machines manufactured out is possible up to a ~aximum read-
tended bandwidth lumped-constant by this company. Its principal func-
delay line virtually triples the delay- ing rate of 100 complete digital words
tion is to compare two files of per second. For information write
punched cards simultaneously in or- DYCHRO CORPORATION, 125 Mt.
der that the cards can be matched, Auburn St., Watertown 72, Massa-
merged, selected and sequence- chusetts or use reader service card.
checked for subsequent accounting
Circle 172 on Reader Service Card.
operations. Cards are entered into the
machine from card feeding devices
at each end. The main feed consists
of a file feed device that can hold up
punched card input unit
to 3,600 cards, and the secondary
feed is a conventional card hopper. U sing this unit, a programmer can
Cards enter from each feed device at read separate or intermixed data and
the rate of 650 per minute, so that .instructions into the manufacturer's
with both feeds in us~, up to 1,300
to-rise-time ratio previously available cards per minute can be processed.
with any delay line. Its 145-to-i ratio For information write International
now enables computer. engineers to . Business Machines Corp., Data Pro-
design delay line memories with 72 cessing Div., 112 East Post Rd., White
bit storage capacity rather than 25. Plains, N. Y. or use reader card.
Size has not been sacrificed in reach- Circle 171 on Reader Service Card.
ing the above mentioned ratio,
achieveq through the use of advanced
. design techniques and high Q induc-
tors. The unit measures 3 in. x 4Y2 in.
digital shaft-angle encoder
x 8Y2 in. The temperature coefficient
of delay is less than 65 ppm per de- . desk-size digital computer from infor-
Model DV-13A contains a built-in
grees C and can be improved consid- mation in punched cards. Cable-con-
alignment cell for establishing optical-
erably. For information write ESC nected to the computer for simple re-
mechanical concentricity precise to
CORPORATION, 534 Bergen Blvd., moval and hookup, the unit is used
Palisades Park,· N. J. or use card. -in conjunction with modified versions
Circle 170 on Reader Service Card. of standard card .keypunches. Posi-
tioning an automatic-to-manual switch
allows the operator to choose whether
data or instructions will be read di-
card filing machine rectly from punched cards or taken
from the keypunch's keyboard. In-
The 88 Collator arranges punched structions entered manually from the
cards in any desired sequence at keypunch can be simultaneously
speeds better than 2Y2 times faster 41141$
punched into cards, allowing the pro-

26 The Magazine of :CRTRM.~TIC N

 NEW PRODUCTS-

grammer to prepare his program deck number of characters or number of frequency converter
as he tests out the instructions. For in- "bits" per character. Initial applica-
formation write BURROUGHS tion of the 144M 4A will be as a time This fully transistorized unit converts
CORP., ElectroData Div., 450 Si- buffer between equipments of dif- a-c signals into either d-c -voltages or
erra Madre Villa, Pasadena, Cali- ferent operational speeds. The mem- amplified pulse outputs and occupies
fornia or use reader service card. ory is self':'contained, including a
• Circle 173 on Reader Service Card.
power supply, address counters, out-
put register, drive circuits and timing
circuit selector switch generator as well as the required num-
ber of memory planes determined by
One-half in. in diameter, this switch the actual character length. Its design
weighs Ys oz. and has been extensively permits mounting in a standard relay
tested under extremes of temperature, rack where its 5 in. height and 14 in.
depth utilize a minimum of space -
approximately %, of a cubic foot. The
use of 100 germanium transistors and
350 germanium diodes contributes to less than half the space of convention-
the compactness of the unit. For in- al designs. The converter is made for
formation write GENERAL CERA- both ac and dc power supplies .and
MICS CORP., I\easbey, N. J. has a wide full scale range adjust-
ment. Full scale input frequency is
Circle 175 on Reader Service Card.
adjustable from 300 to 900 cps with a
minimum frequency 0(10 cps. Output
voltage is 0-5 v dc into a 500,000 ohm
tape loop adapter load; 0-100 mv dc into a 10,000 ohm
humidity, corrosion, vibration, acceler- load; or 0-50 mv dc into a 5,000 ohm
ation, shock and immersion. All metal load. For'information write FISCHER
parts are fabricated from corrosion- Detailed repetitive spectrum analyses
of information recorded on magnetic AND PORTER CO., 752 Jackson-
resistant materials. Phenolics are heav- ville Rd., Hatboro Penna. or use card.
ily filled with non-organic fibres capa- tape are now possible with this unit.
ble of withstanding high tempera- Circle 177 on Reader Service Card.

tures. Sixteen shorting and seven non-

shorting switching. arrangements are data logger
presently available in the series G (typ-
ical is a switch with one pole and up The manufacturer is providing a com-
to 10 positions shorting). For informa- plex data processing system for use
tion write The DAVEN CO., Living- at the NACA Langley Aeronautical
ston, N. J. or use reader service card.
Circle 174 on Reader Service Card.

.. buffer memory system

The continuous loop adapter permits
A new buffer memory operates in am- study of transients in rocket engine
bient temperature conditions between tests, wave analyses; by means of time
15° and 500 C which allows a greater compression, and similar operations.
degree of latitude under extreme The adapter. can be attached with a
climatic conditions. The maximum screwdriver. Its upper and lower arms
rate of operation is 100,000 cycles per are adjustable to accommodate loop
~econd, load or unload operation and lengths from two to 26 ft. Three models Laboratory at Langley Field, Va.
the unit is available with random or are available for standard instrumen- Model 210 will be capable of samp-
sequential type access. The circuits tation tape widths of 14-, %-or one- ling wind tunnel information at the
are all solid state. Model 144M 4A, is inch. For information write Consoli- rate of 3,000 signals per second. The
a 144 character, 4 "bit" sequential-in, dated Electrodynamics Corp.,. 300 N. information from transducers within
sequential-out buffer memory; how- Sierra Madre Villa; Pasadena, Calif. the tunnel being served will be fed
ever, the size can be varied either in Circle 176 on Reader Service Card. to the system and recorded as tem-

Research & Engineering, July / August 1958 27

NEW PRODUCTS"

peratures, pressures, flows, shaft posi- sensitivity to red and infrared radia- totally enclosed in a metal case }Is"
tions and other variables. The system tion as well as good response across in diameter with a seated height of
is being built entirely around solid- the visible region of the spectrum. For 2 3/16 inches. When mounted with
state components to assure the utmost information write RCA, Electron Tube •
in reliability. For information write Div., Harrison, N. J. or use card.
BECKMAN SYSTEMS, 325 N. Muller Circle 180 on Reader Service Card.
Ave., Anaheim, Calif. or use card. magnetic amplifier
Circle 178 on Reader Service Card.
voltage regulators Model 701 relay magnetic amplifier
These automatic line voltage regula- operates on less than three micro watts
tors, suitable for computer use, are of dc control power and delivers 0.4
completely independent of load from

the recommended 1 inch spacing, the

total space required is 1 square inch
per case or 2.18 cubic inches per case.
Cases may contain more than one
circuit, are not potted, and can be
opened without special tools for re-
pairs if necessary. No non-standard
o to 100% of rated value, and are un- punching or expensive connectors are
affected by. input frequency variations
required. For information write EN-
over at least the range of 45 to 65 cps. watts of output power. This unit GINEERED ELECTRONICS CO.,
The output wave-form of these regula- makes it possible to operate small P. O. Box 659, Santa Ana, California.
tors is a perfect reproduction of the power relays from low energy sources Circle 182 on Reader Service Card.
input with no harmonics added. Cor- such as photoelectric cells, null de-
rection is extremely fast, generally oc- graphic to digital translator
tectors, and thermocouples with ex-
curing within three cycles. Units are . cellent reliability and accuracy de- The Terrain Data Translator consists
available for single phase or three- spite extreme shock, vibration and of two parts, a first-order precision
phase inputs of 115 or 230 volts nomi- temperature. A special feature of the reading unit and an electronic count-
nally, with outputs from 575VA to amplifier is that it is connectable as
2300VA. For information write BRIT- either a linear amplifier or as a bi-.
ISH INDUSTRIES CORP., 80 Shore stable amplifier. Further, with minor
Rd., Port Washington, N. Y. or use card. external circuit changes, it can oper-
Circle 179 on Reader Service Card.
ate as a memory device, as a time de-
photoiunction cell
.lay unit, or as a logic device. The new
An ultra-miniature photojunction cell
701 relay amplifier operates from 26
for use in computer, punched-tape,
volts at 400 CPS and is recommended
punched-card and other applications
for aircraft, missile and industrial ap-
is now available. The RCA 7223 has' er. Two-axis output can be in the
plications where excellent reliability
a diameter of 0.08 of an inch and an form of punched paper tape, punched
and good ,sensitivity are required. The
overall length (excluding flexible cards or hard copy. Resolution of
new unit weighs less than 6 ounces
leads) of 0.52 of an inch. One hun- 1,000 counts per inch, push-button
and is conveniently packaged in a
dred and fifty cells weigh slightly less choic~ of zero position, true positive
hermetically sealed, plug in, rugged-
than one ounce. Design features of the and negative numbers about the zero
ized container. For information write
7223 include fast rise and decay point are claimed by the manufac-
ACROMAG, INC., 22519 Telegraph
characteristics, an illumination sensiti- turer. An extensive output format con-
Rd., Detroit 41, Mich. or use card.
vity of 0.2 microampere per footcandle trol patchboard permits the user tc!
Circle 181 on Reader Service Card.
and a power-dissipation capability of tailor the machine's output to the spe-
0.025 watt. Spectral response of the transistor circuits cific problem at hand. For information
7223 covers the range from· about These plug-in circuits are for appli- write BENSON-LEHNER CORP.,
3,500 to nearly 19,000 angstroms. cation in timing, control and computer 11930 Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Maximum response occurs at about systems and feature complete inter- 64, California or use reader card.
15,000 angstroms, giving the cell high circuit compatibility. The circuits are Circle 183 on Reader Service Card.

28 The Magazine oj CRTRi'vlRTIC N

 people moving up in DR T R:M. I

Thampsan Products, Inc., and its affiliate, the Rama- Appaintment of Robert T. Blakeley as corp .orate staff engi-
• Waaldridge Carp. have signed an agreement providing far neer has been annaunced by Burraughs Carp. He will
assist' Dr. Irven Travis in planning the engineering pro-
merger. The resulting campany, the Thampsan Rama
Waaldridge Corp. has as its baard chairman and chief gram far the series G high speed printing and tabulating
•. executive .officer J. D'/Wright, farmer Thampsan president.
Dr. Dean E. Wooldridge is president and Dr. Simon Ramo
machine. Blakely's .office will be at Cantral Instrument Ca.,
Broaklyn, N. Y.... Albert Diamond is naw project engi-
is executive vice-president .... Dr. Richard W. Hamming, neer, advanced design at Narden-Ketay Corp., precisian
ACM president, has named Professor John W. Carr, Ill, as campanents divisian. Diamond will be respansible far
ACM representative ta the Cauncil bf the American R&D .of data' and cantrol transmissian instrumentatian.
Assaciatian far the Advancement .of Science, and Dr. Jack
Moshman as ACM rep ta the Divisian .of Mathematics of
the Natianal Research Cauncil. Bath appaintments are far New sales manager of the DataTape Div., Cansalidated
twa year terms .. -.. In New York, IBM made a vice-presi- Electrodynamics Carp. is Harold S. Davis. He was farmerly
dent .of McLain B. Smith, assistant general manager of sales manager, sales engineer and marketing manager at
the campany's data processing divisian. American Electranics. . . . Laurence R. Brown has been
named a seniar assaciate with Briggs Assaciates, Inc. He
was formerly technical coardinatar of research with Bur-
Dr. Saul Rosen has been riamed to the newly created pasi- roughs and Phil ca. . . . Auerbach Electronics Carp. .of
tian .of manager, programming research anddevelapment Narberth, Pa., data processing specialists, annaunced the
far Philca Carparatian's Transac computers. Alsa, Lloyd appaintments of Irving Glassman as senior project manager
Gainey is naw manager .of Transac field service engineer- and Robert B. Dixon as seniar member .of the technical
ing in Philco's G and I Div.... The Berkeley divisian of staff. Glassman had develaped a digital data reduction
Beckman Instruments, Inc., has established new .offices in system at Franklin Institute priar ta jaining the campany.
Mauntainside, N. J. (manager-Austin F. Marx) and Chi-
caga (James K; Turke, Jr., manager) . . . . The newly- J. D. WRIGHT JOHN BOZEMAN ROBERT BLAKELY
formed Manhattan Physical Research Group, Inc., has as Thompson Hughes Engineer,
Ramo Data Burroughs
its first president ACM, PGEC and IRE member Cyrus Wooldridge Processing Corporation
Adler. MPRG veep' is Gerard G. Harris. The firm is an
independent research service in the N ew York area.

Naw directar of Hughes Aircraft Company's data process-

ing labaratary is John W. Bozeman who halds more than
30 patents. He came ta Hughes in 1955 as an engineer in
ground systems and subsequently was named head .of the
data 'pracessing department. . . . Franklyn E. Farris has
been named eastern regianal manager of field services for
Data-Cantrol Systems, Inc., Danbury, Cann. He was form-
erly product manager with Phillips Electranics, Inc. . . .
Reid Anderson, farmerly director .of physical research at
NCR, Dayton, has jained Stanfard Research Institute as
manager .of the camputer labaratary.

Harry D. Huskey, Ph.D., assaciate professar in electrical

engineering and mathematics at the Univ . .of Califarn~a,
is caardinating the activities .of a newly formed Advanced
Programming Develapment Group' far Bendix Camputer.
Dr. Huskey is largely respansible far the lagic design of
the G-15 . . . . John F. Brinster, well-known autharity in
the develapment .of. data recarding devices for aircraft and
space missiles, was hanared with an Achievement Award
presented by Princeton Univ. Class .of '43 . . . . David P. DR. SAUL ROSEN DR. H. D. HUSKEY HAROLD DAVIS
Perry has been appainted seniar engineer at· Potter Instru- P R&D Manager, Bendix Consolidated's
Philco . .Computer DataTape
ment Ca., Plainview, N. Y. Corporation Division Division

Research & Engineering, july/August 1958 29

AUTOMATIC E'RROR CORRECTION
datamatic announces orthotronic control
- - NOW
Discovery of a method to insure virtually uninterrupted The development of this error correction system is ex-
accuracy in electronic data processing by correcting pected to have wide application in other ,areas, notably in
mistakes "on the fly" at 'electronic speeds has been claimed communications, the company said.
by the DATAmatic Division of Minneapolis-Honeywell.
The new system, called Orthotronic Control, literally explaining orthotronic control
re-creates source data and provides instant data reconstruc-
tion of lost or garbled words or figures when discrepancies Richard M. Bloch (see profile, this page) is director of
are automatically spotted at anyone of a se~ies of check- product development at DAT Amatic; He recently prepared
points throughout the system. , a report explaining how Orthotronic Control operates. The
"This development," said Paul B. Wishart, president of complete report follows. '
Minneapolis-Honeywell, "n9w makes systems ~apable of Although mine is a specialized profession, dealing with
correcting mistakes with no interruption of work, with no matters and problems sometimes difficult to Jl;nderstand
human intervention and with no slackening of operations." without previous background and training, 1 will do my
The word "Orthotronic" is derived from the Greek word best to explain what it is we have accomplished in de-
"ortho," meaning straight, right, true or correct, and the veloping the Orthotronic Control system to be put into
final six letters of the word "electronic." practice in the equipment of our DATAmatic line. Also,
The system' has been started in production 'at DATA- I will explain something of how it is accomplished.
matic's two plants near Boston, and will be ready for Orthotronic Control represents an advanced step in
service with exisiting and future Datainatic 1000 systems data-processing systems engineering.
in the second quarter of 1959, the company announced.
Previously, all data-processing systems have had one
DAT Amatic contends that Orthotronic Control meets a
form or another of automatic checking features enabling
long-felt need in the industry for replacing the expensive
manual correction of error. ' the data processors to detect any error which had been
made by the system. Orthotronic Control proceeds an
Many systems today have built-in detection methods by
important step further because it enables the system itself
which the machine in effect proof-reads its own material
to correct errors a split second after it has detected them:
and may ring a bell" !lash a light, or otherwise say "1 have
Furthermore, this is accomplished automatically, with no
found an ~rr9r in the copy." Until Orthotronic Control,
stoppage of the work of the system, and with no human
DAT Amatic states, this has then required manual search-
intervention required.
ing of the files or re-runs of .the tape.
, OC's non-stop retrieval of, data, although requiring no Orthotronic Control monitors two areas' of the entire
human intervention, will relay to the operator a typed note Datamatic 1000 system. These are' the input and output
informing him that a passing mistake has been discovered main trunks of the system. They are what their names
and corrected. imply. They include the areas controlling the transmission
'of information from the output buffers (or storage areas)
of the system to the recording circuitry, the recording
circuitry itself, the magnetic tape, the magnetic head
which subsequently reads the tape, the circuitry involved
RICHARD M. BLOCH, inventor of Orthotronic, in the reading, and the transmission of this information
Control, is director of product development at the into the input buffer channels of the system.
DAT Amatic division oj Minneapolis-Honeywell. He How this system works, 1 will try to explain in terms of
directed the development of the Datamatic 1000, how it is applied to our own system, the' Datamatic 1000
and holds key patents governing automatic check- for ,which it was perfected.
ing of digital data· handling, patents widely used
throughout the industry. Formerly he was manager When information is written on the broad tape of the
of Raytheon Manufacturing Company's Computer D-I000, it is arrayed in 31 channels of two electronic
Division and his. work there included development "words" per channel, yielding a total of 62 "words" to
and production of Raydac. He holds a staff position form what is known as a block. The sequence of digits or
at Harvard University Computation Laboratory, characters is arrayed longitudinally along each channel.
and formerly headed operation and programming Thus channel # 1 may contain in its two words the infor-
for Mark I digital computer at Harvard, where he mation: "JAMES C. WILSON." Channel #2 in its two
won degrees with 'honors in mathematics and' words might contain "187 PARK AVENUE," etc. Each
physics. He is a member of the Consultants' Sec- word contains 48 binary digits of information, which is
tion, Radio Division, Naval Research Laboratory;
to say a representation of the information by a sequence
the American Association for the Advancement of
Science; the Association of Computing Machinery. of "1's" and "a's," more commonly understood if thought
He is the author of numerous papers on design of of in terms of dots and dashes. Generally, each alphabetic
data-handling equipment and the recipient of several character is represented by a unique and distinctive array
achievement awards from various universities. of six binary digits called bits. Also, every numeric digit

30 The Magazine of DRTRl'\.4RT!ON

•

Circuitry of a single chassis of the highspeed converter of a DATAMATIC 1000 is checked by one of the company's highly trained specialists. It
is the converter which translates the electronic language of the machine's magnetic tapes into the everyday English and Arabic numerals of its
final printed product. It translates onto punched cards at a rate of 6,000 per hour and turns out reports or records at 900 lines per minute. Into
circuitry of this type will be channeled the electronic impulses of Orthotronic Control.

can be represented by a sequence of four successive bi- sion or commission had occurred and that the information
nary digits. One might have then as many as eight alpha- 'content of the word continues to be correct.
betic characters in a "word" of 48 bits, or, alternatively,
12 decimal digits in a "word." Each "word" contains correction monitor channel
four additional bits known as a "weight count," which, in
practice are electronic codes used as checking references. Orthotronic Control as applied to the Datamatic 1000
This "count" has certain peculiar properties which make utilizes on the magnetic tape an additional channel- I

it capable of monitoring the accuracy of information to the 32nd-called the Correction Monitor Channel (C.M.C.).
which it is affixed. This is a fundamental part of the The information which is contained within the C.M.C. is
checking system of the Datamatic 1000 system. Whenever devised as follows: Information bit No.1 of "word" No.1
a word is transferred from one location to another loca- sits in the upper left hand corner of the block of the in-
tion, the machine automatically reviews the information formation being recorded on the tape. Just below this bit
content (i.e., the 48 bits) of the word and generates the will be information bit No.1 or word No.3; below this
"weight count." If this generated quantity is in agreement will be bit No. 1 of word No.5, etc. Bit No. 1 of the
with the "weight count" which had been. transmitted with C.M.C. will be constructed by the following method: if
. the word itself, it is then known that no error of ommis- there is an odd number of ones in the information posi-

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 31

 AUTOMATIC ERROR CORRECTION

tion No.1 of words 1,3,5 ... 61, then bit number one of input buffer. After all 62 words have been entered .into the
the C.M.C. shall be a "1". However, if there is an even . main memory, a new set of two correction monitor words
number of ones in those information positions, the first
information bit of the C.M.C. shall be an "0". This proc-
is 'produced by the machine. Thi~ is a~complished, in this
instance, by means of special instructions which are being
.,
ess of construction is repeated for all information bits of· added to the Datamatic 1000 to ~maple this monitor to be
the odd-numbered "words," including the "weight count" manufactured.
positions of these words. This produces the first 52 bits of .
. the C.M.C. Furthermore, this process is repeated for the the socomoc.
even-numbered "words" in the very same fashio~ to pro-
duce a second set of 52 bits for the Correction Monitor We call this new correction monitor channel the Sec-
Channel; this gives a total of 104 bits in the C.M.C. ondary Corredion Monitor Channel. The S.C.M.e. is con-
It might be well at this point to state where this proc- structed just as described ~ith reference to the C.M.C.
ess takes place. Information which is intended to be writ- The machine now automatically compares the C.M.C.
ten in the Datamatic 1000 comes forth from the memory with the S.C.M.C. and notes those bit positions in which
seQtion of the machine and is transmitted to what is called the two quantities differ. With this knowledge and with
the output buffer section, then the process which has been the knowledge of the channel which has beenin ~rror (this
described above proceeds automatically by means of ap- having been obtained when the "weight counts" were
propriate circuitry for the purpose. In this way, by the monitored in the passage from the input buffer to the
time all 62 "words" that are to be written as a block of memory), the Datamatic 1000. will proceed with a rectifi-
information on the tape have been collected in the output cation process of the erroneous information contained
buffer, the two "words" of the C.M.C. channel have also within· said channel.
been constructed and are ready for the actual recording This rectification process is as follows: In each bit posi-
operation. Wh~n the appropriate instruction comes forth tion wherein the C.M.C. and the S.C.M.e. differ, (i.e., a
from the control unit of the system for the recording of the "1" vs. an "0" or an "0" vs. a "1"), .the machine will
block of information, 32 channels of information are re- invert the corresponding binary digit in the channel at
corded simultaneously-31 channels of information and the fault. On the other hand, however, for each bit position in:
Correction Monitor Channel. This then completes the first ,which the C.M.C. and the S.C.M.C. are identi~al, the
part of the Orthotronic Control operation. Datamatic 1000 will leave· that corresponding bit position
in the questionable channel undisturbed. It is to be rioted
At some later time-it may be 20 minutes, several hours,
that this process holds true of all 104 bits of the channel
or several days-it is desired to read the information on
which is being rectified, including the weight count posi-
this tape back into the Central Processor. It is at this point
tions.
that the' actual correction process to be described takes
The result of this rectification process will be the re-
place. When the instruction is given via the control unit to
construction of the erroneous channel into its original
read the tape, all 32 channels are read simultaneously into
authentic form. Thus, for. example, in the illustration given
the input buffer section of the system. Up to this point,
earlier, let it be supposed that when Mr. Wilson's record
please note, there is no knowledge whatsoever as to the
was read into the Datamatic 1000, it was received er-
auth,enticity of this information.
roneously at the main memory of the system, as follows:
The next step in the normal processing procedure is "JAMES C. WILSON" (in channel No.1) "389 CORK
to call for the transmission, word by word, of this infor- AVENUE", (in channel # 2) with the remainder of the in-
mation in the input buffer into the main memory section formation in this item all correct.' At the completion of
of the machine. It is at this point that information is veri- the Orthotronic Control process just described, precisely ..
fied for accuracy by applying the normal "weight count" the correct address, namely "187 PARK AVENUE," will
procedure. If the information content (the first 48 bits) of ·'have been reconstructed. This was reconstructed, it is to
a "word" doesdt agree with its "weight count," it is known be noted, despite the fact that the street address was com-
that this "word" has certain inaccuracies within the body pletely erroneous. It is further' to be noted that had the
of its information. Previously when this was determined, information come into the central machine erroneously as
certain alternatives were open to the programmer. He "JUMBED OULBERSON" (in channel one) "187 PARK
could ask the machine to stop or could attempt to re- AVENUE" (in channel two) with the remainder of the
read the information in the hope that upon the second record being correct, the Orthotronic Control system will
reading the information would be found to be correct. correct the entire name of this individual to its authentic
With Orthotronic Control, however, a different and original form; namely, "JAMES C. WILSON." What is
completely constructive action is taken. When a word is being stressed here, then, is that any channel within a
found to be inconsistent with its transfer count, a note is block of information, no matter how badly garbled it is,
made of this by the machine and the remaining words of can be brought back into its correct form as a result of
the block continue to be read into the memory from the the OC system.

32 The Magazine oj DRTRM.f:iTION.

I
1~ __________________ ~ _______________________________________________________

The attached diagrams illustrate the

~ power of Orthotronic' Control to correct or
WEIGHT
COUNT
CHECK
restore recorded information that has be-
come garbled or lost within the data proc-
• . JUMED CULBERSON essing system.
AVENUE
• 187 PARK AVENUE Figure 1 illustrates a correct name and
17 N.Y.
• EW YORK 17 N.Y.
•
address as it would be recorded on DATA-
matic magnetic recording tape_

0$0598.
Figure 2 shows that the data processing
system having read this information has
Fig. I
0$OS98. detected an error in the name. At this point,
the system knows only that an error has
Fig. 2 occurred and that it has occurred in the
channel containing the name. It now, how-
ever, turns to the information in the Or-
thotronic Control channel and from this
in/ormation it is able to reconstruct the

~
original name in its correct form .
~
COUNT
CHECK COUNT
CHECK

•
.

•
JAMES C. WI LSON Figure 3 illustrates a similar situation with
JAMES C. WILSON respect to the street address. Here again the
error is detected by the weight count check
~89 CORK AVENUE
~ 187 PARK AVENUE
• and the specific corrections are made ac-
cording to the information supplied in the
NEW YORK 17 N.Y.
• izENIMORI 17 N.M.
$
Orthotronic Control channel.

Figure 4 provides still another example,

this time an error occurring in the city and
state channel. As in the previous instances,
0$OS98. 0$OS98. the error is immediately detected and cor-
Fig. 3 rected. In fact, any error, regardless of
Fig. 4
type, cause or extent. in any in/ormation
channel can be resurrected as a result 0/
Orthotronic Control.

Now, once a correction has been made, the machine The same Orthotronic Control system is applied to all
will proceed with the processing as it would have done tapes being written by the machine, including those which
normally. No human intervention has been required, and, are recorded by the input converter (card-to-tape con-·
indeed, the operator might well have been completely verter) of the system. In this instance, the Correction Mon-
una ware that the correction had taken place (had he not itor Channel is constructed much in the same way as was
received a typed note as mentioned above.) done in the output buffer section of the central machine
A feature of this system is the fact that the auto- and when the card information is recorded upon the tap~,
correction process is brought into play only when an in- the Correction Monitor Channel is laid down simultan-
consistency is noted in the "weight count" of any of the eously. Later, of course, when this tape is read by the
words; no useless work is performed by the machine when central machine, Orthotronic Control comes into play in
the information is known to be correct. .the same way as has been described above.
Circle 102 on Reader Service Card.
Research & Engineering, July / August 1958 33
 DRTR book capsules

BASICS OF DIGITAL COMPUTERS, John F. Rider THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE "SYMPOSIUM ON NEW
Publisher, Inc., 116 W. 14th St., New York 11, N. Y., three COMPUTERS", 1957, Association for Computing Ma-
volumes, $6.95 the set. chinery, 2 E. 63rd St., New York 21, N.Y., 132 pp. $2.50.
"First digital computer books for the average man with Contains the papers presented at the symposium together
a basic knowledge of electronics," is the publisher's claim with comments made during the question and answer peri-
with this three-volume "picture book" course toward the od. Typical of the contents:Magnetic Tape File Processing
understanding and mastery of the fundamental principles With The NCR 304, A New Large-Scale pata Handling
of digital computers. System DATAMATIC 1000, Design Objectives for the IBM
The Rrst volume begins with development of computers Stretch Computer. The papers delivered by leading men
from the times of ancient peoples and goes on to furnish from the respective computer organizations.
a background in digital computers, explaining binary data Since the discussions were of the newest equipment,
representation, computer arithmetic, programming and much of which is currently being delivered, readers will
control. Second volume introduces the building blocks of Rnd material interesting and timely, say the publishers.
logical systems. At this point the reader makes the transi-
tion from thinking in terms of communications to "computer
thinking". Volume three deals in detail with the major logi- COST CONTROL THROUGH ELECTRONIC DATA
cal systems in a digital computer and explains the processes PROCESSING by Phil Carroll, 1958 , Society for Advance-
of storing and transferring data within the computer. ment of Management, 74 Fifth Avenue, New York 11, N. Y.,
32 pp., $1.50.
This booklet sets forth ground-rules of question-asking
(programming) and corrective managerial action in the
OFFICE AUTOMATION Handbook by R. Hunt Brown,
use of electronic data processing as a cost-control instru-
Automation Consultants, Inc., 155 Fifth Avenue, New York
ment, on the basis that unless management knows "the
10, N. Y., 500 pp., 300 illus., $37.50, (monthly updating
right questions to ask," modern electronic data processing
service $37.50 per year, optional.)
may multiply rather than reduce the costs of a business.
This publication describes and illustrates, by means of
pictures; charts, virtually every practical automated office
machine and system, say the publishers. Typical equipment . GRIN AND BEAR IT
reviewed - electronic computers, common language ma-
chines, native language machines, memory systems, printers
of .practically all manufacturers in the computer and data
processing ReId.
Some recommendations: "of value to businessmen con-
templating purchase of a computer", "handy manual for
the layman" ... "of interest to systems personnel making
feasibility studies." This handbook is compiled in loose-leaf
form to allow for revisions and additional information pro-
vided by the monthly updating supplements.

LINEAR PROGRAMMING: FUNDAMENTALS AND

APPLICATIONS, by Robert O. Ferguson and Lauren F.
Sargent, 1958, H. B. Maynard and Company, Inc., Pitts-
burgh, Penna., 360 pp., 337 illus;, McGraw-Hill, $10.00.
Linear programming, a signiRcant tool of scientiRc man-
agement, is treated by authors Sargent and Ferguson. Pre-
senting the where, why and how of the. subject and illus-
trated by actual examples from industry, the book is
directed to executives and managers at all cor'npany levels
with a view to application of this information to their own
problems in industry.
Divided into four independent sections ... Introduction,
Methods, Application, and Technical Appendix . . . the
book includes two new computational methods and a time-
"1 guess the electronic brain must give the right answers ...
saving reRnement (called MODI) of an existing computa- Both the boss and the bargaining committee don't want any
tional method, developed by the authors. part 0/ it in settling the wage issue."

34 The Magazine of DRTRM.~TI 0 l0<3

 :E- E= ~l!IT."".::I:

...... ~l!ITl!J~c::J·.... ·c »
trans canada air lines
operations streamlined

In all computers, arithmetic operations are performed

at very high speed and this speed is becoming greater as
development proceeds. It is, however, still necessary both
to feed the problem to the machine and to extract the
answer from it in a usable form. These input .andoutput
stages are probably the least advanced of the techniques
and can represent a considerable handicap to the overall
computer speed. Various forms of input are used including
magnetic tape, punched cards, and punched paper tape
and the reading rates for all these systems can be as high
as many hundred pieces of information per second. For
output information a teleprinter is normally used in Eng-
land and for this application various forms of high speed
printing devices have been developed to produce page
copy at very high rates.
In some applications, however, where the machine is
Trans Canada Air Lines now has in operation a -new being used, as a filing and reference system rather than
transactor developed by Ferra.nti Electric of Toronto for as a calculator, the input and output facilities can be much
both their reservation system and also for the provision simpler. In such cases the computer may be asked to refer
of statistical data for future planning. The Ferranti de- to a single location in its store and give a simple yes or
vice, known as the business transactor, appears to "be suita-'
no answer depending on certain conditions or alternately
ble for stock control, mail orders, freight services and
many other general applications. to perform some operation at this location and to acknowl-
The transactor represents Ferranti's solution to the edge that this has been carried out. There are a number
very common problem of providing on demand adequate of applications where such a use' is all that is demanded
manual input/output facilities to a modern high speed of the computer; for instance the stock control in a large
conversion data processing system. The presently used organization, the mail order business where stock infor-
forms of input, such as magnetic tape, punched cards or mation is required very quickly by an order Clerk, and a
punched paper tape, do not readily adapt themselves to reservation system for passenger cr freight service.
use where the conversion is to form an integral part of The Ferranti Business Transactor was developed for
an overall system. T he transactor allows the system to Trans Canada Air Lines by Ferranti Electric Limit~d of'
accept a manual input and also provides an answer which
is more complex than'a simple yes/n~. Toronto to fulfill their requirement for a reservation system
I n the reservation application, the unit indicates the which would not only meet their present needs but also· be
number of seats available and other items of value to the sufficiently fl~xible to be adapted to other comparable uses
booking agent about particular flights. within the airline. The system had to be capable of expan-

Research & Engineering, July / August 1958 35

 FERRANTI TRANSACTOR

sion to meet the increasing needs of the airline and to which will be given only when a fresh card is inserted
provide statistical data for future planning. and the computer is ready.
In essence the system was required to accept a manual The insertion of a card which has not been notched
input and to provide an answer which could be more com- in either of the two outside positions actuates, by means
plex than the simple yes/no. It had, for instance, to indi- of small levers, two microswitches. One of these two
cate the number of seats available and many other items switches is used as a signal to the computer and forms part
about particular Hights of value to the booking agent. of the information transferred; the second switch controls
The system can be divided conveniently into sections. the clamping mechanism. In cases, therefore, in which
. The main and largest part is, of course, the computer the second notch has already been punched, no further
which has stored in it information for all Hights for a period action can be taken since the card will never clamp. This
of one week ahead; connecting to this by means of tele- feature is useful in enabling a control to be exercised over
phone lines are various local distributors to which are con- used cards preventing the repetition of an operation which
nected the Transectors enabling the agent to make his has already been performed. In general, therefore, two
reservation or inquiry. reply positions are sensed and used for information and
the reading system
The transactor "reads" statically, pencil marks made on
a reservation card. These pencil marks must be in one or
more of 285 positions ( in the present machine), and
small circles are printed on the card which the user joins
with his pencil mark to indicate some particular informa-
tion. When inserted into the transactor, the card is clamped, .
by a solenoid operated platen, against a bank of "reading"
electrodes. Each of the 285 electrode groups consists of
three silver paladium wires so situated that a pencil mark
made between the printed circles on the card will lie across
the wires when the card is clamped. The three wires are
equally spaced and the outer ones are common to each other
and also to the outer wires of all other electrode groups. The control. It would be possible to use both positions for
center wires are brought out individually and wired· to a information only but in this case some additional clamping
seleptor switch. A voltage is applied to all the common wires control would need· to be provided. A further switch at
and the "reading" of a mark is accomplished by measuring the top of the unit indicates that a card has entered. The
the current How between the common electrodes and the switching is so arranged that the sequence-top switch
mark position electrode being read. Since the card is in
followed by bottom sensing switch-must be observed be-
contact with all the electrodes, all marks are read simul-
fore the card is clamped. This ensures that a card is
taneously.
removed completely before operation is started.
The 285 positions are then scanned by a stepping
The clamping mechanism comprises a stainless steel
switch which itself has 12 banks. The information leaves
platen which is moved by a solenoid under the action of
the transactor, therefore, in twenty-five "words" each hav-
a double toggle linkage. The use of this linkage results in
ing a maximum of 12 bits. These words are treated further
a total force of approximately 200 lbs. being applied to
in the distributor to produce a completely serial message
the platen with a motion which has a very smooth action
for transmission on a telephone line.
and a rapidly decreasing rate of travel as it approaches
The pencil marks indicate in most cases a resistance
its final position. This results in a squeezing action of the
varying between 50,000 and 100,000 ohms, but the circuits
card against the reading electrodes and in this way avoids
at present being used will recognize a mark having a
damage, particularly to the electrodes themselves. The
resistance as high as one megohm. The resistance of an
solenoid is dc. operated and is pulsed from a condenser
unmarked card at the voltages used is at least 10 megohms
initially to ensure that adequate force is available when
even under very humid conditions. The current output will
the armature is at the extreme limit of its travel. The recti-
vary from approximately 150 microamps to over a milli-
fiers (silicon) and condenser are included within the unit.
amp assuming a short circuit in the reading circuit. Any
load added would naturally reduce the current by the the reply system
appropriate amount. The reply to the machine will ~ause up to nine punches
The scanning action is completed by the stepping to operate, cutting small notches in the bottom of the card.
switch in its self.;.cycling condition and the whole card is The punches are spring driven and released as required by
read in approximately 0.5 seconds. The switch stops at a solenoid trigger mechanism. The nine trigger solenoids
its home position waiting for a further scanning signal are connected to nine of the twelve signal wires after the

36 The Alagazine oj ORTRI"'lH~Ti 0 [".] I

I
card has been scanned. and a punch is made to operate by 5. Control the cocking of the punches after a reply
connecting the appropriate lead to ground. The comple- and the release of the card.
tion of the punching operation starts a motor within the
general construction
unit which recocks any of the punches which have been
used. The final shaft driven by the motor makes one revo- The unit is mounted on a cast aluminum b~se with a
lution only and punches can, if necessary, be operated cast cover of the same material. A multicore cable is
again within one second. The punch springs have a final brought out from the underside and terminates in a plug.
compression of approximately 15 lbs. for each punch and Four rubber feet allow sufficient space for the cable to
this allows a very considerable margin to enable punching be routed to any side. The mouthpiece, situated centrally
to continue even after the punch edge becomes blunt: The on the top of the unit, is fitted with edge lighted pieces
trigger mechanism uses a hardened steel ball in conjunc- of plastic to give the green and red indicating lights. The
tion with a notched plunger. This type of mechanism . Transactor can be mounted· on top of a table or can be
gives very positive latching and requires a low trigger supported underneath, allowing only the mouthpiece to
force. The solenoids used in the trigger action are very protrude. The unit ·has no operating controls.
The overall dimensions are 2m~ in. x 13}~ in. x 8~~ in.
high and the weight is approximately 100 lbs. The overall
power requirements are as follows:
115 Volts 60 Cycle Single Phase-300 VA
48 Volts D.C. 1.5 Amps
300 Volts D.C. 60 m/a max.
The present equipment handles four different types
of card. It will be seen that where retention of data is
required for subsequent ticketing the card contains all the
necessary information and is, in fact, used as the record.
The system is so arranged that the first information fed
in the computer is the instruction line and from this the
machine can determine what significance to give to any
particular mark. This is most necessary since even from
small and have a large margin available to increase reli- these few card examples marks in similar physical posi-
ability. A pushbutton is incorporated underneath the unit tions do not mean the same on different cards. This feature
to cock the punches when a machine is first put into is most valuable in assuring the flexibility of the system so
service or after repair since it is advisable to store a ma- that it is in no way limited -to a particular card layout but
chine with·the punches in the released position. is controlled simply by the initial instruction and the pro-
gramme which is inserted in the computer itself. A com-
circuitry within the· unit
plete system would entail one central computer in which
The Transactor contains eight relays mounted in two all information is stored and to this would be connected by
groups of four on plug in detachable chassis. These relays trunk and branch lines all the Transactors in the system.
perform the necessary logical functions to control the Once such a system was in operation no limit would exist
operation. Most of the functions have already been men- . to the possibility of adding other types of information to
tioned but they will be enumerated here for the sake of the computer which would be available to any transactor.
completeness. It is an indication of flexibility of the system that the
1. Control of top and bottom switch logic to prevent Transactor itself can also be used to insert information as
operation of the machine without removing completely well as to use it.
the card in use. An indication of the -ease with which the machine can
2. Indication to the distributor that a card is ready for be used is shown by the short training period necessary.
scanning and initiates scanning when the computer is Instruction for one hour OJ?- the four different card types
ready. was adequate recently for booking agents to be able to
3. Control of the indicating lights. A green light is nor- use the machine during subsequent operation with every
mally on and this is extinguished while a card is being confidence and without making any errors.
processed. At the completion of the operation when the A further interesting aspect of such a system is that
card is free to be withdrawn, either a green or red light the computer will print or produce on punched cards a
is illuminated. The green indicates normal operation complete record not only of reservations or wait listings
while the red appears if a failure has occurred in the which have been made, but also the details of reservaticns
parity check between the computer and the -distributor. which it has failed to make. The value .of this statistical
4. Control of the switching of the· signal lines from out- information for planning purposes cannot be overestimated.
put to input after scanning. Ci;cle 103 on Reader Service Ca~d.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1.958 37

 I-A CONFERENCE
COMPUTER CLINIC

"Instrumentation in the Space Age"

will be the theme of the 13th Annual
Instrument - Automation Conference
and Exhibit to be held September 15
~ 19,in Convention Hall, Philadelphia.
The gathering, sponsored by the In-
strument Society of America, is ex-
pected to draw about 30,000 engi-
neers, scientists and management ,per-
sonnel from all over the world. Latest
instrument developments in virtually
every field will be on display.
An important part of the' confer-
ence will be the 1958 Computer Clin-
ic, on September 16. Computers for
application to all industries will be
discussed by experts and they will
examine in- detail specific' application
in many of the key industries served
by the Instrument Society of America.
The clinic will be conducted at two
levels. Computer instrumentation sci-
entists will instruct otherwise accom-
plished engineers in a better under-
standing of the performance of analog
and digital computers as tools of the
instrumentation field. In two parallel
'!he compact '909' Perforated Tape Strip Reader now makes it possib1~
to process information from perforated tape into digital data computer
afternoon sessions, particular applica-
systems at high speed and low cost. Simple to operate by clerical personnel, ,tions of analog and digital computers
the '909' is completely transistorized, and will give maximum performance will be covered.
with complete reliability.
The '909' is a compact unit, suitable for console or rack mounting. Here Papers presented at the opening
are some of the performance features, available for the first time in equipment 'session will cover the basic techniques
of this type: . of both analog and digital computers,
6 Character reading speeds up to 1000 components of analog computers -
char/sec. amplifiers, input-output devices, re-
• Simple In-Line threading
• 3 Millisec. starting time
cording and readout - and the com-
Tape Speed: ponents of digital computers, such as
• Stops on STOP Character, (0.2 millisec)
and will read next character after start 10 to 100 ips
. drums, cores, registers, arithmetic , ,

• 100 x 10° operation pinch roll Tape Width:

units and input-output. A specialist
• Photo Diode Head reads any tape (in- Any Standard Width
cluding oiled' yellow teletype tape) from International Business Machines
Power Requirements:
• Reads 5, 6, 7 or 8 level tape with Corporation will conclude the morn-
115V, 60 Cycle~ 1 Phase
sprocket channel ing session with his paper on com-
• Ambient temperature up to 125 0 F. with Control:
ponents of digitaf computers.
10,000 hour life Remote/Level Inputs
• Built to meet requirements of MIL-E- Particularly timely to the theme of
4158A
this year' sconference will be a dis-
Contact your Potter representative or call cussion of real-time airborne comput-
or write direct for further information. er used in missiles and aircraft. The

@The mark 01
POTTER INSTRUMENT COMPANY, INC.
Sunnyside Boulevard, Plainview, N. Y.
OVerbrook 1-3200
general concept of the process con-
trol' by digital computer will be de-
scribed. In the concurrent session on
Engineering Quality analog ,computers,papers will cover
the various problems on the use of
Potter has career opportunities for qualified engineers who
these units in the chemical, nuclear,
like a challenge, and the freedom to meet it.
power and aircraft industries.
Circle 8 on Reader Service Card.
38 The Magazine of DRTRMRTI 0 N
 CRTR on campus

MIT HAS CENTER A Center for Communication Sciences at the Massachu-

FOR COMMUNICATION SCIENCES setts Institute of Technology has been established
and is now functioning. Studies of the communication
o~erations of the nervous system and of such
machines as computers, as well as methods of
communication between the two, are being conducted
by a group of scientists and engineers, some of
whom have been engaged in such research for several
yea~s. The center (using Research Laboratory of
Ele6tronics facilities) is under th& direction of a
steering committee composed of ' Dr. Jerome E. Wies-
ner, RLE director; Dr. Claude E. Shannon, Dr. Gordon
S. Brown, Dr. Robert M. Fano, Dr.'Roman Jakobson and
Dr. Walter A. Rosenblith. Commenting on their
program, Dr. 'Wiesner said, "We build computers which
analyze data faster than we can use the answers. Man
can't think r~pidly enough to keep up with them. On
the other hand, computers are not sufficiently
flexible to be as useful as they could be • • • We
believe that collaborative work between mathema-
ticians,' electrical engineers, linguists, psychol-
o~{sts, physiologists, and others should lead to a
new understanding of communications and to a more
effective use of machines.

Evaluation of curr~nt developments and experience

EDP EVALUATION reports in automatic data processing will be
SL.ATEDBY AMERICAN UNIV. featured at American University's Fifth Institute on
Electronics in Management to be held November 3 to
7 in Washington, D. C. The institute is planned for
management officials of business and government to
provide a basis for evaluating their current
problems in EDP. Lectures, discussion periods,
workshop sessions, films and case reports will be
featured. Registration and program details are
available from Lowell H. Hattery, director of the
Institute on Electronics in Management, American
Univer~ity, 1901 F St., N. W.; Washington 6, D. C.

FUND S~T UP A $4,150 endowment fund for the purchase of books in

the field of data processing has been established
FOR DATA PROCESSING BOOKS
at UCLA by the National Machine Accountants Associa-
tion~ in memory of Bruno Chiappinelli. He was an
Asso~iation member and UCLA grad. The check was
presented iri a brief ceremony at the university by
NMAA representatives Ralph Singman, Eugene Sheehan
and George Taylor. Accepting for UCLA were Dr. Neil
H. Jacoby, Dr. George Brown and Gordon Williams.

U. OF CHICAGO The University of Chicago has announced plans for

HAS PLANS FOR UNI-V AC its Univac computer that include detailed analyses
of the nation's population, weather and economy. The
-$1,391,600 gift of Remington Rand is being con-
~idered for processing of the 1960 census statistics
to study population trends, IGY data to determine
the functions of the jet stream, and both census
and current business figures to develop theories of
the U. S. economy.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 39

WESCON EDP OFFERINGS LISTED
pertinent papers selected from 42-session schedule
Among the presentations to be delivered at the Western Session 9 Tuesday, August 19, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., Ball-
Electronic Show and Convention's 42 technical sessions room CIRCUIT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
are many which will be of great interest to DATAMATION "Predistorted Filter Design with a Digital
readers. Far from 'being presented at anyone place or Computer" by Philip R. Geffe, Audio De-
time, they are scattered through sessions to be held on velopment Co.
August 19, 20, 21 and 22 at Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Session 10 Tuesday, August 19, 2:00-4:30 p.m., Vene-
Angeles. For the convenience of those wishing to attend as tian Room MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECH-
many of these sessions as possible, the following list has NIQUES II
been prepared. "On the Solution of Some Microwave Prob-
lems by an Analog Computer" by Donald M.
Session 1 Tuesday, August 19, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Em- Byck, EAI Computation Center, and AI/en Nor-
bassy Room COMPUTER APPLICATIONS ris, Varian Associates .
.. Data Preparation for Numerical Control of
Machine Tools" by H. D. Huskey and Donald Session 13 Wednesday, August 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon,
E. Trumbo, Bendix Aviation Corp. ' Boulevard Room INSTRUMENT TOOLS
"A Library of Blip Samples for Use in the "Operational Feedback and Data Processing
Realistic Simulation and Evaluation of Auto- Amplifiers" by Sverre Sem-Sandberg, Con-
matic Radar Data Processing Systems" by solidated Electrodynamics.
Charlton M. Walter and Helen M. Willett, Air
Force Cambridge Research Center. Session 15 Wednesday, August 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon,
"GCA by Automatic-Voice Data Link" by Venetian Room AUDIO
John J. Fling and M. H. Nothman, Gilfillan. "Experiments with Speech Using Digital Com-
"A Computer Simulation Chain for Research puter Simulation" by E. E. David, M. V.
on Picture Coding" by R. E. Graham and J. L. Mathews and H. S. McDonald, Bell Tel. Labs.
Kelly, Jr., Bell Telephone Labs. Session 18 Wednesday, August 20, 2:00-4:30 p.m.,
Session 3 ' Tuesday, August 19, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Boule- Boulevard Room AUTOMATIC CONTROL
vard Room TELEMETRY "Some Simplifying Additions to Basic Sam-
"Theoretical Data Acquisition Analysis and pled-Data Theory" by C. o. Carlson, U.C.L.A.
Practical Appraisal of Existing Airborne Sys- "Enhanced Real Time Data Accuracy for In-
tems" by B. M. Gordon and R. D. Jorup, strumentation Radars by Use of Digital Hy-
Epsco, Inc. ' draulic Servos" by R. P. Cheetham and W. A.
"High Acceleration Telemetering" by T. D. Mulle, R.C.A.
Horning, Bendix Aviation Corp. Session 19 Wednesday, August 20, 2:00-4:30 p.m.,
Ballroom INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS
Session 4 Tuesday, August 19, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Am-
"An Airborne Digital Tape Recorder," S. Co-
bassador Ballroom INFORMATION THEORY
hen and A. T. Arcand, General Precision Lab.
"Optimum Linear Estimation as the Limit of
Sampled Data Estimates" by Peter Swerling, Session 23 Thursday, August 21, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Em-
Rand Corporation. bassy Room ANALOG COMPUTERS
"Statistical Invariance of Noise in Sampled- "Anticipatory Display Design Through the
Data Systems" by S. A. Zadoff, Sperry Gyro- Use of an Analog Computer" by Lawrence J.
scope Co. . Fogel, and Milton Dwonczyk, Convair.
"An Analog Memory" by W. S. Kozak, Cana-
Session 6 Tuesday, August 19, 2:00-4:30 p.m., Em':
dian Westinghouse Co.
bassy Room COMPUTER DEVICES
"Network Solution of the Right Triangle Prob-
"Achieving Maximum Pulse Packing Densities
lem" by M. R. Winkler, Goodyear Aircraft.
and Transfer Rates" by Boyd W. Thompson,
Ampex Corp. SessioQ 25 Thursday, August 21, 9:30 a.m:-noon, Boule-
"An Emitter Follower Coupled High Speed vard Room MILITARY ELECTRONICS
Binary Counter," I. Horn, Burroughs Corp. "Talos Leind Based System Digital Checkout
"Coincident Current Applications of Ferrite . ~qvipment" by Francis X. Beck, R.C.A.
Apertured Plates" by W. G. Rumble and C. S.
Warren, R.C.A. Session 29 Thursday, August 21, 2:00~4:30 p.m., Sun-
"Information Storage for Microspace" by set Room HUMAN FACTORS IN ENGINEER-
Sterling P. Newberry, General Electric Co. ING
"Simulation of a Human Tracking Problem on
Session 8 Tuesday, August 19, 2:00-4:30 p.m., Boule- the UDEC III Computer" by H. Platzer, Bur-
vard Room AIRBORNE ELECTRONIC DEVICES roughs Corp.
"A Precision Digital Data Acquisition System
for Instrumentation Radars" by Robert Sny- Session 33 Friday, August 22, 9:30 a.m.::....noon, Embassy
der, Electronic Engineering Co. Room SOLID STATE I
"Digital Computer System for Terminal Area "Millimicrosecond Diffused Silicon Computer
Air Traffic Control" by E. L. Braun and A. S. Diodes" by J. H. Forster and P. Zuk, Bell Tele-
Gianoplus, Litton Industries. phone Labs.

40 The Magazine of CRTRMRT10 N

 lL
§~"Important dates in DRTR

August 19-22: Western Electronic Show and Conven- Contact Kenneth E. Trombley, National Society 'of Pro-
tion, Pan Pacific Auditorium and Ambassador Hotel, Los fessional Engineers, 2029 K St., N.W., Washington 6,D.C.
Angeles. Sponsored by IRE and WCEMA. Contact Don Oct. 23-25: 1958 National Simulation Conference, Stat-
Larson, 1435 S. La Cienega BI~d., Los Angeles 35, Calif. ler:'Hilton Hotel, Dallas, Texas. Sponsored by IRE-PGEC.
August 25-28: 39th Summer Meeting of The Mathe- Contact J. E. Howard, 2100 Menefee Dr., Arlington, Tex.
matical Association of America, Cambridge, Mass. Oct. 25: American Mathematical Society Meeting, Prince-
ton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
August 25-30: American Mathematical Society holds
their 63rd Summer Meeting, Cambridge, Mass. Oct. 27-28: Fifth Annual East Coast Conference on
Aeronautical and Navigational Electronics, Lord Balti-
Sept. 1-7: International Association for Analog Compu- more Hotel, Baltimore. Sponsored by IRE. Contact Harry
tation - Second International Conference, University Rutstein, Publicity Chairman, Lord Baltimore Hotel, Bal-
Palace, Strasbourg, France. timore, Maryland.
Sept. 10-12: SHARE Meeting, San Francisco, Calif. Oct. 29-30: Fifth Annual Computer Applications Sym-
posium, Morrison Hotel, Chicago. . Sponsored' by the
Sept. 15-17: Power Industry Computer Application
Armour Research Foundation,' Illinois Institute" of; Tech-
Conference, King Edward Sheraton Hotel, Toronto, On--
Iiology~ Contact the Foundation at 35 W. 33rd St.,;Tech-
tario, Canada. Sponsored by the AlEE. Contact Dr. J.
nology Center, Chicago 16, Ill.
Ham, Electrical Engineering Department, University .of-
Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Oct. 30..;31: Fourth Electronic Business -Systems Con-
ference, Olympic Hotel, Seattle~_ Sponsored by the western
Sept.15-19: Thirteenth Annual Instrument-Automation division of the NMAA. Contact'E. B. S. Conference,
Conference and Exhibit (International), Philadelphia Con- . NMAA, P.O. Box 134, Seattle 11, Washington.
vention Hall, Philadelphia, Penna. Sponsored by ISA. Con-
Nov. 16-21: Internati(1'nal Conference on Scientific In-
tact J. F. Tabery, 3443 S. Hill St., Los Angeles 7, Calif.
formation, Mayflower Hotel, Washington,D.C.~ponsored
Sept. 22-24: National Symposium on Telemetering, by NAS, NRC, NSF and ADI. Contact Secretariat, In-
Americana Hotel, Miami Beach, Fla. Sponsored by the ternational Conference on Scientific Information, National
PGTRC. Contact Ken West, 1345 Indian River Dr., Eau Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue" ·N.W.,
Gallie, Florida. Washington 25, D.C.
Oct. 6-7: Symposium on Extended Range and Space Nov. 17-18: Federal Govt. Accountants Association's
Communications, Lisner Auditorium, George Washington 8th Annual Symposium. Theme: "Management and Elec-
University, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by IRE and the tronic Data Processing." Contact Martin C. Powers, 1523
George Washington University. Contact Harry Fine, Fed- L St., N;W., Washington 5, D.C.
eral Communications Commission, Washington 25, D:C. Nov. 17-20: Fourth Annual Conference on Magnetism
and Magnetic Materials, Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia,
.Oct. 13-15: International Systems Meeting, Systems and
Penna. Sponsored by AlEE. Contact John Leslie Whitlock
Procedures Association, Hotel Penn-Sheraton, Pittsburgh,
Associates, Exhibition Managers, 6044 Ninth St.' North,
Penna. Contact A. M. Motter, Jones and Laughlin Steel
Arlington 5, Virginia.
Corp., #3 Gateway Center, Pittsburgh 30, Penna.
Nov. 19-20: Northeast Electronics Research and Engi-
Oct. 20-21: Remington Rand Univac Users Conference, neering Meeting, Mechanics Hall, Boston, Mass. Spon-
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, Boston, sored by IRE. Contact J. J. Faran, General Rudi9 Com-
.. Mass. Contact R. M. Petersen, Secretary, Univac Users pany, 22 Baker Avenue, West Concord, Mass.
Conference, General Electric Company, Appliance Park,
Nov. 20-21: American Mathematical Society Meetings;
AP 1-109, Louisville, Kentucky.
Pomona, Calif.; and Nov. 28-29: Northwestern University,
Oct. 20-24: National Business Show, Coliseum, N.Y.C. Evanston, Illinois, and Durham, North Carolina.
Contact Rudolph Lang, Managing Director, 530 5th Ave., Dec. 3-5: Eastern Joint Computer Conference, Bellevue-
New York 36, N.Y. Stratford Hotel, Philadelphia, Penna. Contact. John M.
Oct. 22-25: The National Businessmen's Exposition, Broomal, Burroughs Corp., Paoli, Penna. (publicity infor-
Great Western Exhibit Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Spon- mation) or Dr. F. M. Verzuh, MIT Computation Center,
sored by NMA. Contact Robert W. Caldwell, NMA Show Cambridge 39, Mass. (program information).
Chairman, National Businessmen's Exposition, 2807 Sun- Jan. 20-22, 1959: American Mathematical Society-
set Boulevard, Los Angeles 26, Calif. 65th Annual Meeting, U. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct. 23-25: The National Society of Professional Engi- June 15-20, 1959: International Conference on In-
neers-fall meeting, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Calif. formation Processing, Paris, France.

Research & Engineering. July/August 1958 41

 WHO IS BORG?
George W. Borg, who founded this
DATAMATION DOWN UNDER corporation, is the "Mr. Clutch" who
started with Borg & Beck. He then
an aussiecomments on the 'industry helped o~ganize the Borg-Warner
Corporation of which he became
president. Later he served as chair-
(Well known in this country 'and in Europe as well a.~in his native Australia man of the board until he resigned
as a lea4ing authority in the data processing field; DR. JOHN M. BEN-
to devote his full attention to The
NETT is associated with the Adolph Basser' Computing Laboratory at the
Universit'Y 01 Sydney. Following are excerpts from his address at a Con- George W. Borg Corporation.
trollershipConference in, [(atoomb'a.)

One element which is frequently encountered in the purchase of computers

is a phenomenon well known to salesmen of expensive products of various
types - which has become known as the "penguin" phenomenon. Themeto-
phor is derived from the supposed behaviour of penguins sitting on an ·ice-
berg. They look at each other and look at the sea and look at each· other
again. After a time one of them,· a little more. venturesome than the others;
or perhaps after being given a push, goes in. The others shake their heads
The George W. Borg Corporation is
and await the worst. However, after a period, the immersed penguin surfaces 'comprised of three divisions
and says: "Come in boys, it's fine in here." The others follow promptly ... • Borg Products Division
Manufactures automotive clocks.
Many organizations approach the possibility of using a large scale data • Borg Fabrics Division
Manufactures deep-pile fabrics
processing installation by trying to justify the expenditure purely on the best known of this line is the
basis of clerical procedures currently handled by semi-automatic punched fashionable "Borgana" fabric.
card devices, Gains resulting from additional flexibility are ignored - gains • Borg Equipment Division
Manufactures Micropots (preci-
such as the ability to handle exceptions without re-runs, the ability to obtain sion potentiometers), Microdials
a variety of reports as a by-product of a data processing run, and the reduc- (precision turn-counting dials),
tion of time delays in furnishing management with essential information. A instrument motors, frequency
standards, aircraft navigational
case resting on this basis alone can usually be made; however, there have instruments and components for
been instances in which a too optimistic preliminary study has led manage- systems.
ment to expect gains over previous techniques which have not been realized
in the event. I mention this primarily as a warning against the inadequate
initial study; such a study will inevitably err on the side of optimism. .' .

The question of commercial security is likely to arise with organizations

which have been using the services of a service bureau for processing of
accounting calculations. There is a feeling among accountants that the de-
sirability of farming out work is low, primarily on the grounds of security.
Although it is doubtful whether such an attitude is justified, it is neverthe-
less a very real one, and it is certainly very true that the additional con-
venience afforded by having one's own equipment on call as desired, is HOW BORG
worth quite a lot. The problem is similar to that of the farmer who has EQUIPMENT DIVISION
to decide whether to purchase his own combine harvester or not. He knows CAN HELP YOU . . .
that if he wants to harvest his wheat· in a hurry, then every other farmer
Borg's background of experience will
in the district is likely to be in a similar position, and the' hire of facilities save you time and money by helping
from a pool could be difficult ... you solve design and production prob-
lems of electronic components. Whether
The fear of displacement or fall in status is something which has been you are faced with a special problem
or interested in a standard component,
grossly over-emphasized. Clerical personnel who are likely to be displaced call Borg Equipment Division for an
by the introduction of an. EDPM are, on the whole, female employees who economically sound solution. Write
have a very high rate of turnover anyway - 30 percent is not unusual. If ,today for catalog BED-AgO.
a company ceases to employ people Jor a particular class of clerical work,
adjustments of personnel numbers are quickly made . . . .

. . . although the field of operations research is one which would not be

a very profitable one were it not for computers, it is certainly not a panacea
to all management ills. Even in terms of the help which can be rendered
by automatic computing, it seems that present computers will not be fast
enough to produce a "best" solution to many of the problems occuring in BORG EQUIPMENT DIVISION
every-day business practice. However, in an increasingly large number of THE GEORGE W. BORG CORPORATION
JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
cases, they combine with mathematical techniques in doing better than
human judgment. Circle 9 on Reader Service Card.

42 The Magazine of DRTRIVl~TI 0 N

 MORE ON ICIP PLANS
four named to committee
Key professional engineering societies and computer activities will be repre-
sented in the management of the U. S. Delegation to the First International
Conference on Information Processing sponsored by. UNESCO in Europe
next year. A four-man team has been named to comprise the Unite!l States
Committee for th~ ICIP, it was announced by Isaac L. Auerbach, chairman
of the group. One of the objectives of the committee will be to insure out-
standing evidence of American technological competence in the course of
PRODUCE YOUR this country's participation in the UNESCO event, scheduled in Paris or Rome
PRECISION in June, 1959.
The committee members will represent such engineering societies as the
INSTRUMENTS IRE, the ACM and the AlEE; will act as coordinators for the U. S. delega-
tion's participation in the conferences, symposia and exhibits; and will func-
AT LOWER COSTS tion as consultants to UNESCO on certain aspects of the internat~onal con-
ference.
With Chairman Auerbach has already served as a consultant to UNESCO in
helping to organize the conferenc~ on an international scale. Last December,

BORG he attended a Paris conference held by UNESCO's Department of Natural

Sciences. It was attended by consultants from other nations, representatives
of specialized United Nations agencies and representatives of international
1100 SERIES scientific unions.
Dr. Austin S. Householder will act as head of the program subcommittee.
MICROPOTS his group will be concerned with inviting specific papers from computer and
data control experts within the United States. Other committee members
Cut production costs . . . gain both are Dr. Samuel N. Alexander, chief of the National Bureau of Standards'
price and quali ty advantages in your data processing systems division and magazine editor Evan Herbert.
competitive markets! Borg 1100 Series
MICROPOTS give you quality poten-
tiometers at competitive prices. Write
today for name of your nearest Borg
PAPERS ·SOUGHT FOR 1959 WJCC
Jobber or "Tech.Rep"!
Papers are being solicited for the 1959 Western Joint Computer Conference
to be held at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, on March 3-5, 1959. The
ENGINEERING theme of this conference will be "New Horizons With Computer Technology."
MAKES THE DIFFERENCE: Conference planners state that, in selecting papers, they will place partic-
ular emphasis on those dealing with the newer applications of computer tech-
• Lug type terminals or coded
niques, such as information retrieval, operation control, pattern analysis, de-
flexible leads!
cision making, computer communications, learning concepts, as well as on
• Two bearing supports ••. 1112"
minimum between bearings! papers dealing with advances in computer component and systems design.
Tentatively, two sessions of a speculative nature are planned: A "blue sky
• Optional rear shaft extension!
session," and a session on "Philosophy and Responsibility of Computers in
• Production quantities available! Society." Papers intended for the "blue sky sessi()n" should deal with the
• Precision fabricated parts give extension of computer technology into areas not considered feasible at present.
permanent accuracy! They should indicate the advantages of such extension and the area of re-
• search necessary to bring this application into the feasible range. Papers for
Write for Catalog BED·A90
the second session mentioned should deal with philosophic and/or social
implications of the widespread application of automatic computer techniques.
These two sessions will be definitely scheduled only if a sufficient number of
suitable papers are received.
A 20-minute delivery time is suggested for all papers. Their selection will
be made from the complete text. There are no format requirements for these
submission drafts. Three copies of the proposed paper should be submitted to
the Technical PrograrnCommittee, 1959 Western JOInt Computer C~nfe~ence,
Box 381, Station A, Palo Alto, Calif. by October 1 of this year.
BORG EQUIPMENT DIVISION After review, final selection of papers will be made and the authors will
THE GEORGE W. BORG CORPORATION be notified by December 1, 1958. Submission of the final texts ~f the selected
JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN papers, in the form required by the Publications Committee, should be made
by February 1, 1959.
Circle 10 on Reader Service Card.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 43

\\~
~ neWCRTR
vo literature
MAGNETIC HEADS: A six-page put tabulation, super speed tape re- cations data sheets compiled by the
technical paper with 16graphs, draw- cording, paper tape reading, tape manufacturer. Applications described
ings and illustrations on the subject of comparison and wide tape recording. include inventory and stock control,
"Flux Responsive Magnetic Heads for For copy write SOROBAN ENGl- payroll and time reporting, production
Low Speed Read-out of Data" has . NEERING CO .. , Box 1717, Mel- control and applications in banking,
been prepared by L. W. Feber. Fol- bourne, Florida or use reader card. stock brokerage, hospital operation,
lowing introductory paragraphs, the Circle 202 on Reader Service Card.
railroad and bus companies, savings
author deals with performance char- and loan organizations and a list of
acteristics of a flux responsive head other users. For copy write TALLER
followed by a few applications, dis- ORTHOTRONIC CONTROL: A & COOPER, INC., Business Automa-
cussion and conclusions. The paper technical bulletin describing this firm's tion Equipment Div., 75 Front St.,
contends that a new approach has Brooklyn 1, N. Y. or use reader card.
new method of automatic error-cor-
been found to utilizing magnetic data. rection developed to insure uninter- Circle 205 on Reader Service Card.
The claim is made that information rupted accuracy in electronic data
can be read out at low medium speed processing has been released. Includ-
and, under certain cOilditions, at zero
ed in the treatment of the new system
speed. Bulletin no. 9391 which covers TAPE RECORDER/REPRODUCER:
are such subject headings as Organi-
high resolution· magrietiC heads is also This 16-page full color brochure offers
zation of Information on Tape,
available. For copy· write CLEVITE a complete treatment of this firm's
Weight Count Checking, Orthochan-
ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, a FR-100A modular magnetic tape re-
nel Generation, Corrective Procedure
division of Clevite Corporation, 3311 corder/reproducer for instrumentation.
and Orthochannel Generation at Input
Perkins Avenue, Cleveland 14, Stating that the unit may be used
Converter. (For details on the system,
Ohio or use reader service card. for data acquisition and storage, data
see four-page article beginning on page
Circle 200 on Reader Service Card. 30) For copy write DA T AMA TIC, analysis and reduction, machine and
a division of Minneapolis-Honeywell process programming and dynamic
Regulator Co., 151 Needham St., simulation, the brochure covers the
Newton Highlands 61, Massachu- FR-100A's features, accuracy, practi-
ENGINEERING CATALOG: Catalog setts or use reader service .card. cality, modifications and accessories.
G-300 covers this firm's complete line Each pare· is fully illustrated with
of miniature push button switches, Circle 203 on Reader Service Card.
pictures and drawings. An accompany-
rotary switches, binding posts, test ing four-page specification sheet is
clips and miscellaneous components. also available. For copy write AMPEX
Fully illustrated, it includes engin.eer- ANALOG-DIGITAL CONVERTERS: CORPORATION, 934 Charter St.,
ing drawings of all items, giving Six models of this unit are detailed Redwood City, Calif. or use card.
standard dimensions. Complete speci- in an eight-page booklet. Included
Circle 206 on Reader Service Card.
fications of all items are given cover- are code patterns for each which visu-
ing electrical ratings, life load tests, ally depict the actual. arrangement of
materials used, applications and con- bits on each drum. A tabulation giv-
struction. Eleven new products, repre- ing values for operating and other DIGITAL INDICATOR: Catalog 51- .11

senting recent· advances in. miniaturi- characteristics and relates to those 1800 describes an in-line indicator
zation,are incorporated into the cata- components which are pictured and which accepts a variable frequency a-c
log. . For copy write GRA YHILL, outlined is also included. A general input - such as produced by turbine-
INC., 561 Hillgrove Ave., La Grange, description of the converters will be type flow meters, tachometers, and
Ill. or use reader· service card. found on page one with operation and other primaries - and converts it to
coding information. For copy write a five-digit indication, accurate to
Circle 201 on Reader Service Card.
KEARFOTT CO., INC., Engineering within one frequency count. Five
and Sales Div., 1500 Main Ave., Clif- large, detailed drawings accompany
ton, N. J. or use reader service· card. the six-page paper. Included are back-
TAPE EQUIPMENT: Explained in Circle 204 on Reader Service Card. ground, features, description of opera-
detail with accompanying specifica- tion, self-test procedure, standardiza-
tions is the manufacturer's line of tape tion procedure, alarm lockout and
equipment. In the 10-page, two-color DA TA PROCESSOR: Contained in trouble shooting procedure. For copy
brochure will be found pictures, this literature package is a four-page write FISCHER & PORTER CO.,
drawings and text covering equip- folder describing and illustrating the 627 Jacksonville Rd., Hatboro, Penn-
ment for tape preparation, tape repro- . . operation and features of this unit, sylvania or use reader service card .
duction, tape verification, input/out- specifications, and a selection of appli- Circle 207 on Reader Service Card.

44 The Magazine of CRTRl\4RTICJN

 NEW LITERATURE

DATA SYSTEM, CONVERTERS: desk-side analog computer. A large il-

Specification sheets are available for lustration shows the free-rolling cast-
this manufacturer's TE-206 data sys- ered cabinet and clearly indicates the
tem, 768G-1 Kinecard converter and 16 scale-factor potentiometers, preci-
768H-1 Kinetape converter. All three sion servo multiplier, true-overload
sheets contain descriptions of the alarm, monitor and control panel, va-
units, pictures and detailed specifica- cuum-tube voltmeter, complete pro-
tions. Information concerning equip- gramming patchcord, and other fea-
ment with which the units can be used tures which are standard equipment.
is also included. For copies write The brochure gives a detailed descrip-
COLLINS RADIO CO., Western Di- tion of the operational amplifiers and
vision, 2700 W. Olive Blvd., Burbank, the other standard and optional equip-
Calif. or use reader service card. ment, including removable patch-
boards. Fully illustrated applications
Circle 208 on Reader Service Card.
are included. For copy write MID-
CENTURY INSTRUMATIC CORP.,
611 Broadway, New York 12, New
York or use reader service card.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM: A four-
page folder which includes pictures Circle 211 on Reader Service Card.
and drawings deals with this manu-
facturer's line of precision measure-
ment .instruments. After a brief de-
scription of the measuring system, de- DIGITAL RECORDER REPRODU- INFORMATION
tails are presented on accuracy, opti-
cal unit and counter unit including
CER: Bulletin 1608 is a two-page
bulletin which stresses these features
SEARCHING
digit sizes and measuring speed. For of type 5-680 digital magnetic-tape
recorder/reproducer: all transistorized
andRETRI EVAL
copy write FERRANTI ELECTRIC,
INC., Electronics Div., 95 Madison ~lectronics, stops and starts in less A new and major program at
Ave., Hempstead, Long Island, New than three milliseconds, all-metal-sur- The Ramo-Wooldridge Corpo-
York or use reader service card. face magnetic heads, tape widths form ration is devoted to the design
% in. to one in. and continuous.:duty and development of a large-
Circle 209 on Reader Ser1Jice Card. .. scale system for the automatic
servo motors. Complete specifications,
a photograph and sales and service handling of reconnaissance
office addresses are included. For copy information. The basic systems
write CONSOLIDATED ELECTRO- problems include the handling
SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS: A of ordinary language on com-
DYNAMICS CORPORATION, 300
new folder covers all the electrical puters and the design of auto-
N.Sierra Madre Villa, Pasadena, Cali- matic searching and retrieval
and physical characteristics of this fornia or use reader service card. techniques.
co~pany's semiconductor products. It
was designed specifically for electrical Circle 212 on Reader Service Card. Inquiries are invited from elec-
and electronic design engineers and trical engineers, mathematicians
and physicists whose back-
fits into a regulation three-ring binder.
grounds include operations re-
Its design permits convenient. refer- search analysis and systems
PLASTIC LAMINATES: Copper-clad
·ence to products and the product lines analysis of digital computing
plastic laminates for electronic printed
have been broken down into 14 cate- equipment.
circuits are the subject of a new tech-
gories. For copy write HOFFMAN
nical bulletin. Describing the lami-
ELECTRONICS CORP., Semicon- F or additional information,
nates as a combination of high-purity . write to Mr. Leslie Levin.
ductor Div., 920 Pitner Ave., Evan-
(99.5% or better) rolled copper on
ston, Ill. or use reader service c~rd.
plastic base materials, the four-page
Circle 210 on Reader Service Card. illustrated bulletin includes tables list- The Ramo -Wooldridge
ing physical, mechanical and electri-
cal characteristics of the four grades
Corporation
now in standard production: grades P. O. BOX 45215, AIRPORT STATION
LOS ANGELES 45, CALIFORNIA
ANALOG COMPUTER: Now availa- XP, Cu-246, XXXP-242 and GEC-
ble is a fully illustrated eight-page 500. Typical circuits made up from
brochure describing model MC-400 the copper-clad laminates are shown Circle 11 on Reader Service Card.

Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 45

NEW LITERATURE

in photos. Sheet sizes, thicknesses of ANNUNCIATOR: This four-page, RAND UNIVAC, Division of Sperry
copper cladding and other information two-color brochure contains informa- Rand Corp., 315 Fourth Ave., N. Y.
are given. For copy write TAYLOR tion of a new static-magnetic annun- 10, N. Y. or use reader service card.
FIBRE CO., Norristown, Pennsyl- ciator developed for monitoring com- Circle 216 on Reader Service Card.
vania or use reader service card. plex automatic machine and continu-
Circle 213 on Reader Service Card.
ous process operations. The unit uses
static-magnetic controls instead of
DECADE INDUCTORS: Bulletin LP conventional relays. No moving parts CONNECTORS: A completely re-
121.1 describes these high Q, low result in high reliability and reduced vised 40-page, four-color catalog on
frequency units available in three de- maintenance, claims the manufacturer. series 20 miniature connectors has
cades with maximum values of .1h, Text is accompanied by line drawings been released. Complete specifica-
1.0h and 10h, which may be com- and a photograph. For copy write tions, outline drawings, illustrations
bined to permit switching in any PANELLIT, INC., 7401 N. Hamlin and general information make this
value of inductance from 0.1 to 11.1 Ave., Skokie, Ill. or use reader card. comprehensive catalog a source of
henries in .01h steps. A brief account Circle 215 on Reader Service Card. miniature connector data for engi-
of the units giving applications is fol- neering and purchasing files, company
lowed by a full page of specifications COMPUTER APPLICATION: Folder libraries and technical personnel who
and illustrative drawings. For copy U1436, "60-Second Management In- buy or specify electronic connectors.
write COMPUTER ENGINEERING terview," tells how a railroad - the 'Covered are such items as guide pins
ASSOCIATES, INC., 350 N. Hal- Spokane, Portland and Seattle - gets and sockets, aluminul hoods, polariz-
stead, Pasadena, Calif. or use card. complete stores control using the Uni- ing screwlocks, panel cutouts and oth-
Circle 214 on Reader Service Card. vac 60. For copy write REMINGTON ers. For copy write DEJUR-AMSCO

POLARIMETER
with scale reading to 0.01°, MADE IN WEST GERMANY

Assures ease in manipulation and hig her accuracy in making' measurements

Inclined observation' telescope permits readings Coaxially-mounted coarse and fine adjustment
from sitting position. . . knobs and switch controlled by right hand resting
on table-top.
Through observation telescope, the scales as well
as the half-shade field of view can be observed. Interchangeable built-in sodium or mercury spec-
tral bulbs furnish strictly monochromatic light con-
Direct vernier readings can be made to 0.01 ° and trolled by precision interference filters.
estimated to 0.005° ..
Newly designed precision polarimeter tubes en-
Moveable carri,er, holding two polarimeter tubes, sure the absence of strain, furthering. assurance of
facilitates procedure of examinations." true measuring results.

Free detailed literature on request

CARL ZEIS~ IA'C~

485 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 17, N. Y.
Circle 12 on Reader Service Card.

46 The Magazine of DRTRMRTI (J N

 THE
NEW LITERATURE
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEMS
MEETING
CORP., Electronic Sales Div., 45-01 •
Northern Blvd., Long Island City 1,
October 13-14-15, 1958
N. Y. or use reader service card. Penn-Sheraton Hotel-Pittsburgh
Circle 217 on Reader Service Card.
•
ONLY MAJOR U. S. CONFERENCE DEVOTED
EXCLUSIVELY TO THE SYSTEMS FIELD
DATA TRANSLATOR: A four-page
literature item describing the unit •
which translates data from one medi- Sponsored for the
um to another in off-line operation and·
11th Consecutive Year by the
from the language of one system to
Systems and Procedures Association
the language of another for compati-
bility between data handling systems, •
has been released. The piece offers
typical translations, applications and Mail Address:
a diagram of the system's building 1958 International Systems Meeting
blocks with accompanying explana- Penn-Sheraton Hotel, Parlor 70 B
tory text. For copy write TELE- Pittsburgh 19, Pa.
METER MAGNETICS INC., 2245
Pontius Ave., Los Angeles 64, Cali-
fornia or use reader service card. Circle 13 on Reader Service Card.
Circle 218 on Reader Service Card.

ANALOG COMPUTER: Catalog

sheet C-20 presents details and speci-
COMPUTER ENGINEERS
fications of the Esiac computer, model Positions are open for computer engineers cap-
10. After covering the subjects of able of making significant contributions to
"What it Does" and "What it Is," the advanced computer technology. These positions
booklet presents an example of how are in our new Research Center at Newport
the computer plots an answer to a Beach, California, overlooking the harbor and
specific problem. A section on the the Pacific Ocean-an ideal place to live. These
model 10 theory of operation com- are career opportunities for qualified engineers
in an intellectual environment as stimulating as
plete with equations and a line draw-
the physical surroundings are ideal. Qualified
ing illustration concludes the offering. applicants are invited to send resumes, or
For copy write ELECTRO-MEAS- inquiries, to Mr. L. T. Williams.
UREMENTS, INC., 7524 S. W. Mac-
Adam, Portland 1, Ore. or use card. Positions Open: Areas of Interest:
Systems Engineers Computers &
Circle 219 on Reader Service Card. Logical Designers Data Processors
Programmers Input/Output Equipment
Circui t Engineers Storage Units .
Mechanical Display Devices
Engineers Computer Components
Applications Solid State Devices
TRANSISTORIZED CONVERTER: Specialists Electromechanical
Sales Engineers Equipment
A single-page technical bulletin de-
scribes a transistorized analog-to-digi- AERONUTRONIC SYSTEMS, INC.
tal converter model 50DCI000. De- a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company
tails included: inputs, outputs, display, 1234 Air Way. Bldg. 26, .Glendale, Calif. • CHapman 5-6651
operation, characterization and chassis
specs. For copy write FISCHER &
PORTER CO., 790 Jacksonville Rd.,
Hatboro, Penna. or use reader card.
Circle 220 on Reader Service Card. Circle 14 on Rpader Service Card.
Research & Engineering, July/August 1958 47
 ENGLISH FIRM MARKETS
TAPE PUNCH TYPEWRITER

Mercedes. Sterline of 11 Ludgate Circus, London E. C. 4

has announced the availability of the new Mercedes electric
.typewriter with autOIl1atic tape punch attachment. This
machine is manufactured by "Buromaschinenwerke, A. ~.
Zellawehlis"-in Thuringen, Germany.
Mercedes' typewriter-tape punch can be supplied with
either five or eight channel tape, and any desired combina-
tion of letters, figures and symbols. The five channel tape
has 31 combinations, and the eight channel, 255. When
using five channel, "Zi" key is depressed before typing
figures and symbols (all letter keys are then locked) and
"Bu" key before typing letters (symbol keys are locked).

RESEARCH DIRECTOR The tape punch can be disconnected and the machine
used as a straight electric typewriter. All information typed
is transmitted to the tape (when connected). Tape can be
Operations Research and Computing supplied in lengths of 150 or 400 metres. A 400 metre
coil can accommodate 120,000 characters. A red light gives
Technical Operations, Incorporated is a research and warning when the end of the tape is approaching. (Decimal
development firm working in the physical sciences
and in operations research and advanced computer
applications. Our sponsors include a wide range of
commercial and Government organizations. During
the past two years operations research and the de-
velopment of advanced computer applications par-
ticularly in the field of simulation have become
increasingly important in the over-all Company re-
search effort. As a consequence, a requirement has
developed for a research director in one of our
operations research and computing divisions.

The position is considered part of the senior

technical management of the Company. Candi-
dates should be on the PHD level and possess
substantial experience in computer technology,
and/ or operations research or related fields such
as systems analysis. Experience in directing and
motivating a senior technical group is essential.
The ability to work closely with sponsors and
translate their requirements into researchactiv-
ity is necessary. ."
To the scientist with the desire to work on unusual tabulation and automatic zeroing cannot be supplied -on
problems requiring unique solutions, the position the typewriter at this time.)
offers the opportunity to make significant technical All models of an accounting machine, manufactured by
contributions as well as the opportunity to take an the same firm, which has punch paper tape output can also
active part in the business and technical management be supplied with five or eight channel tape. Decimal tabula-
of a growing research organization.
tion and automatic zeroing is provided on these units. A
control bar automatically selects items for transmission to
Mr. Robert L. Koller the tape and ignores items not required. Control bars can
be fitted for varying programs. A green warning light in-
TECHNICAL dicates that items are being transmitted to the tape and a
red one again warns of the end of the tape approaching.
OPERATIONS The punch device has a positive mechanical action from
an electrically qriven rotating shaft. Therefore the pos-
INCORPORATED sibilities of inaccuracy through fluctuating voltages or sole-
South Avenue • Burlington, Massachusetts noid troubles cannot arise, the company states.
Circle 15 on Reader Service Card. Circle 104 on Reader Service Card.

48 The Magazine oj DRTRM~TICJ N

 HUGHES

TO EXPLOIT

ENGINEERING

BREAKTHROUGHS
.,.
Exclusive new Hughes developments
such as three-dimensional radar systems
and high-speed data processing systems
promise to place Hughes foremost in the
field of advanced electronics. For the
purpose of furthering these exclusive de-
velopments, Hughes is establishing a new
facility at Fullerton, California.

This newest facility of Hughes will be a

completely' integrated organization. It
will encompass all activities ... from de-.
velopment through manufacturing and
Field Engineering. This growth presents
a wide range of opportunity for prospec-
tive employees.

The new activity will focus its attention

on a wide variety of complex electronic
and electro-mechanical systems for ground
and shipbome applications. These sys-
tems will be produced for the military
and promise great commercial potential.

Engineers with experience in microwave, .

circuit design and systems design should
apply by writing to the address below.

the West's leader in advanced electronics

,-----------------------1
I I

i HUGHES!
L ___________________ ___ JI
I ~

© H.A.C.

GROUND SYSTEMS DIVISION

Personnel Selection and Placement

HUGHES AIRCRAFT COMPANY

FlIllerton, Orange COl/nty, Cd[r"nzia

Circle 16 on Reader Ser~ice ClJd.
 -/

1,000 CHARACTERS PER SECOND! And it stops on a single char~c~er ...

then reads the next character within five milliseconds after restart! The new Burroughs Photoreader by
ElectroData Division of Burroughs Corporation is now commercially available ... the finest precision paper
tape reader of such high-speed performance being offered as_ a component. Speed of the Photoreader introduces
a new high iri computer-time efficiency to business and scientific data processing. Its instantaneous stop-ability
simplifies computer techniques ... also brings faster, more efficient operation to missile test checkout, fire con-
trol systems, equipment test procedures -and machine automation. The Photoreader is adaptable to ~tandarci­
width tape, from five to eight level code. Economic plastic reels are available in two sizes for tapes of 350 or
700 feet (40,000 or 80,000 Characters). Automatic rewind and end-of-tape sensing; true straight-line loading
and drift-free design. Developed as an input unit for the new Burroughs 220 data processing system, the Photo-
reader is also available as a component for mounting in any standard 19" cabinetry. It may also be ordered
already housed in the Burroughs 220 cabinet, as pictured. For complete

details write
stQP~ ·on, .
Burroughs Corporation a single······
ELECTRODATA DIVISION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
character! I
On display ISA Show - September 15 -19 - Booth # 1045
Circle 17 on Reader Service Card