6 r '• A t DIGITAL C OM PU C T ER th • OFICer OF NAVAL RUIEARCII Amomg recent contractors PUYSICAL SCIE and drveI ne-l •ornnnt9 eontrlbutorS CES DIVISION April 1956 Editor Albrecht J Neumann Vol 8 No 2 Irtero comptite r In v %rilo u dIltal orojocis Olstributlon 1- Ifniclid to 9ovOrnfmnt Agnnmee -sl _____ E r ' '-f d 6 tnpvieA jti IntorthAM90 #Crnl nQ II TABLE OF CONTENTS Page N COMPUTERS U S A 1 I 3 1 AF Armament Center Eglin Air Force Base 2 Bendix Aviation Corporation 3 ELECOM Underwood Corporation 4 FLAC Florida Automatic Computer 5 ILLIAC University of Illinois 6 JOHNNIAC Rand Corporation 7 Litton ZO Litton Industries 8 NORC Naval Proving Grounds 9 ORACLE Oak Ridge National Laboratory 10 Whirlwind Massachusetts Institute of Technology 11 RAYDAC Naval Ordnance Test Center Pt Mugiu 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 COMPUTING CENTERS 9 10 10 1 RICH Electronic Computer Center Georgia Institute of Technology 2 University of Rochester 3 University of Wisconsin COMPUTERS OVERSEAS 11 11 1 PERM Technische Hochschule Mdnchen 2 CAB Series SocietS d'Electronique et d'Automatisme MISCELLANEOUS 13 14 14 14 15 University of Pennsylvania New Course Inventory Control U S Navy Aviation Supply Office National Bureau of Standards Wayne University Summer Program Contributions for Digital Computer Newsletter 1 2 3 4 S V rfffl rovod by of the Navy Augst 194 16Secritary The Under o'LJEA RI N for Prl a C i 101 OCTDDE H0U ýcm nhfic J -hril-aI f' V- 22151 - 1 V •- - WA C THIS - DOC UM NT BEST iS QUALITIY AVAJ LA LE 17E COPY F•iNI SED T DTI C n0TI-NED NUMBE7 iGD' ANT IN E 7hIT OF iNTO REPRODUCED FROM THIS DOCUMNT C0NTAINED BLANK PAGES THAT HAVE BEST AVAILABLE COPY BEEN DELETED COMPUTERS U S A AIR FORCE ARMAMENT CENTER - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE FLORIDA The ERA 1103 Electronic Computer System installed at the Air Force Armament Center is the second such system produced by the nianufacturer The system presently has provision for manual paper tape and punched-card inputs and paper tape Flexowriter punched-card and display oscilloscope outputs To accomplish read-out at higher speeds a High-Speed Computer Output Printer Typer is currently under development and will be delivered by 1 May 1956 This printer will be capable of printing alphanumeric outputs at rates up to 72 000 characters per minute Plans are being made to replace the present 1024-word electrostatic storage system with a 4096-word magnetic core memory Also certain other internal modifications and additional items of terminal equipment are being seriously considered These include 1 magnetic tape input and output facilities 2 a high-speed output plotter 3 magnetic tape units of an improved variety to replace present magnetic tape units which are a part of the storage system of the computer 4 intervention switches 5 a magnetic-core buffer to increase the input flexibility of the computer system and 6 Charactron output display units Some associated equipments currently under development include an analog-to-cdigital conversion and buffering system to convert analog voltage data from a telemetering system or other data source into suitably-coded digital form for direct insertion into the computer a Doppler Data Translator to convert velocimeter magnetic data records into form suitable for direct entry into the computer and other similar items BENDIX 0-15 The Bendix Corporation has announced a new medium price general purpose Digital Computer It is characterized by a flexible command structure where each command consists of eight independent parts These parts are source destination characteristic single or double precision Immediate and deferred commands timing number next command break point Interpretive codes are available and may be entered into the computer on tapes together with the problem tapes by means of preloaded tape magazines and a high speed tape reader Punched tape readers and punches are used and a typewriter controls all computer operations A command indicator panel facilitates check out of new programs by indicating the last command after the computer has stopped A variety of input-output equipment is available Standard accessories are Electric typewriter input and output high speed photoelectric paper tape reader and paper tape punch Provisions have been made to add one to four magnetic tape units and punched card equipment A digital differential analyzer attachment is available which widens the applicability of the G-15 Graph plotters and graph followers may be used with this equipment The sppcifications are given below Addition Single Precision - 0 54 msec Double Precision - 0 81 msec Subtraction Single Precision - 0 54 masc Double Precision - 0 81 msec Multiplication Single Precision - 16 7 msec Double Precision - 33 1 msec Multiplication of arbitrary precision is possible the factors may be up to 57 binary digits plus sign with the operation time equal to 0 27 meec for command access plus 054 msec per digit of the multiplier Division Single Precision 16 7 meec Double Precision 33 1 maec All times Include Minimum access to Command Shift and normalise Automatic tally for convenient floeting point operation -1- • 9 Extract and assemble - Conditional transfer of control based on Sign of accumulator Arithmetic overlow State of input output system Presence or absence of any digit or digits in a word or group of words Number storage Absolute value and sign Word length of 29 or 58 binary digits Internal Memory Magnetic drum with high speed all electronic switching General store 2160 words Random access time 14 5 msec average Quick access store 16 words Random access times 0 54 msec average Arithmetic registers Three 2 word One I word External Magnletic Tape Memor Optional one to four units Capacity 300 000 words per reel Tape Standard 1 2 width maximum 10-1 2 dia NARTB reel Block length Arbitrary to 108 words' File length Arbitrary number of blocks Read write speed 7-1 2 per sec Search speed 45 per sec Inpt output Number system Decimal or sexadecimal Standard Equipment Master writer - 8 characters per see Paper Tape Punch - 17 characters per sec Photoelectric Tape Reader - 200 characters per sec from paper tape magazine Punch Cards Serial punch card equipment may be coupled to the 0-15 Input 17 characters per sec With type 526 card equipment Output 11 characters per sec Input Output Commands Type out Punch paper tape type and punch paper tape Type out accumulator Write on magnetic tape Punch cards Type In Read punched paper tape Read magnetic tape Read punched card Search magnetic tape forward Search magnetic tape backward Reverse paper tape Computation proceeds during Input output PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS Basic G-15 Computer Size 32 deep x 27 wide x 61 high Weight 850 pounds Power Input 3 8 KVA 110-120 volts 60 4cles single phase Cooling Internal forced air PlugfnfEt heal circul Renpl•- hlhu -ue paNluss 300 diode packages Magnetic Tape Unit- -• - •-'Size 22 deep x 24 wide x 60 high Weight 175 lbs Power Input 640 VA 110-120 volts 60 cycles single phase Cooling Internal forced air Digital Differential Analyzer Size 22 deep x 24 1 wide x 00 high Weight 300 pounds Power Input 1 EVA 110-120 volts 80 cycles single phas Cooling Internal forced air 2-- s- A'p - ELECOM FILE PROCESSOR UNDERWOOD CORPORATION ' colThe ELECOM File Processor is a special-purpose computer designed to sequence Fig 1 tape magnetic on recorded data of items separate late select collate and select and In performing these operations It relieves a digital computer slch as the ELECOM 125 Digital Computer of much of the routine and repetitive work in commercial data processing • I fM ' • Figure 1 ' • '61%%5 • I I • 1 I i•• ' d• Ii I •' I I' J • t I ' - - ELECOM File Processor The power Supply which is not shown is housed in a cabinet slightly smaller than that of the parent unit Data to be handled by the ELECOM File Processor are stored on magnetic tape File or other data are divided Into items each Item corresponding say to one account or inventory item Items may be of any length and there is no need for all items on one tape to be of uniform length Longer items are divided into blocks of 200 digits or less counting each numperal an one digit each alphabetic character as two digits Having selected one of the above modes of operation for the File Processor using a switch on the control panel the operator Introduce@ a pattern by means of punched-tape reader or typewriter keyboard which keys o the File Processor as to which digits in an item are significant for the operation About to take place The pattern is never more than 220 digits long and takes 22 seconds to Introduce using a punched-tape reader of Introduction by keySpeed board depends on the speed of the typist Operation from this point on Is automatic except for any neceasary changingt of tape reels 3- u111put IhMultlvs '•i wr1 lt1i utiii lt o l' IMvItil e miiunl li' w itape whic'h ra he fred to it hiph-mngrd prilnter for ti or IhI the 1L I''COM digital c'on11iuter where they m• y lin ul-wd in the 'urpw nr com111putation lainteiumnce of an inventory file e'rv'ii to ilhluttrate a typical application of the ELECOM File Provemour Suclh a file nmay rnnthigU elitr' •s for thousn adl of items and at considerable amount of information niay I'e rernorued for rach Ilets A dity's hipments however nig ht involve only a handful of items and tile only operation necommary may tIe the correction of the stock balance for each of the few items The problem therefore im to select from this voluminous file only a few items and in each of theme items to change only one figure This operation Is readily accomplished with the File Processor FLAC FLOIDkA AUTOMATIC COMPUTER FLAC has now been in operation for approximately three years processing the full data computation load at the Air Force Missile Test Center The Data Reduction Facility at the center is operated by the RCA Missile Test Project Recently an Air Force contract was signed with the International Telemeter Corp for a 4096 word high speed magnetic core memory to replace the 512 word acoustic delay line unit now in operation Each word will be 44 binary bits plus sign and the new memory will have an access time to any word of approximately 50 microseconds Improvements to increase read- in and read-out speeds are being accomplished by new punched paper tape readers capable of speeds of 300 to 600 characte s per second The first two of these units employing an entirely new reading principle have been delivered and are now In the process of being mated to FLAC Missile position data recorded in the field directly on magnetic tape in binary coded decimal can now be read into FLAC for Immediate computations The future trend at this center will be toward recording raw data on magnetic tape directly In FLAC format so as to greatly reduce the data processing cycle For the four week period 28 November - 23 December 1955 FLAC operating time was distrilbted as follows Problem Running Code checks Good idle time Scheduled Engineering Unscheduled Engineering computer Unscheduled Engineering auxiliaries 223 6 hours 73 8 9 65 4 18 6 3 1 31KTRTi Scheduled Engineering includes marginal checking and computer time used for testing of new input-output devices etc Average good time for FLAC for the lant six months was 88 percent FLAC is currently operated in a five day week utilizing two to three shifts as the workload requires ILLIAC UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS The fliac continues to be used on a regular 24-hour basis in the Digital Computer Laboratory for research and teaching at the University of Illinois The approximate distribution of lliac time may be noted from the following table Hourly Use of Illiac During December 1955 Regular Maintenance and Illiac Engineering Unscheduled Maintenance or Repair Read-Around Memory Tests Leapfrog - Machine Test Rmtine Wasted -4- 43 hours 13 5 79 I 1 Use by Departments 29 hours 79 74 114 9 Digsital Computer Laboratory Physics Control Systents Laboratory NMURA accelerator study Struiural Research I P •yrhololi'y Fiectrica Engineering Chemistry Agriculture Economics 'rhere•irml ind Applied Mochanics Institute of Communications Research Classes Demonstrations Miscellaneous 3 23 11 3 2 1 12 1 9 A total of 24 errors or interruptions of the machine at non-scheduled times were noted during the same period of December 1955 Twelve of these difficulties were associated with reading and punching paper tapes During the Summer of 1955 the circuits for an auxiliary memory using a magnetic drum were checked out During the Fall these circuits have been installed in a final frame in the room with the Illiac Tests are being made now on the completed circuits which will provide 12 800 words of auxiliary memory The circuits provide vacuum tube switching to permit switching from one track to another between words as readily ab reading successive words from the same track Transfers are one word 40 bits per order or instruction in llliac The circuits use the non-return-to-zero magnetic recording system as well as a logical detection scheme to prohibit some kinds of reading errors Active work is under way in the Digital Computer Laboratory in the following areas 1 The preparation of new routines for the library of routines Including recently new routines for using the drum memory floating address and compiling routines multiple regression routine for statistical analysis and improvements in differential equation routines 2 Research in the algebras of switching circuits particularly those with application to asynchronous circuits 3 Research in some partial differential equations particularly important in hydrodynamics 4 Research in direct-coupled asynchronous circuits in the fastest speed ranges The University offers four separate courses in the field of computers or computing Over 100 students have taken advantage of these courses JOHNNIAC RAND CORPORATION There have been no major additions or modifications to the JOHNNIAC computing system during the past three months Presently the computer is being operated on a 120-hour per week schedule Normally the machine is available for code checking or production 22 hours per day the remainder being used for scheduled maintenance periods Performance figures for the major sections of the machine in terms of mean free time between errors during the paet two months are as follows -B- Arithmetic and Control Core Store Drum Store Input-Output control Console Superi'lsory control Power Supplies and Air conditioninrl High-speed Printer Punched card equipment 180 hours 225 83 72 42 19 The mean free time between errors for the entire system is approximately ten hours The overall performances of the arithmetic control and core store are quite satisfactory since the modest amount of me chine errors caused by these sections are the results of permanent type component failures i e open heaters shorts etc The probability of random type errors in these sections is almost zero LITTON 20 DIGITAL DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER A new digital differential analyzer with twenty integrators has been announced by Litton Industries Beverly Hills Catift n a Each Intgrnntor is capable of summing inputs from all integrators provides for sign reversal and integrates with respect to a V riabie The total volume of the machine occupies less than two cubic feet and it weighs 79 pounds and requires 320 watts of power The small size is a result of arrangement of the data initial conditions register lengths and programming stored so as to minimize electronic equipment external to the main storage The machine is shown in Figure 2 It contains 46 tubes including a small cathode ray tube and 520 silicon junction diodes The maximum register length is 18 binary digits There are 10 flip flops and the main storage is on a 7 inch diameter magnetic drum The pulse rate is 100 KC and iteration rate is 62 per second Accessories include a plotter a plotter follower which will operate as both a plotter and a curve follower for arbitrary function inputs a tape punch and fill unit which providea a means of automatic insertion of all informaUon and also an easily repeatable record of the program and a typewriter to tabulate data in decimal form Specifications Size 15 x 26 x 10 inches Weight 79 pounds Power 320 Watts - 110 volts A C - 60 cycles Inputsw a keys on front of computer b paper tape reader c graph follower Computational Elements 20 integrators Integrator Features a automatic summation of dy inputs b summation of dx input in lieu of dy inputs c direct sign reversal of the output from an integrator d every integrator can communicate with all other integrators or with itself e any number of multiple inputs to each integrator Integrator Connections Integrator connections are made by keyboard programming and not by plug boards Iterative process All integrators are iterated 60 times each seconi Accuracy Controlled by program - up to one part in 250 000 without resorting to double precision programming Outputs a digital information displayed on cathode ray tube on front panel of computer b any Met of variables direct to Graph Plotter Maintenance Plug-in circuitry provides rapid maintenance -6 0 i ' I% - '' I I ••i i-I I A Figure 2 1I II - Litton 20 Digital Differential Analyzer in operation AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT Combination Paper Tape Punch for pre-recording input d1ata and Paper Tape Reader for fiiling input data to computer Size 18 x 12-1 2 x 8-1 2 inches Weight 30 pounds Power 65 watts Speed 15 characters per second Graph Plotter or Graph Plotter Follower Size 19 x 18 x 9 inches Weight 45 pounds Power 100 watts Plotting resolution 0 01 inch NORC NAVAL PROVING GROUND DAHLGREEN Operation of the NORC on a 24 hour per day 5 day per week sahedule continue the month of January the calculator was available for 323 hours which is 80 percent ofDuring scileduled operating time On an average day portions of 30 diffrrent problems are run repr tientIng a variety of problem sponsors 7- I TI imnrease the versatility of the NORC prelimtinary planls are being considered for the ProC'Vureiotnt of additional internal storage of large capacity to stpplernnt the present Williams tube and miagnetic tape storage systerns High speed printing and plotting facilities are also planned Aiken Dahlgreen Electronic Calculator ADEC and Aiken Relay Calculator ARC operations will continue on 40 hour per week schedules THE ORACLE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Improvement of the Oracle Magnetic Tape Unit has greatly increased the speed of operation reliability and storage capacity Operational speed has been increased by doubling the pulse packing density Reliability has improved by obtaining good mylar base magnetic tape having long life and requiring less than 1 percent of the tape to be discarded due to impurities The magnetic tape reading amplifiers have been re-designed to use transistors The Magnetic Tape Unit now can store approximately 2-1 2 million full machine words per reel of tape Total unit Atorage capacity is npprn-imately 10 million words Detailed characteristics are as follows Four drives - Total capacity 10 million machine words 42 channel heads - 40 information channels 1 word control channel I parity bit channel Read and write forward and backward Hunt forward and backward Read and write arbitrary number of words hunt arbitrary number of blocks Tape speed 50 sec Tape packing density 200 pulses inch Fixed block 256 wds block block control-photoelectric Loading speed 10 000 machine words per second word 40 binary bits Start 5 ms Stop 2 ms Tape life At least 30 000 passes Tape Characteristics 3 mil mylar base I mil magnetic coating 2000 ft lengths maximum 1_ A photographic output device has been added to the Oracle which enables rapid output of graphical or digital data The cathlode ray plotting tube is 3 in diameter There are 1024 possible spot locations in each row and column which make up the roster however only about 200 spots across any onejinq •re discernible The accuracy of the system is approximatcly percent A special circuit arrangement is used to enable rapid digital plotting A plotting speed of about 2 000 characters per second can be attained Individual points ean be plotted in about 100 microseconds including the extraction of plotting orders from the memory The camera has a machine controlled film advance with a capacity of 200 frames The Oracle electrostatic memory has been converted for use of RCA 6571 storage tubes These tubes are impurity free so that a redundant storage scheme is no longer necessary Hence the full storage capacity oi 2048 words is now realized The inspection scheme was changed to the 1llae system to improve read-around performance WH1ILWIND I Applications_ Applications 1955 For October November and December During the past 3 months the Scientific and Engineeringr Computation Group in conjunction with various departments at M1T processed 865 problems for solution on Whirlwind i These problems are described In the Project Whirlwind lummary Reports submitted to the Office of Naval Ibeeawc sad cover some 11 differed fields cd apleatioc The resuits o 16 of the 8-- problems have been or will be included in academic theses Of thcse 13 represent doctoral theses and 3 represent master's Thirty-onc of the problems havc originated from research proeects sponsored at MNT by the Office of Naval Research Systems The following are some figures on computer reliability during the period 23 September 1955 to 31 December 1955 Total computer operating tlmc Total lost time Percentage operating time usable Average uninterrupted operating time between failures Failure incidents per 24-hour day Average lost time per incident Average preventive maintenance time per day 2222 51 97 7% 20 6 1 17 28 3 1 75 hours 5ours hours minutes RAYDAC U S NAVAL AIR MISSILE TEST CENTER POINT MUGU CALIFORNIA The following statistics give the percentages for the average RAYDAC week in 1954 and 1955 Description 1954 1955 1 Problem set up and code checking 48 7% 43 7% 2 3 4 5 6 12 3% S 0% 29 4% 46 2285 hours Production Scheduled unavailability Unscheduled unavailability Number of weeks Total RAYDAC operating time 20 6% 11 8% 23 9% 42 2689 hours COMPUTING CENTERS RICH ELECTRONIC COMPUTER CENTER Georgia Tech's Rich Electronic Computer Center was formally dedicated on December 2 1955 Principal speakers for the occasion were Dr Howard H Aiken Director Computation Laboratory Harvard University Dr Howard T Engstrom Vice President Remington-Rand Division Sperry-Rand Corporation and Mr C L Keenoy Vice President for Engineering and Product Development The National Cash Register Company Operating experience with the Remington-Rand ERA-1101 during the four months of October November and December 1955 and January 1956 was as follows Hours Percent 100 767 8 Total scheduled ERA-I101 Operating time 18 141 3 Scheduled maintenance 4 27 8 Unscheduled maintenance 22 171 4 Idle available for use 427 3 56 Upo for production 76 598 7 Total time available for use The percentage Of bours used for productive purposes has risen from 53 7% in October to 63 0% In Jamary 1956 -9- Productive time on the ERA-1101 has been utilized on problems arising in connection with a research done by the Engineering Experiment Station b research done by Georgia Tech students and faculty c the development of a library of subroutines d research and problems proposed by institutions other than Georgia Tech e the training of Georgia Tech students and personnel UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER COMPUTING CENTER The University of Rochester has established a University Computing Center which will include a Burroughs E 101 machine and an IBM 650 electronic computer to be received next summer The University will initiate a whole new computing group and a training program which will serve the University commuptity as well as local industry The project was authorized by representatives of the university and of local companies in the optical banking retail machine tool and electronic fields after a five-year study of computer equipment and techniques and of programs at other institutions Credit and non-credit courses for both undergraduate and graduate students will be offered in the College of Arts and Science University School extension and in summer sessions These will include numerical methods and electronic computing and numerical analysis both already in the college curriculum and new offerings in programming and data processing Dr Thomas S Keenan has been named administrator of the new University of Rochester Computing Center UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN ARMY MATHEMATICS RESEARCH CENTER The Department of the Army has announced plans for the establishment of a Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin to conduct research in mathematics and high speed computation theory The general objective in establishing the Center is to provide a nucleus of highly qualified mathematicians who will carry on investigations in mathematics of interest to the Army and who can be called upon for advice on specific problems beyond the capability of Army facilities In addition to fulfilling an Army need the Center will aid the national effort in mathematics research and increase the availability of trained mathematicians The following functions will be fulfilled by the Center 1 Assemble a high-quality mathematical group for the Army 2 Supplement the research work of existing Army activities 3 Provide a source of advice and assistance on mathematical problems 4 Serve as a facility where fresh scientific contact between Army research and development personnel and other scientists will be made possible 5 Provide a means of acquainting academic mathematicians with the interests of the Army 6 Create a reservoir of mathematicians familiar with military problems of vital significance in the event of mobilization and 7 Contribute an important activity to the mathematics research community The Center will fulfill research requirements in the following areas 1 numerical analysis including the engineering physics of high speed computers 2 statistics and probability 3 applied mathematics and analysis and 4 operations research Including linear and nonlinear programming g9me theory and Its applications decision theory Information theory and optimisation problems -10- The Center will employ a resident staff under the direction of Dr R E Lang er Professor of Mathrntatics will train groups of specialized applied mathematicians provide an opportunity for graduate students at the University to perform advanced research and will be equipped with a large-scale high-speed computer facility It is expected this Center will provide the mathematics complement to the support of long range research intended to produce major capability improvements and inspire confidence in new approaches and ingenious applications of new ideas COMPUTERS OVERSEAS PERM Institut fur elektrische Nachrichtentechnik und Messtechnik Technische Hochschule Minchen The PERM Programmgesteuerte Eiektronische Rechenanlage Miinchen has recently been put into regular operation This machifie has been coistructed by a-computer group at the Technisehe Hochschule Minchen under the direction of Prof Hans Piloty and Dr Robert Piloty It is a medium sized 2400 tubes and medium speed 300 op sec binary parallel machine with automatic wired in floating point and high speed 15000 rev min drum memory of 8090 words capacity Input is by punched tape via a photo-electric tape reader Output is at present by teletype Magnetic tape output buffers will be installed A comprehensive order list and facilities for automatic address change are included to allow the use of a library or subroutines in an Invariant form Details of the computer are published in Nachrichtentechnische Zeitschrift NTZ Heft 11 und -2 1955 With the beginning of next year the computer will be operated in the form of a separately managed computing center within the Technische Hochschule Limited computing facilities will be available for users outside the Technische Hochschule SEA - CAB SERIES COMPUTERS Sociltd D'Electronique et D'Automatisme Two series of large scale general purpose binary digital computers have been developed the first series comprises a modified version of the CAB-2 000 computer the second comprises a computer with new characteristics and is labelled CAB-3 000 CAB means Calculatrice Arithmetique Binaire The computers of both series are serial machines Printed standard component plugs are used in both series and provide great flexibility regarding the numbers of digits per words and numbers and capacities of the stores CAB 2 100 Master clock frequency - 100 KC s Length of one word either number or instruction CAB 2 122 - 22 significant digits plus 1 gap digit one minor cycle 0 23 mS CAB 2 132 - 32 significdnt digits plus I gap digit one minor cycle 0 33 mS CAB 2 140 - 40 significant digits plus 1 gap digit one minor cycle 0 41 -mS One major cycle one revolution of a magnetic drum 128 minor cycles Instruction Code - of the single-address type Conditional transfer instructions 26 Function Letters Symbolized operations B - box index Number Code - Binary point fixed at the left end of a word Positive numbers in true binary Negative numbers in two's complement Arithmetic Unit - includes two accumulators and one register computes in fixed binary point a denominational shifting instruction enables computation in floating binary - 11 - point add and subtract in one minor cycle multiply divide extract square root in n minor cycles n being the number of significant digits In a word shift to the lefrand to the righfat a rate of 1 minor cycle per one digit shift Stores a Fast access stores access time lower than I pulse period Ferrite core matrices each of 64 words capacity I Store for Number-words 1 store for Instruct ion-words b Slow access store 1 magnetic drum 64 or 128 magnetic tracks of 128 words each 8 192 or 16 384 digits Exchanges of informations between fast and slow access stores are made in blocks of 32 or 64 words Input-Output - through multiple equipment each provided with a special address Normal Input address 0 reads a perforated tape Normal Output address 0 perforates a tape Additional equipments addresses ranging from 1 to 15 according to clients' request being Further tape readers and perforators magnetic tape readers and recorders Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog converters ENAC recorder and Numerograph photographic recorder ENAC is an automatic recorder adapted to the mapping of four sets of data given each as a time-distributed series of discrete digital values In simultaneous recording operation its rate ls 1 point per 0 8 sec For separate recording operations its rate is 1 point per 0 4 sec NUMEROGRAPH is an ultrafast automatic recorder using standard 35 mm film at a minimum speed of 2 000 characters per second 100 characters and spacings per line Two CAB 2 022 computers are now in normal operation for scientific purposes A series of CAB 2 022 are under manufacture one of which is intended for the automatic preparation of sales statistics In an important French Company Std Monsavonl'Oreal CAB 3 000 Master clock frequency - 100 KC s Length of one word either number or instruction CAB 3 024 - 24 significant digits plus 2 gap digits one minor cycle 0 26 mS CAB 3 032 - 32 significant digits plus 2 gap digits one minor cycle 0 34 mS CAB 3 040 - 40 significant digits plus 2 gap digits one minor cycle 0 42 mS Instruction Code - single address kind with the inclusion of a restricted second address From 26 to 32 Function letters Symbolized operations B- box index Instruction check index Conditional tr-tnsfer instructions Number Code - Binary fixed point at the left of a word Positive numbers in true binary Negative numbers in four's complement Arithmetic Unit - includes four accumulators and overflow testing circuits computes in fixed binary point and in floating binary point when a stored sub-routine is called for Add and subtract in one minor cycle multiply in two minor cycles divide in n minor cycles n being the number of significant digits in a word 8tores - a Fast access Internal stores Ferrite core matrices - 2 matrices each of 256 or 512 words of n digits each if requested each matrix may contain up to 1024 words Access time lower than I pulse period b Slow access external store I magnetic drum of 64 or 128 magnetic tracks each of 128 words 8 192 or 16 384 words Exchange of- information between internal and external stores in blocks or groups each of 32 64 or 128 words is possible internal computation Is not interrupted Input-Output Same as for CAB 2 000 with a maximum of external input and output equipments up to 64 Word-by-word input or output to or from the arithmetic unit Grouped input or output to or from each one of the fast access stores each group of 32 or 128 words Input and output operations do not break the course of inter1nI copumtation when using the fast access stores - 12 - A series if CAD 3 000 is beingt minufic'tured two of which are intended for military and sclentiflie Ipurposes nnd one of which of the CAD 3 024 kind will lie used by the Institute National de ia Statistiquc et des Etudes Economiques ' CAB 5 040 - a new computer under development comprising special provisions with respect to the other CAB 3 000 of which the general organization is retained Arithmetic Unit adapted both for computation with floating binary point and fixed binary point Fixed point 40 Significant digits Floating binary point 32 significant digits exponent from 128 to 127 Master clock frequency - 200 KC s One minor cycle a 210 microseconds Fixed point operations - add and subtract in 0 21 mS multiply in 0 21 mS divide in 8 82 mS Floating point operations - add and subtract in 0 42 mS multiply in 0 21 mS divide in 7 14 mS conditional sequence break in 0 42 mS This computer is in the development stage NUMEROGRAPH S E A Ultra-fast alphabetic and numerical display recorder for use as an output equipment for digital computers The displays appear upon the screen of a cathode ray tube and are-recorded on standard 35 mm film Each line of the record contains 100 characters and spacings the characters may be letters including capitals fig'ures and various signs and symbols Minimum speed 2 000 characters per second Several units are manufactured for attachmeht to CAB computers of the 2 000 to 3 000 types ENAC Plotting Recorder This automatic graph plotting recorder accepts information in form of a series of coded digital values from either a hand-controlled keyboard a digital computer a punch card comnputer Digital-to-Analog conversion in achieved by means of a special storing register ineluded in the recorder proper The recorder can interpret data given in floating binary point number codes Several units have been manufactured for attachment to CAB computers and punched-card computers MISCELLANEOUS' UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MOORE SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING A new graduate course EE 634 Applications of Large-Scale Digital -Computers to Business and Industrial Systems has been introduced into the curriculum at the Moore School The course is open to graduate students of engineering and business administration During the first term business problems such as payroll procedures and inventory control in manufacturing industries were discussed Department store accounting and stock control was surveyed and appraised In the second term the management phase of Decision-making s via programming and electronic computer and the problem of coding were discussed For business systems banking and insurance were survdyed Professors A Matz of the Wharton School and 0 W Patterson of the Moore School are in charge of the course alternating between the business and engineering phase as subject and discussion require - 13- w U S NAVY AVIATION SUPPLY OFFICE - INVENTORY CONThOL WITH AN IBM 702 Usini an 11M typt 702- EDPM the V S N vv Aviation Supply Office Philndelphla pa electronically calculates procurement and distriltbution requirements for 120 000 aviation spare parts Ultimately this type of information may l e electronically formulated for 300 '100 000 aviations items Employilng conventional machine and mnnual methods these calculations required ninety three days with the IBM 702 this ninety-three day figure has been reduced to fifty-eight days - a saving of thirty-five daysl In addition information regarding the amount of spares necessary to sustain an aircraft throughout its useful life is also produced during this same fifty-eight day period This latter type of information known as life-of-Type Requirements was never before calculable because of the prohibitive time elements involved using conventional machines Further the Program Usage Replenishment System has been programmed on the ASO's EDPM equipment PURS is a mechanized stock control system designed to determine spare part distribution and procurement requirements predicated upon future CNO aircraft deployment plans and BUAER overhaul schedules Based upon PURS the ultimate product of ASO's 702 is a Consolidated Stock Status Report CSSR This report lists which items munt be redistributed which activities are short of stock and which items must be purchased in order to maintain minimum stock levels In addition to the C8SR electronic calculations will be made also for the annual Fiscal Year budget stock retention and disposal information The quarterly production of the CSSR alone requires the development of 3 000 to 3 500 reels of magnetic tape which must be saved for ninety days Supporting the ASO's EDPM installation which operates three shifts a day six days a week is a staff of twenty-two military operators six officers several clerical personnel and fifteen programmers The production of ninety-three programs - some 120 000 instructions - in a little over thirteen months is a staunch testimony to the skill and ingenuity of a civilian programming force recruited from and trained within ASO Thus through the use of electronic equipment the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts and the Aviation Supply Office have taken vast strides toward the creation and maintenance of a nearly automatic inventory control system NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS A new section Applications Engineering has been established in the Data Processing Systems Division of the National Bureau of Standards This section is concerned with the systematic analysis of functions which involve ectensive data processing in such areas as accounting inventory control logistics data or document retrieval and management and economic analysis Other responsibilities include research in new areas of applicability of data processing systems new techniques for analysis of data processing problems methods for more efficient handling of Information and the evaluation of available systems and equipment in terms of particular problem requirements S N Alexander Chief of the Data Processing Systems Division in serving an Chief of the new section with Mary E Stevens as Assistant Chief WAYNE UNIVERSITY COMPUTATION LABORATORY - SUMMER COURSES The Computation Laboratory of Wayne University has announced three one week summer courses on Automatic Computers Electronic Data Processing In Business and Government and Applications of Computers to Engineerin Science and Industry The courses are planned to run from 23 July to 11 August for three consecutive weeks -14- - '-14 -- Further information and the final program may be obtained from A W Jacobson Director Computation Laboratory Detroit 1 Michigan CONTRIBUTIONS FOR DIGITAL COMPUTER NEWSLETTER The NEWSLETTER is published fot times a year on the first of January April July and October and material should be in the hands of the editor at least one month before the publication date in order to be included in that issue The NEWSLETTER is circulated to all interested military and government agencies and the contractors of the Federal CGovernment In addition it is being reprinted In the Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery Communications should be addressed to A J Neumann Editor Digital Computer Newsletter Office of Naval Research Washington 25 D C - 15 -