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Computation for an Earth Satellite
· . . Neil . D.. Macdonald
New Computer Developments Around the World
· . . Everett S. Calhoun
Industry and the Automated Future: Problems
Along the Way
John Diebold
Electronic Digital Data-Handling
Howard T. Engstrom
Electronic Computing Machines in the National
Economy of the Soviet Union
V. Pekelis
The Nine Billion Names of God
Arthur C. Clarke
The Solution of Boundary Value Problems on a
REAC Analog Computer
· . . M. Yanowitch
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COMPUTERS
CYBERNETICS
•
AUTOMATION
AND
ROBOTS
•
AUTOMATIC
CONTROL
Vol. 6, No. 2
February, 1957
ESTABLISHED
SEPTEMB~JR,
1951
ARTICLES AND PAPERS
Neil D. Macdonald
Computation for an Earth Satellite
Everett S. Calhoun
New Computer Developments Around the World
John
Die bold
Industry and the Automated Future: Problems
Along the Way
Howard T. Engstrom
Electronic Digital Data Handling
V. Pekelis
Electronic Computing Machines in the National
Economy of the Soviet Union
M. Yanowitch
The Solution of Boundary Value Problems on a
REAC Analog Computer
Charles W. Worley
Simulation of a Liquid Level Control System
With an Analog Computer - Part 1
REFERENCE INFORMATION: Books and Other Publications
New Patents
.•. Arthur C. Clarke
FICTION: The Nine Billion Names of God
FORUM: Information About Computers and Their
Applications
Los Angeles Chapter, Association for Computing Machinery,
Statler Hotel, Los Angeles, March 1, 1957
What Readers Say About "Computers and Automation"
Computer People: Master File
Variable Length Multiplication
I. J. Good
NE·WS RELEASES: Air Traffic Control System
Bendix
Magnetic Recording Heads
Ferroxctibe
Electric Typewriter Input-Output for Computers
Intern. Bus. Mach. Corp.
The Editor's Notes
Index of Notices
Advertising Index
6
10
14
20
22
26
30
34
38
24
4
40
44
50
54
32
42
43
4
4
58
Editor: EdnlUnd C. Berkeley
Assistant Edi tors: Neil D. Macdonald, F. L. Walker
Contributing Editors: Andrew D. Booth, John M. Breen, John W. Carr, III, Alston S. HOuseholder
Advisory Committee: Part 1 - Samuel B. Williams, Herbert F. Mitchell Jr.
Part 2 - Howard T. F~gstrom, Alston S. Householder
Publisher: Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
815 Washington Street, Newtonville 60, Mass. - Decatur 2-5453 or 2-392B
Adxertising.Representatives:
New York - Milton L. Kaye, 601 Madison Ave., New York 21, N.Y., Plaza 5-4680
San Francisco - W.A.Babcock, 605 Market St., San Francisco 5, Calif., 'Yukon 2-3954
Los Angeles - Wentworth F. Green, 43Q So. Western Ave., Los Angeles 5, Calif., Dunkirk 7-8135
Elsewhere - the Publisher
COMPUTERS AND AU 10 MAT I ON is published monthly. Copyright, 1957, by Berkeley Enterpnses, Inc.
Subsc'ription rates: in the United States - one year $5.50, two years $10.50; in Canada - one year' $6.00, two years
elsewhere - one year $6.50, two years
$12.50
Sll.~;
Entered as second class matter at~_P_o_s_t_O_f_f_ic_e~,_N_e_w_~~o_r~k~,_N~.Y~.~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 3 -
FORUM
&
EDITOR'S
THE
NOTES
tiple copying machines, it might be possible to set
a fine example of a scientific field well-organized
from the point of view of access to the information
it produces.
INFORMATION ABOUT COMPUTERS
AND THEIR APPLICA TIONS
1. From the Editor (reprinted from the November,
1956 issue of "Computers and Automation", in order to make clear the present discussion without
the trouble of looking up the reference):
II. From Eugene Garfield, Pres., Documation,
Inc., Woodbury, N. J., to the Editor
It is clear to even a casual observer that information about computers, data processors, cybernetics, robots, automatic control - in short,
information about machines that handle information - is mushrooming into a tremendous and
continuous explosion. The great quantity of information about computers overstrains the capacity of
people in the computer field to find out about it,
keep track of it, and get access to it.
For example, there was submitted to us for
publication recently a bibliography on automatic
programming. We estimated that there were 1400
cards in this bibliography, the first half an index
by subjects, the second half an index by authors.
We. had to reply that we did not think there was
room in "Computers and Automation" to publish it
- and THIS IS ONLY A BIBLIOGRAPHY!
For another example, at the meeting of the
Association for Computing Machinery in Los
Angeles in August there were presented 61 papers
and addresses. The association distributed at the
meeting three and four page abstracts of 44 of the
papers. The remaining 17 (which corresponded
with invited papers) had no preprints or summaries. Furthermore, we have been told that the
Association has no more copies of the set of preprints, having intended to give them out only to
registrants. The Association doubtless has good
reasons for these decisions conducing to the unavailability of desired information; but the main underlying reason certainly is that computer people are
so busy with actual computers that they are unable
to do a good job with information about computers.
We would like to help organize, with the assistance of leading organizations in the computer
field, a "Master Library" and "Superintendent of
Documents" for the computer field. We w 0 u I d
gladly contribute all the books and other information we have; and we are sure there are some more
people in the computer field who would e age r 1 y
contribute likewise, in return for easily getting
copies of whatever they wanted. With sui tab I e
support from leading organizations, including support of salaries to librarians and operators of mul- 4 -
"Your comments about the need for a 'Master Library' and 'Superintendent of Documents' in
the field of automation will receive hearty approval
from the members of this growing profession. We
here at DOCUMA TION thought they were particularly
interesting since we are the first organization which
is devoted primarily to the two problems 0 f the
'documentation of automation', hence DOCUMATION,
and the automation of documentation. The relationship
between information problems and information handling is probably appreciated best by the people working in the field of automation.
You are already familiar with our publication
Management's DOCUMA TION Preview. I think you
will agree that automation is of fundamental importance to all types of management today. This was
the reason we emphasized automation in the title of
this publication. At the same time all the other
conventional management subjects such as personnel are of great importance to the people in top
management and all those concerned with automation. Management's DOCUMATION Preview meets
the requirements of an extremely interdisciplinary
area - that of management. The same is true of
automation.
(cont'd on page 49)
*-------------------*---------------------*
INDEX OF NOTICES
For Information on:
Advertising Index
Advertising Rates and
Specifications
Back Copies
Bulk Subscription Rates
Manuscripts
Reader's Inquiry Form
Special Issues
See Page:
58
56
52
50
48
58
37
Address Changes: If your address changes, please
send us both your new and your old address (torn
off from the wrapper if possible), and allow three
weeks for the change.
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COMPUTATION
FOR
AN
EARTH
SATELLITE
NEIL D.•• MACDONALD
New York, N. Y.
The Navy Department and futernational Business Machines Corporation are providing a highspeed electronic computing facility to calculate
and predict the orbit of the earth satellite to be
launched for scientific purposes during the International Geophysical Year (IGY). "Project Vanguard" has the responsibility for the satellite.
During the IGY, which begins July 1, 1957
and continues through December 31, 1958, scientists will try to place the satellite in an orbit from
200 to 300 miles above the earth.
The Vanguard Computation Center will be
located in Washington, D. C. and will use an IBM
704. Dr. Paul Herget, a consultant of the Naval
"Research Laboratory, will head its staff. Dr.
Herget is Director of Cincinnati Observatory and
Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cincinnati, and is noted for his work in keeping track
of some 1600 minor planets or asteroids for the
futernational Astronomical Union. He has rediscovered the orbits of several which have been lost
from view for decades. Much o~ Dr. Herget's
eomputational work has been done with e 1 e c tronic computers, and so Dr. Herget knows the
problems of tracking fast-moving celestial objects.
Using the IBM 701, the forerunner of the 704, Dr.
Herget located the "lost" asteroid Athalia two
years ago.
The Vanguard Computation Center will be
connected by teletype and telephone with the Vanguard Communication Center, to be located also
in Washington. A second standby Navy computing
facility, however, will also be on call somewhere
else, quite likely at the Naval Proving Ground,
Dahlgren, Virginia.
After the launching of the satellite, the Vanguard Computation Center will operate around the
clock, calculating the orbit. The Center will use
data from a number of radio tracking stations and
observation points all over the world.
Aceording to present plans, each r ad i 0
tracking station will send three sets of data to the
Vanguard Communication Center within 20 minutes
after the satellite passes the meridian longitude of
the station. After screening of the data, it will be
given to the computer. Each set of data will consist of two angles defining the direction of the satellite and a time of ob~ervation. The Vanguard
Communication Center will also receive information from unofficial tracking stations and from optical observation points throughout the world and
turn this information over to the Computation Center
for calculation.
The computer will use the information obtained from the tracking stations to calculate a set
of factors to describe the satellite orbit. These orbital factors will be used by observers allover the
world to predict the time of passage of the satellite
over various observation point,s. The orbital factors will also be supplied to the radio tracking stations, official IGY optical observing stations, principal astronomical observatories of the world, and
major cities of the world. The prediction data to
be computed for IGY optical stations will include
the time of meridian passage, the zenith angle, the
angular velocity, and the location of a favorable acquisition direction before meridian .passage. Information furnished for the major cities will tell
when and where to look for the satellite.
The satellite can probably be observed opt!cally under favorable weather conditions. But in
any event the Naval Research Laboratory expects
to track the satellite in almost any kind of weather,
using a method called "Minitrack". This employs
a miniature radio transmitter which will be placed
in the satellite and will radiate a continuous signal
to sensitive receiving equipment on the ground.
This signal will be picked up by offical radio tracking stations and other radio observers and relayed
to the Vanguard Communication Center.
Present plans call for official U. S. tracking
stations to be located at the following sites:
Blossom Point, Maryland (40 miles south
of Washington, D. C. )
- 6 -
Earth Satellite
Fort Stewart, Georgia
Batista Field, Havana, Cuba
Coolidge Field, Antigua Island, British
West fudies
Mt. Cotopaxi, Quito, Ecuador
Ancon, Lima, Peru
Antofagasta, Chile
Peldehue Military Reservation, Santiago,
Chile
Navy Electronics Laboratory, San Diego,
California
Information obtained from the satellite is expected to help scientists learn much more about the
size and shape of the earth and its atmosphere than
they now know. According to Dr. John P. Hagen,
who is Director of Project Vanguard at the Naval
Research Laboratory, the satellite will allow scien-'
tists for the first time to make astronomical observations of certain electromagnetic radiations
from the sun which do not penetrate the earth's
atmosphere. The satellite, it is expected, will
also give more knowledge about the atmosphere,
incoming radiations, higher regions of the atmosphere such as the ozonosphere and the ionosphere,
and certain phenomena in the atmosphere such as
the aurora.
Work on Project Vanguard began during the
summer of 1955, after President Eisenhower announced that the U. S. would launch an unmanned
earth satellite as part of this country's participation in the International Geophysical Year.
Project Vanguard was undertaken by the Department of Defense at the request of the U. S.
National Committee for the International Geophysical Year, established by the National Academy
of Sciences, and of the National Science Foundation.
Department of Defense participation is on a
three-service basis, with Navy management under the Chief of Naval Research. Project Vanguard has been established at the Naval Research
Laboratory, which has received the responsibility
for implementing the technical program. This
includes the development of a three-stage rocketlaunching vehicle, the launching, the initial radio
tracking of the satellite, and the determination and
prediction of its orbit. The Glenn L. Martin Co.
of Baltimore is the prime contractor for the launching vehicle.
The satellite will be fired from Patrick Air
Force Base, Florida, sometime between July 1,
1957 and December 31, 1958.
The Vanguard Computation CeItler will make
preliminary tests and dry runs well in advance of
the launching date. As the satellite, a 20-inch
sphere, is carried into space by a three-stage
rocket, the Vanguard computer will seek to predict its course. The problem compares with ~eep
ing track of a golf ball dropped from a supersonic
jet plane 12 miles high. The internal operations
of the IBM 704 takes place at a speed many times
faster than the earth satellite which it will track.
A typical electronic signal travels back and forth
over the wires of the computer at 186,000 miles
per second, reversing direction a million times a
second. These impulses are harnessed by complex
circuitry in the arithmetical and logical unit so as
to perform additions and subtractions at a rate of
41,800 per second and multiplications and divisions
of ten-digit numbers at 4,700 per second.
From a minimum of one position report per
90-minute revolution of the satellite around the
earth, the 704 will calculate the satellite's expected time of passage overhead for the benefit of observers all around the world.
The task of keeping ahead of the fast-moving
satellite is very complicated. The earth's surface
will shift 1600 equatorial miles to the east, in the
hour and a half required for the satellite to complete a full trip around the earth. Unlike an aircraft, the tiny sphere will be almost free of our
atmosphere at heights from 200 miles and up. The
man-made moon will rise in the west and set in the
east approximately fifteen times a day over the longitude of the planet from which it is launched.
A further factor which must be taken in to
account is the inclination of the satellite's orbit,
which is expected to lie between 30 and 45 degrees.
If the inclination were 45 degrees for example, the
satellite's orbit would pass over locations in a belt
lying between 45 degrees north latitude and 45 degrees south latitude. Accordingly, the satellite
would be visible at locations in and sufficiently near
this region. The satellite will only be visible, however, at dawn or twilight, provided the sky is sufficiently free from clouds. It will be seen only when
its bright, metallic outer skin is lighted by the rays
of the sun against a darkened sky. If the orbit remains constant, the imaginary shadow cast by the
satellite on the rotating earth below can be traced
on a wall map as a series of curving lines crossing
back and forth over the equator. The upper and lower limits of the lines depend on the angle of launching. The larger the angle, the greater the area of
the earth over which the satellite will be visible at
some time.
(cont'd on pages 8, 9, and 23)
- 7 -
Com!lut.·rs
811\1.
Automatior'
Dr. John P. Hagen, Director of Project Vanguard, is shown here with a full-scale cutaway
model of the earth satellite designed by scientists working under his direction at the Naval Research
Laboratory, Washington, D. C. The instrumentation shown inside includes telemetering equipment
which will transmit a radio signal to earth after the satellite has been launched into space. This
information, relayed to an IBM 704 electronic computer in Washington, D. C., will be used to predict and calculate the satellite's orbit.
Dr. Paul Herget is shown at the console of the IBM 704 Electronic Data Processing Machinc.
He will head the Project Vanguard Computing Center, Washington, D. C., which will utilize a highspeed system of this type to predict and calculate the orbit of the man-made earth satellite to bc
launched during the International Geophysical Year.
- 8 -
Earth Satellite
The reM 704 Electronic Data Processing Machine, which will calculate and predict the
course of the earth satellite at tremendous speeds. The 704 will be the heart of the Project
Vanguard Computing Center, Washington, D. C. Radio signals emitted by the satellite will be
relayed to the Center, where the giant machine will process information and compute the orbit
of the tiny sphere for the benefit of radio tracking stations and optical observers.
rr'.;:~' ,
:l
~TV < ~
: I';
:'A,;
~
.~z,
The mM 740 Cathode Ray Tube Output Recorder (CRT), a visual display unit which pictures
the output of the IBM 704 Electronic Data Processing Machine in the form of engineering symbols,
words, numbers, or geometrical figures. The orbit of the earth satellite can be plotted on the
screen of the CRT as this information is being computed by the machine. With the CRT, Project
Vanguard scientists plan to trace the course of the satellite over the face of the earth directly below, photographing the pattern and superimposing it on maps of regions having favorable observing conditions. They can also use the cathode ray tube for any other phase of the satellite problem which they wish to demonstrate visually.
(text cont'd on page 23)
-9-
NEW
COMPUTER
DEVELOPMENTS
AROUND
THE
WORLD
Everett S. Calhoun
Stanford Research Institute
Economics Division
Menlo Park, Calif.
(Presented at the Eastern Joint Computer Conference, New York, Dec., 1956)
It has indeed been an interesting assi~ent
to travel during the past four months through twenty countries to observe the developments in electronic computers and office automation. Ninetyfive visits have turned up over thirty-five different computers and a host of electromechanical devices for data recording.
Inasmuch as my primary interest was in
automatic data-processing no special effort was
made to visit analog computer laboratories or
scientific computer installations. However, as in
the United States, nearly all of the European computers were originally designed for military or
scientific-mathematical purposes. In order to
capture a share of the larger business data-processing market, most of these are now being altered to provide better input-output facilities.
The concepts of IDP (Integrated Data-Processing), EDP (ElectrOnic Data-Processing), and
Office Automation are already accepted by big business abroad. I found government bureaus, banks,
insurance companies, manufacturers, department
stores and mail order houses eagerly awaiting the
day when automation will supply an answer to their
rising office costs. Although salaries appear low
compared to ours when converted to U. S. dollars,
the percentage of clerical costs to total overhead
is too high, and good clerks are scarce in Europe
also. It is widely mown that new business tools
will soon be available which will not only do routine work automatically, but also provide management with better and quicker information.
Europe is undergoing a building boom that
is unprecedented. Many parts of the world, particularly our former enemies, are approaching a
prosperity similar to ours in the "Roaring Twenties". New factories, stores, offices and apartments are replacing the bomb shattered obsolescence of the thirties, and the most modern equipment is being installed. Business men speak about
- 10 -
"Univac" and #650 and "Datatron" with the same
familiarity as in this country.
In the Far East most of the electronic developments are coming from TOkyo. The Shibaura
Electric Company built their first computer, the
TAC (Tokyo Automatic Computer), for Tokyo University. This serial, digital, binary machine has
both electrostatic tube and magnetic drum storage.
A second model is nearly completed. In the Government Electrotechnical Laboratory a partly transistorized computer was demonstrated to me,
called the "E TL Mark ill". 120 Transistors are
used along with 55 vacuum tubes and 1600 germanium diodes. 256 words are stored in glass supersonic delay lines, providing multiplication in less
than one millisecond. Kyoto University is also
using a computer in its mathematical department,
and several other firms are designing new machines. When entering the air-conditioned roo m
where a large relay computer was in use at the
telephone company, I was asked to remove my
shoes "to prevent the entry of dust". Removing
shoes is of course a common occurence in Japan,
but perhaps some of our magnetic tape installations
could adopt this plan as a cure for "dropped bits".
The Statistical Institute of India has ordered
a "URAL" Computer from Russia. This decision
followed a trip to the U. S. A. to investigate available equipment. Dr. Mahlinobis, the Director,
was not sure of the characteristics or specifications, nor the type of input and output equipment
which would be furnished, but it appears to be in
the class with a Univac #120 or an mM *607 or
BULL "Gamma".
Discussions with several people who have
visited Russian computer developments indicate
they have completed a number of designs of modern computers at several laboratories, the principal one being the Institute of Exact Mechanics
and Computing Techniques at the Academy 0 f
New Developments
Sciences at Moscow. I heard a speech at the Instruments and Measurements Conference in Stockholm, by S. A. Lebedev of this organization. He
described the installation of Williams Tubes in the
BESM, replacing the Mercury Delay lines. He
seemed rather disappointed that even Dr. Williams
agrees that the CR T storage is obsolete, and that
every other speaker was emphasizing the replacement of CRT tubes with Magnetic Core store. I
have no dou~t, however, that their rep ute d
30,000,000 document library in Lomonosoff University, translated from every language by the
10,000 technical foreign language staff, has access
to every process and patent published anywhere.
Mr. Lebedev also discussed the use of magnetic
drums and tapes, and the existence of a rotary
wheel printer and another output device projecting 200 digits per second to photographic film.
The BESM computer is reported to have an average operating speed of 7,000 to 8,000 three-address
operations per second including access time.
A visit to the Leipzig Fair in East Germany
proved fruitless as far as electronic machines
were concerned. Eastern Germany was the location· of the office equipIrent industry before the war,
and firms like Reinmettal, Astra, Mercedes and
others are still in operation and doing considerable
export business to all the world except the U. S. A.
While the quality of these machines suffered as a
result of poor quality steel after the war, most
users now report very satisfactory quality in recent production. It was significant that not one
word regarding Russia was included in the publicity, and not one display was marked "made in the
USSR". In former years such products formed a
prominent part of the huge trade fair.
An exciting documentary could be written
about the reestablishment of the office equipment
industry in Germany since 1945. Many plan t s
were demolished in the war, and,particularly in
Berlin, the Russians removed the remaining equipment and took it to their Zone. Branch factories
of large U. S. firms were left with a shell of a
building, without a tool or even a light bulb. These
plants have all been restored with modern tooling
and machines now, and there is no evidence that
the Russians ever got the removed equipment into
production.
I talked with a number of East German factory executives who fled with microfilms and worthless Marks across the line by bicycle. They reassembled, pooled their resources, acquired financing and personnel. Buildings were constructed
for production of typewriters, adding machines and
- 11 -
bookkeeping machines to meet the needs of western
Europe. The basic superiority and talent of German technicians in the mechanical arts has resulted in a surprising comeback, and have established
Germany as the largest exporter of office eyuipmenf.
Computer developments in Germany have
been sponsored by the Deutsche Forshungs Gcmeinschaft (DFG) organization, with members representing various industries and branches of government. With a budget of many millions of Marks
for the advancement of science, they have allocated
to several universities sufficient money to build
electronic computers. Goettingen University was
putting the finishing touches on "Mark Ill" when I
was there, and they have been operating "G-I"
since 1952. "G-l" and "G-2" were built out of
U. S. radar surplus for the most part, and are relatively slow, but "G-3" is a Ferrite Core storage
parallel machine of much more ambitious proportions. The "G-2" model includes a magnetic drum
with 2096 words of storage, and is serial in operation.
When one wishes to find out about computers
in Germany, he visits Prof. Dr. Alwin Walther at
Darmstadt Technische Hochschule. His staff maintains the best library of computer information in
Europe. Prof. Walther has been the inspiration
to design and construct computers in sever:al other
schools in Germany, and his own group have nearly
finished the "DERA" (Darmstadt Electronic Recorder Automatic) which they will use in the Mathematics Department. Another group has been working
for four years at the Munich Technical Highschool
(6,000 student enrollment, college level) on the
" PER M ", a computer with an exceptionally fast
drum," 15,000 rpm. Completion is being delayed
by the replacement of 100,000 faulty connl~ctors,
a not-too-uncommon complaint of current computers.
The only operation in Germany where a
quantity of computers have been made and sold is
in a barn in Neukirchen-HUnfeld where Dr. Konrad
Zuse has built 12 relay analog machines. He is
currently finishing the first digital electronic,
magnetic drum model, and reports that he has a
backlog of half a dozen sales orders. The price
wUl be in the neighborhood of 100,000 Marks
($25,000). This can be better Wlderstood when
salaries of $100 per month and plant rent of perhaps $100 per month are taken into account.
The center of full-fledged production of
electronic computers in Germany will probably be
Computers and Automation
Stuttgart, a beautiful, thriving, modern industrial
city of 1,000,000 skilled people. IBM have established their first #650 production-line here. Standard Electric Co. (IT&T) have formed the "lnformatik" division of their 10,000 man operation to build
transistorized computers. They are closely linked
with large operations in pforzheim, and in Belgium,
where two computers have been built, one for an
American buyer. Standard in Britain is also massproducing a computer designed in Holland, and with
their communication facilities and teletypewriter
subsidiary, Lorenz, A. G., the I. T. & T. operation are impressive.
The first installation of a large-scale electronic data-processing system in Europe is at the
Battelle Institute in Frankfurt where Remington
Rand have installed a UNIVAC system. A new
modern building, complete with air-conditioning
and 60-cycle power source was built for this facility; it is strictly first-class. The machine will
be used by industry and government as a computing center. I talked to people as far away as Madrid who were attending programming classes in
Frankfurt, and many firms are planning to train
personnel in the use of this equipment. IDM will
use a #650 at Stuttgart for computing service, and
plans are being discussed for a #705 at some other
location in the near future.
One of the finest programs of technical development and group research is in the wonderful
Scandinavian countries. Here the various technical schools have cooperated and the result is an
excellent high-speed computer called the "BESK".
To avoid the requirements for maintenance, increase its speed, and enlarge its storage capacity,
the Williams Tubes have recently. been replaced by
a 4,000 word ferrite core store. These new core
matrix boards were assembled at the technical
school in Stockholm at minimum cost from cores
of General Ceramics manufacture, and they were
very proud that it worked perfectly three days
after installation. Duplicates of this machine have
been built at several commercial and governmental
installations in Sweden, and a copy if nearing completion in Copenhagen. The University of Lund
saved money on their copy by installing a magnetic drum initially.
One cannot help ad:pliring the fact that, in
spite of limited capital and resources, each of
the smaller countries in Europe has some activity
toward building computers. Norway has a small
drum machine in the Central Institute at Blindern
University, and partly as a result, the government is to receive the first "MERCURY" Comput- 12 -
er from Ferranti. The Mathematics Center at
Amsterdam built a small relay computer four years
ago. Now they have a new electronic core model,
and they built a duplicate for the Fokker Aircraft
Company. Due to the interest created, the 'Shell
Company bought a "PEGASSUS" computer, and the.
government Telephone & Telegraph laboratory built
a series of computers, one of them for mass production. This machine incorporates a novel system
of programming, each instruction word includes a
"long" and a "short" address plus up to 12 functional operations, each designated by one character.
The inspiration for a number of computer am
electronic developments in Europe is the operation
known as PTT, Postal, Telegraph and Telephone,
which operates the banking system of the various ,
governments. This is the largest single data-processing operation in the world, unless our Social
Security tops it. Every day, in each large center
in Europe, hundreds of thousands of postal checks
are issued, and a statement is mailed each day to
every depositor whose accamt is active. The problem of sorting the paper is a major one, and there
is great current interest in magnetic ink character recognition. The Holland group are trying to
find a method of reading handwriting. The BULL
Company in Paris is demonstrating a magneticink coded check sorter. In Switzerland they have
punched 40 holes, 1/4" diameter, in the checks so
they can be sorted, but the result looks like Swiss
cheese. Some solution is bound to come to the
problem before long.
Switzerland and Italy have no commercial
developments in computers as yet. The Technical
Highschool at Zurich had the "ERMETH" built for
them by Hasler A. G. in Bern. IBM have just dedicated their new research laboratory in Zurich;
the director is Dr. Speiser who designed the Ermeth machine. In Italy, Spain and Portugal, the
business machines industry is dominated by OLIVE TTl, and it will probably not be too long before
some announcements in the electronic field will be
forthcoming. Research is under way at Pisa. A
Ferranti is in use at the University of Rome, and
many Italian banks are using machines such as the
Univac #120, the IBM #604 and the BULL Gamma,
all punched-card-programmed electronic calculators.
If punched-card-programmed calculators are
included, then the largest producer of electronic
computers in Europe is the Compagnie de Machines Bull in Paris. This firm has installed several
hundred "GAMMA" machines, largely in banks, and
is now starting to produce a new faster model in-
New Developments
corporating a magnetic drum with 8,000 words of
storage. Magnetic tapes will probably be added
also, although there has been little if any effort
to develop magnetic .tape devices anywhere in
Europe. At the other commercial computer factory in France, the Society for Electronics and
Automation, Mr. Francois Raymond is installing
Potter Tape units on the "CAB #:3000" which is
nearing completion, at a price of about $250,000.
A still faster model operating at 200 kc will perform multiplication in 0.21 milliseconds according to the announcements. I was told that a printer, called the "Numerograph", consisting of a
CRT projection on film, would be delivered on a
business data processing application in March
1957 but the prototype had not been started. Such
faith and confidence is reminiscent of our earlierday predictions in the U. S. A. This organization
has produced, however, about 50 analog machines,
mostly for machine tool control. I visited an installation of the first "CAB #:2000" digital computer in a defense plant in Paris and was told it had
performed excellently for one year with only parttime maintenance.
There is little doubt that the principal commercia! production of electronic computers, especially for export, will come from Great Britain.
The Universities have produced an able group of
electronic designers and the knowledge of computer circuitry and component design is on a level
with that in the U. S. A. A number of well financed
manufacturers have passed the prototype building
stages, and now have a backlog of orders which
would probably total over $10,000,000. The government, through the N. R. D. C., is stimulating
and supporting developments in this field as evidenced by the granting, through the University
Grants Committee, of six Ferranti computers to
as many colleges for use in mathematices and research. Export sales to very remote countries
are being made, and others c cnsidered, with utter
disregard for the maintenance facilities now nonexistent, but we should not try to tell England how
to handle export business. I talked with computer
salesmen who had been to the Orient on sales trips.
Ferranti have sold machines in Italy, Canada,
Sweden, Switzerland and South Africa, and Elliott
Bros. will deliver machines in 1957 as far away
as Australia from service facilities. Therefore
we can assume there would be no hesitation to
accept orders from the U. S. A., where dollar
credits are so very desirable at this time.
British electronics firms operating in their
domestic market, are finding, however, that the
lack of established sales and service facilities is
a serious handicap, especially in the new field of
business data-processing. They are following the
lead of the U. S. A. by joining with business machines distributors whose lmowledge of system selling and installation is based on sound experience.
The machines of Ferranti will be sold by PowersSarnas. Elliott Bros. have concluded a sales agreement with National Cash Register. British Tabulating Machine Co. has joined with Laboratory for
Electronics in Boston. Standard Electric, EMI
Electronics, English Electric and Decca are still
independent, but none have faced the sa1es problem
as yet.
No report of British computer progress would
be complete without some mention of LEO, the Lyons
Electronic Office. The Lyons Tea Co. is a large,
diversified firm, with 250 bakeries and restaurants
and 400 kinds of tea distributed house to house.
Even so, it was quite a departure to start building
an electronic data-processing machine in 1950.
This 6,000 tube machine with mercury delay line
store has been in operation on payrolls since early
1954, and now has enough time to turn out 6,000
pay checks for Ford in addition to the 30,000 for
the bakeries. A separate subsidiary has been established to build the comp~ters which other firms
are ordering, and 70 people are employed. A large
Coop chain will be the first customer for the first
of the "LEO II" machines, which are four times
faster due to a shortening of the mercury lines.
Bull or Sarnas printers will be used for output.
A number of unique design features are included in British computers which we are not using
in the U. S. One is Nickel Delay lines for fast storage, first used in the "Nicholas" computer built by
Elliott Bros. and continued in their newer data-processing models, the #404 and #405. Nickellines
will be used in the new Ferranti Data-Processor
and probably in :the EM! transistorized computer.
Bull of Paris have incorporated nickel lines in
their newest drum "Gamma". For bulk storage,
however, Elliott Bros. have provided either a
4,096 word drum or a 16,384 word aluminum disc,
1/2" thick and 19" diameter. This appears to be
considerably more simple in construction than most
of the magnetic drums which are in almost universal
use. Elliott are also alone in using 35 mm. film instead of plastic or mylar for magnetic tape storage,
the film movement of 30" per second being controlled
by the sprocket perforations. Two high-speed wirematrix data printers are under development which
will be used by the various computer manufacturers who wish faster speeds of output than the punched
card tabulators. One of these by Samas has been
demonstrated here by Underwood-Elecom, which
(cont'd on page 54)
- 13 -
INDUSTRY
AND
THE
Problems
AUTOMATED
Along
The
FUTURE:
Way
JOHN DIEBOLD
John Diebold and Associates
New York, N. Y.
(An address delivered January 9, 1957 at the
Conference on Automation, University of California, Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco)
De spite the millions of words that have been
written about automation, from Coq;ressional hearings to comic books, very little has been said about
automation as a business problem. And yet automation presents a unique problem to business management. It is only through the successful solution
of this problem and through the widespread application of automation to business and industry that we
can realize the benefits it promises to our society
- in taking the work out of work, and in freeing
mankind for the human use of human beings, as
one philosopher has expressed it.
To the businessman, automation presents
something of a contradiction. He has heard much
of its wonders and of its fantastic potential. Yet
when he looks about him for specific cases, he
sees more promise than payoff. It is about this,
automation as a business problem, that I want to
address you this evening.
tial benefit has been realized. In the area of automatic data processing, for example, there are well
over a thousand computers already in operation,
but only a small fraction of them are functioning as
more than punched card calculators. As a result
very few have produced real savings, or even the
singularly important advances in the level of management control which has been a rationalization
used to justify the dollar savings that have not appeared. This is true not only of office automation
- thus far the most advanced area - but also of
industrial or factory type automation.
The Managerial Problem
I have been asked to anticipate the nature of
industry in the automated future, but before adding
to the all too frequent speculations about the future,
I should like to concentrate on some of the mistakes
that are being committed in thinking about automation, and in applying it. The future depends upon
the successful solution of the problems that face
us today in understanding and applying automation.
Talk vs. Achievement
To begin with, there is much less concrete
achievement than talk. We in business have found
the application of this new technology a much slower process than might be assumed from the many
newspaper articles that have appreared in the past
few years. In many cases individual machines or
devices have been applied, but not automation systems. Consequently, only a fraction of the poten- 14 -
I should like now to discuss the managerial
problem responsible for this situation. If we are
ever to achieve the benefits of increased production and greater leisure that automation holds out
as a promise, we must concentrate on the practical
problems of the ideas and techniques of automation
just as we must be alert to the many social, economic, and human problems of a changed society.
There are many problems that have handicapped a full realization of the potentialities of
automation, but on the' managerial side I think that
the problems reduce themselves to two.
The first mistake is made when the businessman concentrates his attention on the hardware or
individual machines of automation rather than the
system.
The second major error is that because the
businessman has been impressed into thinking of
automation as a scientific or engineering problem,
the important decisions have often been delegated
to technicians', rather than dealt with as essentially
managerial problems.
Automated Future
A whole chain of subsequent problems results
from these two initial errors.
The "Electronics Committee"
To begin with, there is the Electronics Committee. Countless times I have heard otherwise
responsible executives state, when I questioned
them about what they were doing with regard to
automation: "We have formed an electronics committee." And they have stated it in a manner implying that this takes care of the problem! In
practice this often means no more than that the
committee spends a year - or in one case I know
of, three years - wandering about the country attending manufacturers' schools and visiting computer installations. This experience is somehow
supposed to be sufficient for making critical decisions about the highly detailed process of automating. In no other area of business activity, with
the possible exception of advertising, would any
manager have so confident a feeling that a problem
would be solved by delegating such a crucial problem to a committee.
All too often the electronics committee has
been a device, whether intentionally or not, for
creating the impression of doing something about
automation while at the same time avoiding any
action that could possibly backfire. I know of one
case in which the electronics committee of a major oil company actually presented the final equipmentchoice, after more than a year's study, to
the president of the company and asked him to
choose between machines of two different manufacturers!
The training received by the committees at
manufacturers' schools usually gives the members a pseudo-scientific appreciation of the equipment, and a bias toward whatever specific equipment they have studied. They return filled with
technical phrases and parrot the sales arguments
of the equipment company.
Operational Problems
While the scope of the automation problem
encompasses virtually all areas of the business
organization, the nature of the analysis and the
decisions that must be undertaken, in short, the
detailed work, does not lend itself well to committee organization - they are operational problems and should be treated as such. As has often
been said, an administrative board has the same
characteristics as any other board - it is long,
narrow, and wooden. It can be .useful for insuring
company-wide understanding and cooperation; but the
problem of automation should be specifically assigned
as the responsibility of an operating executive, preferably not a management eunuch - one who knows exactly how something is done but can't do it himself.
The "Scientist to Handle Automation"
A second major area of management trouble
arises from the assumption that you must have an
engineer or a scientist to handle the automation
program. This has created a mad quest for skilled
scientific personnel. I think we should accept the
fact that as yet there are very few competent people
trained to handle automation in the office. At the
same time, a large group of job-hoppers has come
into existenpe. This group would be considered
"floaters" in any other field, giving themselves
impressive job titles - rarely true job descriptions - and going through several employers in
a few years. These floaters are disruptive in any
organization. Introduced into a company structure
on the ground of a need for specialists over the
cries of good personnel people, they mean trouble.
Competently Trained People
When you come right down to it, one cause
of the trouble is that the hardware of automation
is being shipped faster than competent people can
be trained to operate it. IBM, for example, is
shipping about two million and a half dollar machines a week and close to two medium scale computers, $50,000 a year rental, a day. But the
answer is not to go into the job market for specialists. Good ones are exceptionally hard to find and
money is no longer an incentive for the already highly
paid - $18,000 to $30,000 a year - experienced
men. These men are looking for very specialized
kinds of opportunities. You cannot count on the
loyalty or the stability of the rob hoppers, and you
are bound to disturb your regular organization.
The consequences are, of course, none other than
you would expect to find after violating any other
sound personnel policy.
The solution is to train personnel from your
own organization. Business is beginning to realize
this. I find that my own firm has been spending an
increasingly large amount of time training client
personnel. We have come to realize that the training of personnel in analytical procedures, machine operation, and programming is one of the most
critical problems of a successful automation installation. Indeed, as I will discuss more fully
- 15 -
Computers and Automation
later, education is the basic problem of automation.
This is but one example.
Thorough Understanding of the Business
A successful installation of automation equipment cannot be made in business unless a thorough
understanding of the business itself, and the functions and needs of its operations, underlies the installation. While the businessman may regard the
specialized knowledge of the engineer with something approaching awe, the engineer all too frequently regards the unfamiliar processes of business as
something that can be mastered in a few months.
Glenn White of the Chrysler Corporation has remarked out of the experience of his company that:
We are satisfied that the way to put together
a team of people to work on electronics is to
take somebody who has a goo~ knowledge of
how to run your business, a good systems
and procedures man, if you please. They
can be trained in electronics much easier
than somebody who knows electronics can
be trained in how to run your business.
The problems arising from the delegation of
authority to make decisions about automation to a
technical group unfamiliar with the total business
environment are perhaps corollary to the bas i c
mistake made when businessmen approach automation from the standpoint of technology or hardware. There has been an unfortunate preoccupation
with the machines of automation and an unfortunate
eclipse of the more significant techniques of automation. The senior partner of one of the leading
public accounting firms, which has widely touted
data processing as the solution to all sorts of
chronic business ills, recently made the statement
that the first step in applying automation to th e
office is selecting the machines. Nothing could be
more erroneous.
Computers are actually being ordered with
some homely phrases as, "If you are going to make
a rabbit stew, you had better begin by getting yourself a rabbit." The very phrase, "feasibility study'~
so often used on connection with the study preceding
installation of a computer, frequently serves to imply to those conducting the study that they are trying to find an application for a computer. Their
objective should be to design the best possible information and communication system for meeting
the needs of the organization, whether it relies
upon a computer, a simple manual and machine
system, or entirely upon humans.
- 16 -
"Step-by-step Approach"
A phr ase that is often heard in this field is:
"We are taking a step-by-step approach to automation." This, as intended, conveys the impression
of caution and proper business reserve. But the
fact of the matter is that it often means that another
uncoordinated misstep is being taken into automation. What is so misleading about the 'step by step'
approach is that while caution is a desirable thing,
the whole concept of systems analy.sis and design,
which is basic to automation, requires a ~areful
and detailed plan for the entire organization if the
benefits realized are'to be more than marginal.
Following a step-by-step approach has all
too often resulted in throwing out the previous step
and redoing a great amount of work in installing the
procedures and equipment associated with the new
steps. The result is a continuing state of potential
saving - always just ahead, after the next step.
In much of the work that my firm has done in
this field we have been confronted with situations
in which prior to our arrival the application of automation to the office was simply thought of as adding
a new IBM machine to the tab room. I mow of several firms that are installing major machines on
just this basis. In reality there is an enormous
opportunity for viewing and ru;talyzing the entire
organization as an integrated system, and we always insist that this precede evaluation of equipment. You begin with the system, not the machinery. In viewing the entire organization, great improvements can sometimes be made without recourse to automatic machinery. It is very unlikely
that the reverse is true.
DisappOintments in Savings
One of the reasons dollar savings have been
so disappointing in existing computer installations
is that by treating the computer as just another tabulating machine· and not integrating it into the business system, high costs of data preparation are
encountered and often seriously negate the dollar
savings of automatic processing. On virtually
every project my firm has worked on, one of our
principal sources of savings has been the automatic derivation of data from a process as a by-product and the elimination of extensive key punching
or other data preparation costs encountered when
the computer is treated as just a newer, fa s t e r ,
and· more automatic addition to the tabulating room.
It is through just this process of reaching out into
production and other busine ss processes for auto-
Automated Future
matic cotlection of data that the office and factory
are gradually being drawn more closely together.
concerns as well as large.
Integrating all the separate stages of the production process into a single smooth-running system - the first step in industrial automation cannot be done by designing a machine to help a
worker do his job more effectively. It can only be
done by questioning each stage in the production
process and finding out whether it really is necessary, whether it must be separate from other stages,
and whether it can be performed without the help of
a human operator. R. H. Sullivan, Vice President
of the Ford Motor Company, has stated:
So many examples of poorly used computers
exist at this time because initially machines were
bought with the obvious intention of applying a
simple machine. Too much has been left to the
sales representatives of the equipment companies.
These firms simply do not have the experienced
people necessary to do the application work for
the new, highly complex machine systems. The
top managements of companies are the first to admit this. What happens is that the unstudied system has been embarrassed with the wrong machinery.
"I don't mean that our factories had no automatic machines. We found, for example,
that it was fast becoming impossible to utilize the full capacity of up-to-date machine
tools, because men couldn't load and unload
them fast enough by hand. The trouble with
our manufacturing methods was that, like
Topsy, they 'just grew', and nobody had taken
time out for a long view. What we needed was
a complete rethinking of the problem a
whole new philosophy of manufacturing. "
In a system study we ordinarily insist that
we concentrate on an analysis of the separate parts
and on joining these parts into an effective and functional whole. But before we can insist on this, we
must be sure that there really exists equipment
which can be ordered to fit the needs of the system
for automation.
Thus far I have stressed the fact that management has concentrated on hardware rather than
the systems concept of automation. I want to II!-ake
clear that there is both too great an emphasis on
the hardware, and too incomplete a knowledge of
the hardware. To manage successfully the conversion to automation, it is necessary to be familiar
with the hardware that is available. Nothing that
I have said thus far should be interpreted as implying the contrary.
The Production Process as a Whole
Just as the first step in automating the office
should be a systems study, so the basic step in
industry is viewing the production process - from
the introduction of raw material to the completion
of the final product - as an integrated system.
To me, this is the distinctive fact about automation. It is no longer a question of thinking in terms
of individual machines, or even groups of machines.
It is a new way of organizing and analyzing production, a concern with the production process as a
system and a consideration of each element as part
of that system. It is something of a conceptual
breakthrough, as revolutionary in its way as Henry
Ford's concept of the assembly line. Indeed, it
may in the end have an even more widespread effect
on business and industry, since it rests on an idea
rather than on a method or particular kind of machine and is adaptable to many different kinds of operations, office work as well as factory work, small
Automation: Transfer Machines
So much progress has been made in the application of automation systems to the automotive and
related supply industries that an unfortunate stereotype has arisen to the effect that automation is limited to companies with large dollar resources and
exceptionally long runs of product. This is not
true, but the reason the impression has grown is
easy to understand. The kind of industrial equipment used in the automotive ,industry, for example,
is very specialized, made for the requirements of
a particular product. It also costs a lot of money.
But it is simply one manifestation in hardware of
the technique of automation applied to a particular
type of industry. The large transfer'machine complete with loading and unloading device is well
suited for the automobile industry, where literally
millions of identical parts pass through a line before
new equipment has to be considered.
Automation: Control Systems
It is not so well suited to the estimated 80 per
cent of American industry that produces in lots of
25 or fewer identical pieces. Nor is it well suited
for industries that frequently redesign their products,
since any major change in design means cosily readjustments at best and may even mean scrapping
- 17 -
Computers and Automation
these expensive machines. But the new technology
of automation that deals with feedback and control
systems is producing a new family of machines
guided by magnetic or punched paper tap e t hat
makes it possible to obtain the benefits of automatic production yet retain the flexibility of operation essential for job shop production. These machines are only beginning to appear. Some forty different prototypes can today be found in the shops
of machine tool maufacturers and during the next
few years they will begin to have an enormous impact on the small lot producers of this country.
Automation: Highly Instrumented Industries
A second stereotype that I believe exists in
the public mind with regard to automation is the
impression that the ultimate in automation can be
symbolized by an oil refinery or any other highly
instrumented process industry. Nothing could be
further from the truth. In fact, although automatic operation has been achieved in these refineries,
they are only beginning to feel the full impact of a
second, and more significant, stage of automation.
The intricate controls that run a refinery
almost by themselves are far from being the ultimate in automation. Feedback, after all, only
makes it possible to maintain a variable at a
desired value without human invervention. The
value itself must still be selected, and the control
instrument adjusted accordingly. In many cases,
it is not possible to determine the relationships
among variables that will hold true throughout an
entire process. This means that the operator cannot simply set his controls and go home. He must
re,.set them every time a test of the product during
processing shows that changes are needed. And
making these adjustments is not as easy as inching
up the dial of 'a thermostat, for example, ,and seeing what happens. Indicators and recorders have
multiplied in such bewildering profusion that they
have had to be greatly reduced in size to allow for
ready comprehension of the entire process by a
single operator in a single control room, or even
a number of operators. Even so, the panels of
miniaturized instruments schematically reproducing the operations of a process often cover all four
walls of a large room.
The result is that even such a highly automated industry as refining works most of the time
on a trial-and-error basis. A refinery may not be
operating at optimum for more than a few minutes
out of its entire twenty-four hour operating day.
Genuinely effective control, it is estimated, could
- 18 -
increase yields by as much as thirty per cent.
In the case of some of the newer petrochemicals
the question of effective control becomes vital.
Polyethylene, for example, the plastic that has
becom~ so common to us in the form of squeezeable containers, turns to a useless wax unless an
exquisite balance is maintained among a number
of rapidly fluctuatmg variables.
Thus, in spite of the impressive and numerous dials on the control panels of a modern process plant, the actual control of the process is still
in a primitive state. To achieve the kind of control that is required, all of the individual controls
need to be integrated into a single, coordinated,
self-regulating system. Just as a single machine
designed on the feed-back principle notes and corrects variations in its output, so an integrated
self-regulating system will note and correct variations in the end-product of an entire plant, making precise and almost instantaneous adjustment
whenever the product itself shows any variation
from optimum quality. Since the control of a
number of variables to produce the desired end
is essentially a calculating operation, the integrated operation of the process plant of the future
will depend upon an electronic computer to analyze,
correlate, and correct the operations of the individual control devices.
At present, however, we simply do net
know enough to use a computer in this way and,
although we are very close to achieving such a
controlling computer, we do not yet possess a
computer that is reliable enough to operate suitably in an 'on line' capacity for long periods of
time. We do not yet have instruments that can
measure reliably, accurately, swiftly, and continuously enough all the variables of refinery operation. We do not yet know how to measure, relate and reduce to equations that a computer can
handle, all the process conditions that determine
the quality of a given end-product. The most limiting problems hampering the development of automation in industry today are technical. In the
office they are managerial. And so far as automation in the office is concerned, if all technological development were to stop today, it would
take us many years before we would find that we
had fruitfully applied and made proper use of the
machines and techniques we already possess.
The Soviet Ministry of Automation
A British spokesman remarked recently that
whoever wins the automation race will have won
Automated Future
the cold war. This may well be true. A fact that
is not generally known in this country is that the
Soviet government recently created a Ministry of
Automation headed by a minister of cabinet rank;
Mikhan A. Lesechko. A large part of the current
five year plan is devoted specifically to autom~
tion.
be given to the fact that we are. not automating fast
enough.
A Study of the True Effects of Automation
This is not entirely surprising. Russian
computer work, for example, has always been
conducted under a high security classification.
Several years ago all development work in this
field was withdrawn from the satellite countries
and cmfined to the heartland. Nevertheless, many
Russian mathematical texts and journals reach us
and it has been obvious for some time through the
type of problems they are concerned with, and the
methods of solution they propose, that there must
be access to enormous computing capacity behind
the iron curtain.
When you consider the fact that General Electric was recently awarded a jet engine contract
because their company was four years ahead of the
field in blade design, having used a computer to
shorten the immense labor of simulating b 1 a d e
designs in pre-construction "drawing board flight
tests", you can begin to appreciate that Russian
concern with automation goes far beyond a desire
for reduced production costs.
For example, the Russians are well aware
that Douglas Aircraft was able to get the DC-7 into
the air six months sooner because of a giant IBM
701 computer. They know, too, that our atomic
energy program would not have been possible without high speed computing facilities. It would be
folly to underestimate USSR ability in this field.
The Russians have always been a highly capable
people in the field of mathematics, and this discipline, after all, is the basis of success in the field
of computers. No one interested ir husiness, industry, or education is unaware of the fact that the
Russian government has an effective and extensive
program for turning out thousands of engineers and
technicians each year.
I don't think that these facts are matters for
hysteria or fear, but I do think that they are conditions on which our survival rests. I think that.
we must realize that automation will playa crucial
role in determining whether we can maintain the
high standard of living we now enjoy in the future.
Our high standard of living, which is based on our
magnificent productive achievements, is one of the
sources of our freedom. In the past few years
much attention has been given to the potential threat
of automation. Perhaps some attention should now
In the autumn of 1955, when I presented the
opening testimony at the first Congressional hearing on automation, I proposed that an unbiased and
objective study be undertaken of the true economic
and social effects of automation. At that time I
stated that:
"The problem, in assessing the economic and
social impact of automation is that we do not
have the facts. If there is concern over the
effects cf automation, it seems to me highly
desirable that we get these facts in the most
expeditious way possible: through a thorough
analysis of automation, based upon a complete,
factual, industry-wide investigation. Such a
stuuy would provide, for the first time, a
realistic basis for planning on both a national
and a private scale. With the broader perspective such a study would provide, industry
could plan automation policy with a finer regard for the consequences. National policy
concerning education and training programs,
retirement benefits, and unemployment compensation must be based upon such a factual
and intimate understanding of the subject. "
Since that time my firm has completed a pilot
study for a committee of the National Planning
Association. This study outlines a plan for an objective program of exploration of the social and
economic consequences of automation, based in
part upon a series of case studies in different industries. I believe that such a program would do
much to clear the air as to the real effects of automation. The facts rather than conjectures should
be the basis for planning action.
Education for Automation
I think that the most important question of
all is: How shall we go about educating ourselves
for an age of automation?
The question of education goes far beyond
better training for work in specialized fields.
Many of the new jobs that automation will create
will require an increasing ability to think and to
judge, increased understanding of logical methods,
in short, increased education in the largest sense
of the term. Management will need these abilities
on a higher level. And all of us, if our increased
(cont'd on page 43)
- 19 -
ELECTRONIC
DIGITAL
DATA
HANDLING
HOWARD T. ENGSTROM
National Security Agency
Washington, D.C.
(Based on Dr. Engstrom's Introduction and Keynote Address to the Eastern Joint Computer Conference,
New York, December, 1956)
I am honored to be invited to furnish the keynote to this important conference. As a mathematician by training, I am perhaps misplaced in this
role. But, by a curious sequence of circumstances,
I have been in a position to observe the progress of
electronic digital data-handling since the beginning
of World War II.
Although the term "electronic computing"
covers a wide range of equipment, I am using the
term in the sense of large-scale internally programmed digital computers. They have made very
many contributions to the scientific and business
life of the country during the past five years.
Military Impetus to Science
The great impetus to this art came from the
military during World War II. The impact of military needs on scientific progress is not a new
thing. It probably began with Archimedes, who
helped his cousin, the tyrant of Syracuse, to defend
that city against the Romans in 212 B. C. I quote
from Plutarch's "Life of Marcellus" in this regard.
"The king prayed him to make him some
engines, both to assault and defend, in all
manner of sieges and assaults. So Archimedes made him many engines, but King
Hieron never used many of them, because
he reigned the most part of his time in
peace without any wars. "
Conviction in their practicality and faith in
their future rested at that time principally among
those people who had been working in the field for
the military during the war. The Defense Department in general was convinced of the necessity of
pursuing research and development in this area for
the solution of military problems. But American
industry in 1946 was not so convinced.
As a result, in the post-war period, many
individuals with faith in the future of the field established small independent companies which were
financed by the Defense Department. I do not need
to name these companies since I am sure most of
you are familiar with them.
Some universities also, such as Harvard,
Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania,
carried on research and development in logical
structure and component development. Again in
these universities the program was stimulated essentially by individuals who had faith in the future
of large-scale computing devices. University management was' not convinced, and in some cases still
remain unconvinced, that the field of logical structure and design of computing devices is one wi th
proper academic stature.
Well-Balanced Computing Devices
Skepticism and Belief
Electronic computing engines were constructed during World War II, and some of them made
significant contributions to our victory. However,
only at the end of World War II did general purpose
electronic computing devices begin to be delivered.
About 1950 many of the problems with respect to memories, input-output devices, and peripheral equipment had been solved so well that wellbalanced large-scale computing devices were put
into operation. At this point big business became
strongly interested in the field. Many small companies who had had a difficult financial struggle to
keep going were merged with large cornpaniesj so
in the early 1950' s the electronic data processing
industry achieved financial stability as well as
technical maturity .
. - 20 -
Data-llandling
vate industry. The usual procedure following the
award of one of these major contracts has been for
the contracting firm to proselyte engineering personnel from its competitors. As a result there is
an inflationary spiral of salaries for engineering
and scientific personnel.
·Present Volume of the Industry
The phenomenal growth of the industry is
difficult to estimate. It is certainly true that the
present volume of business in electronic-data
handling equipment is in excess of one billion dollars per year. Speculations as to its ultimate
position are difficult; but certainly the industry
will not reach a saturation point before expanding
at least ten times.
The delivery of many of these equipments to
industry and government has opened up tremendous
activity in the field of applications. I believe the
most important aspect of electronic computation
in the last several years has been precisely in the
area of a better understanding of the value of this
equipment in our scientific and business problems.
Although the computer and data processing
industry has achieved technical reliability and financial stability, serious problems still exist in
many areas. I should like to point out some of
·these areas which come to mind and which I believe members of this Computer Conference can
assist in resolving.
You may well say that a man is worthy of his
hire. I do not subscribe completely to this point
of view. The usurer who extracts excessive interest rates is not particularly admirable; nor
, is prostitution recognized as a reputable profession.
I believe that it is within the power of you
technical people to assist in rectifying this situation.
I believe you have lost a great deal of dignity in participating so actively in this mad scramble for personnel. You can be of tremendous assistance to the
national defense in assessing proposed employment
changes not only on the basis of salary but on the
basis of the technical merit of the projects concerned and your potential achievement in a technical
sense. It is certainly your responsibility to see
that our industrial a,nd defense program is on a
sound basis.
Achievements
Over-Optimism
The enthusiasm with which electronic data
handling and automation possibilities have been
greeted is astonishing. I should not like to state
categorically that the field has been much oversold,
but I do think the over-optimism of engineers and
scientists in connection with the field is a definite
fact. This optimism causes serious complications.
If a business or the Department of Defense is to
rely upon estimates of delivery and performance
which are made by engineers, they must have some
degree of confidence in the technical and financial
judgment of the estimators. Too many cases of
long delays in the delivery of vital equipment have
occurred. Many of these delays I believe could
have been avoided had projects been technically
less ambitious. It is better to have equipment on
time even though it may operate at only half the
technically feasible speed.
I hope you will not feel that these criticisms
of over-optimism and personnel instability detract
from your achievements over the past ten years in
the creation of a tremendous industry, which is in
fact one of the important elements of our national
defense. The many papers which will be presented
at this conference are a witness to.. the continued
dynamic advance in the art as well as the industry.
However the soundness of your position in American
economic life is clearly dependent upon your personal integrity.
I believe we should all give more attention to
the two points I have tried to make with respect to
(1) dependability in the matter of prediction of
achievements, and (2) money and engineering manpower.
Disparity of Computing Equipment
and the Human Spirit
Engineering Manpower
Another aspect of the industry which I believe
you should consider rather seriously is that of engineering manpower. The Defense Department is
pursuing many projects in electronic computing.
Th~se projects result in many contracts with pri-
One of your previous speakers quoted the
great German novelist, Thomas Mann, as follows:
"What perplexes the world is disparity
between the swiftness of the spirit and the
immense unWieldiness, sluggishness, in(cont'd on page 32)
- 21 -
ELECTRONIC
IN
THE
NATIONAL
COMPUTING
ECONOMY
MACHINES
OF THE SOVIET UNION
V. PEKELIS
(Reprinted from Soviet News Bulletin, Dec. 18, 1956, published by
Press Office, USSR Embassy in Canada, Ottawa, Canada)
Man has built an immense variety of machines and instruments.
the nozzle of a jet engine, or for the contour of a
turbine blade. Already thousands of such problems have been solved by electronic machines.
Today, we have machines to help man not
only in his physical labor, but in his mental labor,
too. There are machines which perform complex
calculations; others analyze the structure of crystals, inventory books in libraries, pick out reference material, operate machine tools and eve n
whole factories. These are high -speed automatic
electronic computing devices operating at a really
fabulous speed, and the results are precise to within .000000001.
Electronic computing machines developed and
built in the U~SR are the BESM, Strela, and M-2
universal machines, the Ural serial machine, and
the Crystal, Pogoda and STsM specialized machines.
These are the first representatives of a new branch
of engineering and every new day sees them used
more extensively in the national economy.
A BESM machine has recently computed tables
showing the utmost limit of steepness of slopes of
canals, beyond which they would crumble. It took
less than three hours to obtain ten variants of the
tables, whereas fifteen ordinary computing machines could not have obtained even one variant after
several months' work.
Another machine - the M-2 - has solved a
highly complicated problem to determine the stability of concrete dams of large hydro-electric stations. It took the machine some nine hours to compute each variant of the problem and, in all, th e
machine performed 50 million mathematical operations.
Soviet scientists and engineers have now developed what are called specialized mathematical
machines, which machine parts and manufacture
articles on man's assignment. The machines control the movement of the tool, regulate the speed
of the machine tool, and perform all operations in
proper order. Two automatic milling machines of
this kind can turn out as much production as a whole
shop with ten ordinary milling machines. Self-operating machines will be installed in many factories
of the Soviet Union during the current five-year period.
Machine -controllers and machines w hi c h
control electric-arc steel-smelting furnaces are
already undergoing tests. Electronic computing
machines for controlling blast and open -hearth
furnaces, on the basis of data obtained by them on
pressure, temperature, and composition of gases,
will determine in a fraction of a second what rectification has to be made in the melting process and
give the necessary "orders" to the machines regulating the melt.
Controlling machines will be widely introduced
in petroleum refineries and chemical plants, in the
first instance in factories where work is unhealthy.
By going over hundreds of variants of calculations using high-speed computing machines, Soviet
engineers find the best form for plane wings, for
There is varied application of these computing machines in the power industry, in particular
in the operation of a power system extending for
thousands of kilometres and having a voltage of
hundreds of thousands.
One of the Soviet Union's great power engineers, AcademicIan G. M. Krzhizhanovsky, says
that complete automation will be reached in this
(cont'd on next page)
- 22 -
SOVIET UNION COMPUTERS
EARnl SATELLITE
(cont'd from page 9)
(cont'd from page 22)
field with the aid of computing devices connected
with automatic "operators" at electric ::;tations and
substations. Like the legendary hero with incredibly long hands, these devices will themselves start
and stop units in many stations, cut-in and cut-out
transmission lines, regulate frequency, voltage,
and -currents of energy over the lines, and distribute power among the stations.
On railways, too, electronic machines are
being introduced to make work easier. Undergoing
tests at this time in a research institute is a computing device which can drive a train by itself. It
"takes into account" the time-table, the condition
of track, the weight of train and every change that
may occur for any reason while the train runs.
The automatic locomotive engineer can drive the
train through rain and fog. At night, a special device radiates a beam of infra-red light, and its reflection is picked up by a television device. This
instrument illumines the track, so to speak, so
that the automatic driver "can see" many metres
ahead.
Automatic interlocking switches are being
installed on Soviet railways, and soon marshalling yards will be mechanized by means of computing machines. In hump yards having these
machines, radio-locators will "see" all wagons
on all tracks and will "report" this information
to the computer-dispatcher, which will marshall
trains itself.
These automata will make it possible to do
away with the trades of switchman, brakeman and
coupler, and send them to take special technical
courses to enable the workers to operate the automata to do the heavy work which they were doing
before.
Planes too now have computing devices.
During the flight they constantly figure out the
plane's course, take their bearings on radio-waves
and use the indications from the instruments to
guide the flight.
,
Several main airlines in the USSR are now
operated by fast jet airliners, which have the latest equipment. If necessary, they can fly without
a pilot and make a blind landing on an airport.
They can fly in fog, cold and rain, at any hour of
the day or night, and in any season of the year.
- END-
- 23 -
IGY observation points will be sent the time
and elevation of passage, and angular velocity. The
latter is especially important, since an optical station must know both the direction and speed beforeh:U1d in order to fix the satellite in the telescope
sights as it appears, traverses the sky swiftly from
west to east, and disappears below thc horizon in a
few minutes' time. The satellite will move across
the sky, at the rate of about a degree per second;
for example, it will appear to move a distance equivalent to the diameter of the moon in about half a second.
Mathematicians have begun to devise various
programs for the 704, all aimed at predicting the
satellite orbit as accurately as possible. Generally,
each program is first punched into cards and then
transferred onto magnetic tape in a card-to-tape
converter. Thus, the machine memory c an be
quickly erased and tape-fed a new set of instructions at the rate of 2,500 words per second. Among
the programs to be developed is one which will operate on observations made near the firing site, at
the time the rocket reaches third-stage burnout and
ejects the satellite in space. This early data will
be computed to determine whether the satellite has
attained a good orbit - one which will not bring it
so close to the earth as to be destroyed by atmospheric friction. A second program, to which the
704 will then be switched immediately, will make
calculations on reports received from the earliest
Minitrack observations. There will also be a complete program to refine the orbit after sufficient observations have been made to predict the course of
the satellite more accurately. In fact, thi::; refining process is charactertistic of the over-all computer function.
The lightweight radio transmitter batteries
in the satellite will last only a relatively ahort
time. When the radio signal stops, IGY scientists
will have to rely on optical observations alone. For
this reason, an exact satellite timetable becomes
even more important as the artificial moon continues in its orbit. Without the computer's calculations, it is possible that the satellite would soon be
lost froIp view.
- END-
THE
NINE
BILLION
NAMES
OF
GOD
ARTHUR C. CLAnKE
(Author of
'The Exploration of Space'
"This is a slightly unusual request, " said
Dr. Wagner, with 'Yhat he hoped was commendable restraint. "As far as I know, it's the first
time an yone' s been asked to supply a Tibetan monastery with an Automatic Sequence Computer. I
don't with to be inquisitive, but I should hardly
have thought that your - ah - establishment had
much use for such a machine. Could you explain
just what you intend to do with it?"
"Gladly, " replied the Lama, readjusting his
silk robe and carefully putting away the slide rule
he had been using for currency conversions. "Your
Mark V Computer can carry out any routine mathematical operation involving up to ten digits. However, for our work we are interested in letters,
not numbers. As we wish you to modify the output
circuits, the machine will be printing words, not
columns of figures. "
"I don't quite understand ... "
"This is a project on which we have been
working for the last three centuries -..: since the
lamasery was founded, in fact. It is somewhat
alien to your way of thought, so I hope yo'u
listen with 'an open mind while I explain it. "
"Naturally. "
"It is really quite simple. We have been
compiling a list which shall contain all the possible
names of God. "
"I beg your pardon? "
"We have reason to believe, "continued the
Lama imperturbably, "that all such names can be
written with not more than nine letters in an alphabet we have devised. "
"And you have been doing this for three centuries? "
"Yes: we expected it would take us about
fifteen thousand years to complete the task. "
"Oh." Dr. Wagner looked a little dazed.
"Now I see why you wanted to hire one 0 f 0 u r
machines. But exactly what is th~ purpose of this
project? "
The Lama hesitated for a fraction of a second and Wagner wondered if he had offended him.
If so, there was no trace of annoyance in the reply.
"Call it ritual, if you like, but it's a fundamental part of our belief. All the many names of
the Supreme Being - God, Jehovah, Allah, and
will
- 24 -
an,1 other books and stories)
and so on - they are only man-made labels. There
is a philosophical problem of some difficulty here,
which I do not propose to discuss, but somewhere
among all the possible combinations of letters which
can occur are what one may call the real names of
God. By systematic permutation of letters, we have
been trying to list them all. "
"I see. You've been starting at AAAAAAAAA
••.. and working up to ZZZZZZZZZ .•. "
"Exactly - though we use a special alphabet
of our own. Modifying the electromatic typewriters to deal with this is, of course, trivial. A rather more interesting problem is that of devising
suitable circuits to eliminate ridiculous combinations. For example, no letter must occur m 0 r e
than three times in succession. "
"Three? Surely you mean two. "
"Three is correct: I am afraid it would take
too long to explain why, even if you understood our
language."
"I'm sure it would, " said Wagner hastily.
"Go on. "
"Luckily, it will be a simple matter to adapt
your Automatic Sequence Computer for this work,
since once it has been programmed properly it
will permute each letter in turn and print the result. What would have taken us fifteen thousand
years it will be able to do in a hundred days. "
Dr. Wagner was scarcely conscious of the
faint sounds from the Manhattan streets far below.
He was in a different world, a world of natural,
not man -made mountains. High up in their remote
aeries these monks had been patiently at work, generation after generation, compiling their lists of
meaningless words. Was there any limit to the
follies of mankind? Still, he must give no hint of
hiS' inner thoughts. The customer was always
right ...
"'J;'here's no doubt, " replied the doctor, "that
we can modify the Mark V to print lists of this nature. I'm much more worried about the problem of
installation and maintenance. Getting out to Tibet,
in these days, is not going to be easy. IJ
"We can arrange that. The components are
small enough to travel by air - that is one reason
~ine
Billion
why we chose your machine. If you call get them
to India, we will provide transport from there. "
"And you want to hire two of our engineers?"
"Yes, for the three months which the project
should. occupy. "
"I've no doubt that Personnel can manage
that." Dr. Wagner scribbled a note on his des k
pad. "There are just two other points - "
Before he could finish the sentence the Lama
had produced a small slip of paper.
"This is my certified credit balance at the
Asiatic Bank. "
"Thank you. It appears to be - ah - adequate. The second matter is so trivial that I hesitate to mention it - but it's surprising how often
the obvious gets overlooked. What source of electrical energy have you?"
"A diesel generator providing 50 kilowatts
at 110 volts. It was installed about five years ago
and is quite reliable. It's made life at the lamasery much more comfortable, but of course it was
really installed to provide power for tile motors
driving the prayer wheels. "
"Of course, " echoed Dr. Wagner. "I should
have thought of that. "
The view from the parapet was vertiginous,
but in time one gets used to anything. After three
months, George lhmley was not impressed by the
two-thousand-foot swoop into the abyss or the remote checkerboard of fields in the valley below.
He was leaning against the wind-smoothed stones
and staring morosely at the distant mountains
whose names he had never bothered to discover.
This, thought George, was the craziest
thing that had ever happened to him. "Project
Shangri-La," some wit at the labs had christened
it. For weeks now the Mark V had been churning
out acres of sheets covered with. gibberish. Patiently, inexorably, the computer had been rearranging letters in all their possible combinations,
exhausting each class before going on to the next.
As the sheets had emerged f~om the electromatie
typewriters, the monks had carefully cut theln
up and pasted them into enormous books. In another week, heaven be praised, they would have
finished. Just what obscure calculations had convinced the monks that they needn't bother to go
on to words of ten, twenty or a hundred letters,
George didn't know. One of his recurring nightmares was that there would be some change of
plan, and that the High Lama (whom they'd naturally called Sam cJaffe, though he didn't look a bit
like him) would suddenly annOWlCe that the project
would be extended to approximately 2060 A. D.
~umes
They were quite capable of it.
George heard the heavy wooden door slam in
the wind as Chuck came out on to the parapet beside
him. I As usual, Chuck was smoking one of the cigars that made him so popular with the monks who, it seemed, were quite willing to embrace all
the minor and most of ' the major pleasures of life.
That was one thing in their favor: they might be
crazy, but they weren't bluenoses. Those frequent
trips they took down to the village, for instance •..
"Listen, George," said Chuck urgently. "I've
learned something that means trouble. "
"What's wrong? Isn't the machine behaving?"
That was the worst contingency George could imagine. It might delay his return, than which nothing
could be more horrible. The way he felt now, even
the sight of a TV commercial would seem like manna from heaven. At least it would be some link
with home.
"No - it's nothing like that." Chuck settled
himself on the parapet, which was unusual because
normally he was scared of the drop. "I've jus t
found what all this about. "
"What d 'ya mean - I thought we knew. "
"Sure - we know what the monks are tzying
to do. But we didn't know why. It's the craziest
thing - II
"Tell me something new, " growled George.
" - but old f:)am's just come clean with me.
You know the way he drops in every afternoon to
watch the sheets roll out. Well, this time he
seemed rather excited, or at least as near as he'll
ever get to it. When I told him that we were on the
last cycle he asked me, in that cute English accent
of his, if I'd ever wondered what they were trying
to do. I said 'Sure' - and he told me. "
"Go on: I'll buy it. "
"Well, they believe that when they have listed
all His names - and they reckon that there are
about nine billion of them - God's purpose will be
achieved. The human race will have finished what
it was created to do, and there won't be any point
in carrying on. Indeed, the very idea is something like hlasphe my. "
"Then what do they expect us to do? Commit
suicide? "
"There's no need for that. When the list's
completed, God steps in and simply winds things
up . .. bingo I "
"Oh, I get it. When we finish our job, it
will be the end of the world. "
Chuck gave a nervous little laugh.
"That's just what I said to Sam. And do you
know what happened. lIe looked at me in a v e r y
queer way, like I'd been stupid in class, and said
'It's nothing as trivial as that. ' "
(cont'd on page 41)
- 25 -
THE SOLUTION OF BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS
ON A REAC® ANALOG COMPUTER1.
M. Yanowi tch 2
Reeves Instrument Corp.
New York,N.Y.
SUMMARY
It is shown how an electronic analog computer can be utilized in the solution of
boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations by the method of superposition. The procedure is illustrated by application to two beam problems. Some of
the attendant advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
In this paper, our experience with the use of this
method will be described. In the next two sections the
method will be illustrated by applying it to two problems in beam theory. The computer setup for these
problems will be given in Section 4; the final section
will be devoted to a discussion of some of the advantages and disadvantages of the method.
1. Introduction
-Frequently, boundary value problems for ordinary
differential equations can be solved with the aid of an
electronic analog computer. Since the computer is a
device which naturally solves initial value problems,
the 3V 3 problem must first be reduced to a sequence
of IV problems. The simplest procedure for doing this
is one of trial and error. It consists of generatin~
solutions which satisfy the prescribed conditions at
one end point, and varying the remaining "init,ial"
values and parameters, until the resulting solution
also satisfies the prescribed conditions at the other
end point. Thi s scheme has been used to sol ve 3V
problems for DE's of second and of fourth order 4 • Unfortunately, it is not likely to be useful for DE's of
higher order, since the manner in which the initial
conditions are to be varied is not generally known
beforehand. However, an important advantage of the
method is that it can be used equally well with both
linear and nonlinear problems.
2. The Boundary Value Problem
A typical boundary val ue problem is one of finding
the deflection of a cantilever beam of length L, under
a transverse load of intensity f (x). Suppose the beam
also rests on an elastic support at the point x = x. The
DE and boundary conditions are
(ElbUII)II = f
U
u"
[rElb UII ) , ] + ku
=
0
=
L.
1a
=
0
at x =
x.
1b
Here x is the distance along the beam, measured from
the fixed end, U(x) is the beam deflection, E1b (x) is
the flexural rigidity, k is the support -spring constant,
and [g] signifies the jump in the value of g at x = x.
The problem can be solved on the computer in the
follo}Ving way:
a. A solution, v, of the non-homogeneous equation
[11, satisfying [lb], is obtained. The initial
condition can be assigned arbitrarily, but it is
convenient to choose
v==v'==v"= v"'
= Q.
at x
=
O.
The values of v" and v", at x = L are measured.
b. Any two linearly independent solutions, uland
u 2 , of the homogeneous equation
(E1bUII) II =-= 0
[21
satisfying 1b and the ny's prescribed at x == 0, are
generated. The other values at x == 0 can be set at
This work was carried out at Project Cyclone, Reeves
Instrument Corporation, under V. S. Navy, Bureau of
Aeronautics Contract NOas-54-545-c; and was presented at the meeting of the Association for COlllputing
Machinery, held in Philadelphia on 16 September 1955.
U'l = Al'
U'2 == 0,
Reeves InstrUI,wnt Corporation, 215 East 91st St.,
l\ew lork. N. Y. {Copies of this report available
4
on request. J
3
= U
1
at x
at x
u' = 0
'" = 0
There is further the condi tion
Another means of obtaining a solution to a BV problem by solving IV problems is based on the principle
of superposition. It is, of course, applicable only to
linear problems, and consists of finding the correct
linear combination of solutions to the DE which will
satisfy all the prescribed boundary conditions. The
method is ideal when a fundamental set of solutions
to the DE can be written down explicitly, and in this
form it has been in vogue at least since 1744, when
Euler used it to compute frequencies of vibration and
critical loads for beams. In general, however, the
solutions are not known, and their computation may
prove to be cumbersome s . The value of the analog
computer in conjunction with the method of superposition lies in the facility with which it can be used to
generate the required solutions.
2
==
The following abbreviations wiII be used:
IV - rnitial value, BV - boundary value, EV - eigenvalue,
and DE- differential equation.
5
- 26 -
'U't
==
u 2" =
0
[2a1
A2
[2b1
E.g. see(1), (2). It had been used earlier in conjunction
with the differential analyzer, (3) (Numbers in the
par.entheses refer to the bibliography).
A.N. Krylov (4), and others have used this method,
obtaining the solutions by numerical integration.
Boundary Value Problems
The values of u", u l l' , and O' at x
and the determinant
The values of Uj " , Uj ' I I are now measured at x = L.
c. Now one can find two constants, C I and c 2 , such
that the linear combination, C lUI + c2u2' satisfies
CIUI "(L) + c2U2" (L)
v"(L)
clul ",(~) + c2 u 2 '" (L)
v'" (L).
D
+ c 2U 2
is the solution to the ori~inal problem, Equation [ll,
with conditions [l al and rlb 1. At x = 0,
U = v+ clu l
0, u"
= cIA I ,
utI' = c 2 A 2 .
These values can now be set into the computer, and
the solution u will be obtained.
The procedure just described can be used with
any regular linear BV problem. For an equation of
order 2n, it requires the solution of no more than n
linear algebraic equations for the constants Ci 5. Since
systems of 4 or 5 linear equations can be quickly and
easily solved using a desk computer, the method
appears to be practical for DE's of order 8 or 10
at least.
U
U
"
"
0,
0,
0,
U
'" = A 2 ,
'" = 0,
U
0'
0
01
0 at x = 0
0' = A],
u'
u"=
cIA I ,
=
()
-0-
0
[7\
u"'
lU'!' (L)
t·
t
(L)
tI~1 (L)
c 2 u'2'(L)
u~' (L)
C 2 tI'2
\8\
4. Computer Setup
Schematic diagrams of the computer setup for the
problems described in sections 2 and 3 are shown in
Figures 1 and 27. It can be readily seen that the programming is straightforward. Several problems of this
type, but with constant coefficients (i.e. for uniform
beams), were solved at Project Cyclone. For these,
the time period representing the length of the beam
was usually chosen to be 5 or 10 seconds, and a
relay was arranged to throw the computer into HOLDa
at the end of that time. The required voltages were
then measured with a digital voltmeter sensitive to
0.01 volts, so that the quantities used in the computations were generally known to four significant figures.
For the problems solved on the computer the
eigenvalues were found to be in error by less than
0.3%. The solutions obtained after calculating the
correct initial values usually satisfied the prescribed
BV to within .01 or .02 volts. Of course, less favorable
results might be expected in the case of DE's with
variable coefficients. Several sample solutions are
shown in Figure 3. They represent the plotting board
traces of the first four coupled modes, and their derivatives, for a uniform cantilever beam, specified by
the DE's
u iv = 11 (u + 0)
0'1 = 11 (u + 50,.
[61,
6
7
5
O'3
For a differential equation of order 2n, with n
conditions at each end point, the procedure outlined
above requires the computation of several 6 determinants of order n. Consequently it does not seem to be
practical for DE's or order 8 or greater.
The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of this problem can be found by successive approximations, in the
following manner:
A value of A is selected, and three linearly independent solutions to Equation [5], which satisfy the
desired conditions at x = 0, are generated.
For
example, the solutions might be chosen to satisfy
=
u"'
3
cItI'l'(L)
o
'"
u"3
u'"
2
0'2
u =-
C
The problem of finding the frequencies and modes
of "coupled" bending and torsion vibrations of a
cantilever beams leads to an eigenvalue problem for a
sy::;tem of 6th order:
A(mu+SO)
(Elbu") "
-(G]O' )'
A (S U + 10)
o at x = 0,
U
= u'= 0
[Sal
O' = 0 at x = L,
U" =
u'"
where Elb(x)
:;:: flexural rigidity
G] (x)
torsional rigidity
m(x)
mass per unit length of beam
s (x)
first moment per unit length,
taken about the elastic axis
I (x)
moment of inertia per unit
length, taken about the elastic
axis
U(x)
amplitude of vibration in
bending
(x)
amplitude of vibration in torsion
and
A
square of the circular frequency of vibration.
U
u"2
u'"1
0'1
at x = O. Of course, one constant can be assigned
arbi trarily. For example, if C3
1, C land c. 2 can be
calculated from
3. The Eigenvalue Problem
U " = AI'
UII
1
L are measured,
X -= L
is then computed. This determinant is a continuous (in
fact,· analytic) function of A, and it vanishes· if and
only if A is an eigenvalue. Thus, if D is found to have
opposite signs at two different values of A, it is immediately known that there is an eigenvalue between
them. The eigenvalue can now be estimated, and D
computed again. The same process can be continued
until the required accuracy is obtained.
After the eigenvalue is located, the condition,
D = 0, will yield a set of initial values to produce an
eigenfunction.
These are
[3]
Clearly,
U = u' =
=
a
The number can be less than n if more conditions are
prescribed atone of the endpoints than at the other one.
- 27 -
Usually about 70r8. See section 4.
A table of computer symbols is attached in the appendix.
This stops the integration and preserves the voltages
which have been attained.
Computers and Automation
For this and other 6th order EV problems, it was found
that anywhere from 6 to 11 trial values of 11 were required. The total time need~d to obtain each of these
eigenvalues was"about an hour.
The most serious di sadvantages in the application
of the method are:
1.
In some problems only the first few eigenvalues
can be obtained. This is true, for example, in beam
vibration problems. The reason for this is that' the
solution to the DE contain terms which growexponentially, and these increase with A9. Sometimes it is not
too difficult to remedy this situation by using the
transformation u = e BX V , and solving for v. The constant a is adjusted so that v does not grow too rapidly.
Of course, there are also many problems in applied
mechanics where this difficulty does not occur, e.g.
problems in the stability of circular arches and of
beams on an elastic foundation.
5. Concluding Remarks
Experience with the method indicates that it can
be quite useful in many problems. Among its good
features are:
1.
It is relatively fast and accurate. The programming and the computer setup are both usually simple,
and only a small amount of computing equipment is
needed.
2.
Accurate function generation may be difficult
sometimes. This probably represents the main source
of error in problems for DE's with variable coefficients.
Frequently, however, the magnitude of the error can be
quickly ascertained. For example, upper and lower
bounds for the frequencies of vibration of a beam can
be easily obtained by approximating EIb(x) above and
m(x) below and vice versa.
')
It yields not only the solution to a problem, but
also its derivatives up to (n-l)th order (for a DE of
order n). For example, in the problem for the bending
of a beam, one can obtain the deflection, slope, bending moment, and shear force, and all with approximately equal accuracy. This is frequently not the case in
other methods. For example, in variational methods,
like the Rayleigh-Ritz method, the accuracy of the
higher derivatives JIlay be very bad. In fact, the higher
derivatives of the successive approximations may not
converge altogether.
See 5.
9
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.
3.
The method may be especially valuable for problems with DE's which contain several powers of A, e.g.
the DE for the buckling of a twisted shaft,
auiv+~ull =-2Au" _£u.
2.
The application of finite difference methods to such
problems leads to matrices with elements which are
polynomials in A, and these are not as easy to solve
as the usual matrix eigenvalue problems.
3.
a
a
4.
The method is applicable to DE's which are not
self-adjoint (provided A is rea!).
4.
5.
"Application of the Electronic Differential Analyzer to
EigenvalueProblems", by G. Corcos, T. Howe, U. Rauch
and J. Sellers, Project Cyclone Symposium II, part 2,
1952, pp. 17-24.
"Application of the Electronic Differential Analyzer to
Oscillation of Beams, including' Shear and Rotatory'
Inertia", by C. Howe and R. Howe, Journal of Applied
Mechanics, v. 22, 1955, pp. 13-19.
"The Evaluation of Transient Temperature Distribution
ih a Dielectric in an Alternating Field", by C. Copple,
D. R. Hartree, A. Porter and H. Tyson, Journal df the
Institution of Electrical Engineers, v. 85, 1939, pp. 56-66.
Collected Works of A. N. Krylov (Russian), Akademyia
Nauk USSR, Moscow-Leningrad, 1937, pp. 311 ff.
"NUmerical Analysis", by D. R. Hartree, Oxford Uni·
versity Press, London, 1952, pp. 143-144.
~-----------------------------------------;+
....-------~ +
+26V
A HOLD RELAY
NC
I
MII
or
=f
E Ibu"= M
seale constants
Figure 1. Schematic, beam bending problem
- 28 -
Boundary Value Problems
I
-k!m
>--------~---ym--kzm
~---------~-----~
~----------.~----~<
Mit: X (mu+S9)
T': X (Su+18)
8'"..1GJ
Cj
or. scale constants
Figure 2. Schematic, coupled beam vibrations
FIRST MODE
x
FOl.m'H MODE
x
Figure 3.
Coupled modes o( vibration
- 29 -
(=ont'd on page 39)
SIMULATION
OF
SYSTEM
WITH
A
LIQUID
AN
LEVEL
ANALOG
CONTROL
COMPUTER
Part 1
Charles W. Worley
Application Engineering
Electronic Associates, Inc.
Long nranch, N.J.
Analog computers can yield significant advantages in the designing of control systems. The
advantages from using them can be illustrated by
considering a control problem which is common
in the field of process control. Suppose the system to be analyzed is a system for controlling
liquid level, where the height of liquid in an open
tank is to be controlled. This example, although
simple, illustrates the basic techniques used in
simulating process control systems on the analog
computer.
A schematic diagram of the liquid level control system is shown in Figure 1. The process
variable of interest is the level or head H of the
liquid in the tank. This head is measured by a
differential pressure measuring instrument with
the low pressure chamber open to atmospheric
pressure. The output of the measuring instrument
is fed into a stack-type industrial controller whose
output goes to a pneumatic control valve.
The pressure on the downstream side of the
control valve is assumed to be atmospheric and
F~_ ______
the flow into the tank is assumed constant for a
given setting of the regulator hand valve. The tanK
is open to the atmosphere.
The functional block diagram of the process
shown in Figure 2 may be arrived at by making a
dimensional analysis. During any finite time interval, the flow rate Fl in cubic feet per minute
causes a given quantity of liquid to spill into the
tank. The volume of liquid flowing into the tank
during a time interval is obtained by integrating
this flow. At any given instant of time, there will
be a net quantity of fluid in the tank. This quantity
will be the difference between the volume that has
spilled into the tank and the volume that has left
the tank, and will naturally depend upon the flow
rates Fl and F2. The amount of fluid remaining
in the tank is the sum of the two signals feeding into the summing point. This quantity of fluid, expressed in terms of a volume, is then divided by
the area of the tank to give the height of the fluid
in the tank at any instant of time. The height or
level H is the output of the block diagram, since it
is the variable selected to indicate the state of the
process.
Controller
__- - Set point
U
/11\\
Control Valve
Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of Liquid Level Control System.
- 30 -
Liquid Level Control System
ec
.
1
s
Ft 3
+
-...
Ft 3
...
~
-
_Ft
1
At
-
H
Ft 3
Ft 3/sec
1
s
1
R
F2
-
~
Figure 2.
Valve Area
Functional Block Diagram of a Liquid Level Process.
(to be continued in next issu~)
*------------------------------------------*-----------------------------------------*
ADVERTISEMENT
OF
GLOSSARY
in
the
COMPUTERS
field
AND
TERMS
of
AUTOMATION
$1. 00 postpaid-; H1'~ discount on
• Over 480 terms defined
orders for 20 or more copies.
• Careful definitions; most of
them exp~es~ed in plain words
understandable to persons who
have newly come into the computer' field
.- - -Mai 1 this coupon (or a copy of i t)-I
To:
Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
815 Washington st., R 191
Newtonville 60, Mass.
• Many examples of meaning
• 4th cumulative edition, as
Sept. 19, 1956
Please send me
copy(ies) of :
the GLOSSARY, 4th edition. I enclose I
of
$_______ in full payment.
• Reprinted from the October 1956
issue of "Computers and Automation"
Returnable if not satisfactory.
Name
--------------------------------------------------------------------
• If not satisfactory, returnable
within week for full refund
(if in good condition)
Address
- 31 -
News Release
Am TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM
Bendix Pacific Division
North Hollywood, Calif.
A fully developed navigation system and a potential air traffic control system is now available
to handle the rapidly growing use of today's airways, according to representatives of Pacific Division, Bendix Aviation Corporation, in North Hollywood, Calif. This system, known as the BendixDecca Navigator System (see Figures 1 and 2)*, was
first developed in Great Britain by two Americans
and was first used in the Normandy invasion. It is
now in current use in most of the European are a
and covers over two million square miles of land
and sea area.
The system is of the area coverage type and
operates on low frequency radio waves in the range
of 100 KC. The use of this low frequency transmission provides a system which is usable behind hills,
in valleys, beyond line-of-sight and below the curvature of the earth. Good reception and high accuracy is provided from ground level to the highest altitudes, thus making the system ideal for helicopter
as well as fixed-wing use.
The Bendix-Decca System operates by transmissions from a master station and three slave
stations. The master controls the accurate emission of radio waves from the slave stations which
results in a network pattern of hyperbolic w a v e s
which occupy precisely known and stable geographic
positions. The location of the airc~aft is, of course,
basically determined by making a phase comparison
of the signals from two of the transmitting stations.
The system provides a position fix by deriving the
arbitrary index numbers on an appropriate pair of
ordinates which intersect at the point of position.
With this information the position can be automatically and instantaneously displayed on a c h art
through the medium of a moving ink stylus.
This system will expedite landing procedures
by having aircraft approach the airport on parallel
tracks separated at minimum intervals. Approaches can be made more quickly and safely by
using the Bendix-Decca System, according to Bendix-Pacific engineers. Knowing the exact time
of arrival, traffic flow in the terminal area can
be handled much more expeditiously which, in turn,
will eliminate long periods of awaiting clearance
for landing. These waiting periods !ll'e particularly hazardous for turboprop and turbojet powered
aircraft because of the excessive consumption of
fuel at low altitudes.
The Bendix-Decca System is extremely accurate and, in fact, has accuracies of better than 25
yards under normal conditions at distances of up
to 50 miles from transmitting stations. The Bendix-Decca System is designed for short and medium range navigation, although a similar system,
called Dectra, has also been developed for long
range use. The pilot, with one set of receiving
equipment aboard his aircraft, could use the Bendix-Decca System after take off and during approach to his terminal area,and Dectra while flying
at his selected crltising altitude.
The Bendix-Decca Navigator System ~s a
proved system which fully meets the requirements
of the common system serving'helicopters, ships,
fixed-wing aircraft and ground verhicles with
equal facility. It is a fully developed system which
has been proved in operation over many years and
its use is constantly expanding throughout the
world. The accuracy, flexibility and wide coverage of the system, the use of the flight log to give
the pilot continuous position information, flexibility
of use, and safety in air traffic control systems
are not approached at the present time by any
other known system.
*see page 33 •
~-------------------
DATA-HANDLING
(cont'd from page 21)
ertia,
Using the Bendix-Decca System, an air track
for lateral separation can be assigned to each aircraft and the pilot will be able to change altitude
while flying an assigned track without running the
risk of interference with other aircraft. In th e
cockpit the pilot has a pictorial display which accurately plots the flight course at all times. The
pilot thus has continuous, precise and graphic information as to his present location, direction of
flight, and track.
perman~nce
of matter.
If
As far as the arts with which we are concerned. I think this statement may well be reversed.
We have developed computing equipment of tremendous speed and capacity. What perplexes the computing industry and the Department of Defense is the
sluggishness of the human spirit in partiCipating in
their fundamental problems.
- END- 32 -
Air Traffic
Figure 1 -
The Bendix-Decca Navigator System: reporting board.
Figure 2 -
The reporting board ,as it appears in
- 33 -
an airplane cockpit.
BOOKS
AND
OTHER
PUBLICATIONS
(List published in "Computers and Automation", Vol. 6, No.2, February, 1957)
We publish here citations and brief reviews of
books, articles, papers, ana other publications which
have a significant relation to computers and automation, and which have come to our attention. We shall
be glad to report other information in future lists if a
review copy is sent to us. The plan of each entry is:
author or editor / title / publisher or issuer / date,
publication process, number of pages, price or its
equivalent / comments. If you write to a publisher or
issuer, we would appreciate your mentioning "Computers and Automation".
~OTICE
-
CHANGE
We invite all our readers to send us citations and
brief reviews, provided the style of citation of the reference shown here is exactly followed. We pay about
1/2 cent a word, upon request made after we publish the
review, and upon sending of a bill to us by the reviewer.
Even if the same book is reviewed more than once, the
different comments of different reviewers may be of interest to readers of "Computers and Automation". In
the case of a review with a byline, the opinions expressed are those of the reviewer and not necessarily the
views of "Computers and Automation".
'
The second type of converter is known as a feedback encoder. In this type of device, the input
signal is successively compared with a known
signal which decreases in steps of powers of two.
For the first such comparison, the known signal
is greater than the input signal. For the fir s t
and all following comparisons, no pulse is emitted if the known signal exceeds the input signal.
But if the known signal is less than the input signal, the known signal is subtracted from the input signal and a pulse is emitted. The third type
of converter is known as a spatial encoder. In
this type of deVice, the input signal activates a
spatial geometric configuration, such as a code
wheel or cathode ray tube, from which in turn
a digital representation is obtained.
The authors discuss each of these three types of
converters in terms of the four requirements
they list at the start of their article. In addition,
they discuss some of the physical features and
the circuitry associated with each type of converter. They close their article with a brief
discussion of advantages and disadvantages of
various types of converters.
Carr, John W., III / "Solving Scientific Problems",
pp. 63-70 in "Control Engineering", Jan., 1956,
vol. 3, no. 1 / McGraw-Hill Publications, 330 W.
42 St., New York 36, N. Y. / Jan. 1956, printed,
$3.00 a year.
The major types of problems that can be solved
are: linear, non -linear (such as differential
equations), partial differential equations, simulation (as in Monte Carlo), and operations research or management science.
I. Reviews by Ned Chapin, Menlo Park, Calif.
Klein, Martin L., Frank C. Williams, Harry C. Morgan / "Analog-to-Digital Conversion", pp. 911-917
in "Instruments and Automation" May, 1956, vol.
29, no. 5/ Jpstruments Publishing Co., 845 Ridge
Ave., Pittsburgh 12, Pa. / May, 1956, printed,
$4. 00 a year.
The author points out the, basic requirements of
an analog-to-digital converter as (1) the discrete
and time-regular rate of conversion of the continuous analog record; (2) the accuracy of the
conversion; (3) the time available for the making
of each discrete conversion in relation to the
rate of conversion; and (4) the avoidance of ambiguity.
To solve such types of problems satisfactorily,
computers need: fast arithmetic speed, adequate
handling of round -off and truncation errors, moderate to large storage, good reliability, and ease
of repetitive operation and of programming.
Three types of converters are available. One
type is known as a time encoder in which the input signal is compared with a controlled signal
that varies in a known manner. As the controlled
signal passes a reference point, a counter (usually
binary) is activated, and is fed pulses until the
controlled signal equals the input signal. While
the controlled signal is being returned to is initial state, the counter may be read out.
- 34 -
Gilbert, von H. / "Measurements on Ferrite Toroids
Subjected to Magnetization from Nearly Rectangular
Impulses", pp. 368-376 in "Rohde and Schwarz Newsletter", May, 1955, no. 6/ W. Sachon KG,
Mindelheim, Germany / 1955, printed, illustrated
with diagrams, price and availability unknown.
The author discusses briefly experiments with
transformer and storage magnetic cores having
nearly rectangular hysteresis loops. The object
of the experiments was to determine the relation-
Books anti Other Publications
ships among switching time, field strength, useful voltage, and unwanted voltage. The experimental set-up and the observations are summarized in
diagrams and photographs.
ing publicity, arm-chair engineering, ill-considered equipment selection, unrealized "opportunity" savings, and man-hour-based justifications.
Management Methods, editor / "The Care and Feeding of
the Human Beings Who Control the 'Giant Brains' ",
pp. 37-41 in "Management Methods", Aug.1956, vol.
10, no. 5 / Management Methods, 141 E. 44 St.,
New York 17, N. Y. / Aug. 1956, printed, $5.00 a
year.
The editor neglected to mention much of anything
about the care and feeding of the human beings who
control the - as he puts it - "giant brains". The
editor confines his remarks to describing office
layouts used in Monsanto Chemical and Southern
Railway offices for programmers. His most interesting comment was on the use of L-shaped desks.
The rather loose organi zation and somewhat
rambling character of this article tends to leave
the reader without an understanding of the relative magnitude or significance of the f act 0 r s
the author lists. In addition, in regard to some
points, questions can be raised.
Warner, H. A. / "Electronics: Boon or Bane? ", pp. 37 in "Systems and Procedures Quarterly", Feb., 1956,
vol. 7, no. 1 / Systems and Procedures Association,
4463 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich. / Feb. 1956,
printed, $3.75 a year.
The author indicates that in his belief, high volume; high activity, high velocity, high rigidity,
high training, and high dependence upon machines
are apparently characteristic of automatic computer applications in business. But the author also
indicates that high benefits can often be obtained
simply by high quality study of whether or not to
install a computer. This reviewer considers this
article to be more bane than boon.
Alden, William, and Franklin Wyman, Jr. / "The Dangers of Waiting for Automation", pp. 12 .... of "The
Office", Aug., 1956, vol. 44, no. 2 / Office Publications Co.', 232 Madison Ave., New York 16, N. Y. /
Aug. 1956, printed, $3.00 a year.
The danger, according to these authors, is in a
relative loss in personnel development, data processing and manufacturing costs, and management
quality, with respect to firms that do not wait for
"automation". Actually, the bulk of the article discusses in general terms how to avoid "waiting".
In this discussion they draw upon their considerable
-experience with an organization that has helped
other firms avoid waiting, the Alden Systems Co.
Faulkner, Charles E. / "What to Consider When You
Buy EDP", pp. 92-99 in "Control Engineering", Nov.
1956, vol 3, no. 1 / McGraW-Hill Publishing Co. ,
330 W. 42 St., New York 36, N. Y. / Nov., 1956,
printed, $3. 00 a year.
The author suggests consideration of objectives,
available computers, and of operations. The objectives should be considered in terms of input,
output, and (sic) storage devices. The operations
should be considered in terms of personnel, subsidiary equipment, physical facHitie s, operating
supplies, process time, labor cost, forms and
supply costs, and rentals. The author also lists
some pitfalls: being steamrollered, overwhelm-
Levin, Howard S. / Office Work and Automation /
John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, N. Y. /
1956, 203 pp., printed, $4.50.
This small book (about 50,000 words in length)
was written by a very capable mathematician
and consultant of Ebasco Services. The book is
divided into five chapters, headed: 1. New Tools
for the Office, 2. A Common Language, 3. Electrons for the Office, 4. The Businessman and
the Scientist, and 5. A Changing Office. The
fourth chapter, on mathematical model building,
is easily the strongest chapter in the book.
The general style of the book is agreeable and
easy to take. The author has generally met his
goal of discussing' technical things in a non-technical manner. Unfortunately, except perhaps in
chapter four, he has, in accomplishing this goal,
apparently lost a good deal in depth of treatment.
In chapter four, however, he has conveyed something of the flavor of the mathematical "tools"
he discusses, although he has conveyed little of
the conditions that need be met to use the "tools"
appropriately.
The major value of the book is its broad scope
and general coverage. It looks at nothing in detail but looks at some of the general outlines of
many things. For this reason, the book will be
of interest to the lay public, and to business personnel not directly concerned with data processing activities. Persons concerned with data processing in business will find profit in reading chapter four to strengthen their backgrounds. But for
fuller treatment, they, like others, will probably
want to turn to other sources.
Sewar,d, J. S. / Programming Manual for the NAREC
(NRL Report 4652) / published by the Naval Research
Laboratory but available from U. S. Dept. of Commerce,
Office of Technical Services, Washington 25, D. C. /
Nov. 17, 1955, 77 pp., offset, price unknown.
The manual discusses the use of the various
NAREC order codes (the NAREC is the Naval
Research Electronic Computer at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D. C.) and a
brief discussion of programming techniques.
The first eight pages provide a brief introduction
to and description of the NAREC. It is a single
address, binary machine with electrostatic and
magnetic drum storage. The rext eleven pages
- 35 -
Computers and Automation
describe operations in the binary system. The
following ten pages describe the major order codes.
Then follows a 21 page discussion of routines and
subreutines including: decimal to binary conversion, binary to decimal conversion, square root,
fractional power, trignometric, and interpretive
routines. The remaining 22 pages provide reference information of value to persons programming
for NAREC.
Jorgensen, W. E., I. G. Carlson, and C. G. Gros / NEL
Reliability Bibliography / u. S. Naval Electronics
Laboratory, San Diego 52, Calif. / May, 1956, 101
pp., offset, looseleaf, price and availability unknown.
The work lists 404 articles, papers, reports, and
other publications under the following headings:
Circuit Design (24 references), Components (76
references), Electron Tubes (96 references), Failure Analysis (28 references), General (60 references), Human Engineering (20 references), Maintenance (16 references), Mechanical Design (20
references), Systems (28 references), and Testing
(36 references).
This bibliography arose from the work of AGREE
(Advisory Group on Reliability of Electronic Equipment). Only sources since 1950 were used in compiling the bibliography.
Reports published by government agencies, and conference proceedings appear to have received a relatively heavy emphasis in the selection of sources
since the standard sources (such as the "Proceedings of the IRE") seem to bulk less than would be
expected. The listings in this work are four to the
single -side page so that they may be cut out and
mounted on 3 x 5 cards.
II. Reviews by Edith Taunton, Weston, Mass.
Anthony, Robert N., editor, and 14 authors / Proceedings, Automatic Data Processing Conference / Div.
of Research, Graduate School of Bushless Administration, Harvard Univ., Soldiers Field Rd., Boston,
Mass. / 1956, printed, 194 pp., $3.50.
This conference was held at the Harvard Business
School, September 8 and 9, 1955. The main purpose of the conference was (1) to give busiIiessmen
an opportunity to tell technical people their requirements for data, in order that applicable equipment
might be designed to furnish the data, and (2) to
give technical people an opportunity for acquainting
businessmen with news of recent equipment, its
capabilities, and limitations. The conference proceedings are in five parts: basic principles and
techniques; centralized vs. decentralized organization for data processing; criteria for selection of
equipment; case studies of certain applications;
operations research and data processing. Much of
the material presented here is good. The discussions of each topic make interesting reading.
- 36 -
Bevitt, William D. / Transistors Handbook / PrenticeHall, Inc., 70 Fifth Ave., Ncw York 11, N. Y. /
1956, printed, 410 pp., $9.00.
This handbook is conccrned with transistors and the
practical application/? of transistor circuits. It seeks
to demonstrate effective utilization of transistors,
rather than discuss their design. It describes
how and where transistors have already been used,
and discusses possible future applications of transistors and transistor circuits. Over 400 illustrations, a comprehensive subject index, and
clear exposition lend to the handbook's practical
value. Fundamental transistor concepts, various transistor types, characteristic measurements, noise and temperature effects, and circuitry applications are some of the topics covered.
Carroll, John M. / McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 330
W 1t 42 St., New York 36, N. Y. / 1956, printed,
343 pp., $6.50.
The author, associate editor of "Electronics",
here presents a great deal of information intended
for (1) the mechanical engineer who needs to acquire specialized knowledge of problems peculiar
to the design and manufacture of devices using
electron tubes and transistors, and (2) the electronics engineer who needs to know more about
the mechanics of packaging circuits. The book
is based on a group of articles that appeared in
"Electronics", but goes beyond them. The book
contains numerous illustrations, a bibliography,
and an index.
Chute, George M. / Electronics in Industry / McGrawHill Book Co., 330 West 42 St., New York 36, N. Y.
/ 1956, 2nd edition, printed, 431 pp., $7.50.
The author presents a broad introduc"tion to the
use of elect~onic circuits and equipment in industry. He makes little use of mathematics beyond
simple arithmetic in the examples cited in the
text. In this revised second edition the material
- including questions and assignments - has
been rearranged and supplemented to make it
sqitable for use in technical survey courses.
Recent designs of industrial controls have been
included. The volume contains an interesting
and useful bibliography of visual aid films which
can be used as aids to the study of industrial electronics.
Hunter, Lloyd P., editor, and 13 authors / Handbook
of Semiconductor Electronics - A Practical Manual Covering the Physics, Technology, and Circuit
Applications of Transistors, Diodes, and Photocells
/ McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 330 West 42 st. ,
New York 36, N. Y. / 1956, printed, approx. 500
pp., $12.00.
This is an excellent handbook, a thorough, efficiently arranged guide and reference work in
which an attempt is made to present all the major principles of the field of semiconductor electronics. The editor is Senior PhysiCist, IBM,
Books and Other Publications
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Part I briefly describes
transistor action, giving the background physics
necessary to an understanding of ~uch action. Part
IT surveys the technological processes utilized in
transistor and diode fabrication. Part ill gives
the principles of transistor circuit design. Part
IV, Reference Material, covers graphical analysis of non-linear circuits, matrix methods of circuit analysis, etc. A 68-page bibliography, and
author index, and a subject index are included.
Hugh-Jones, E. M., editor, and 7 authors / The PushButton World, or Automation Today / B. Blackwell,
Oxford, England, and Univ. of Oklahoma Press,
Norman, Okla. / 1956, printed, 149 pp., $3.75.
A~ examination, by Earl of Halsbury, R. H. Macmillan, F. G. Woolard, H. R. Nicholas, W. R.
Spencer, M. Argyle, and E. M. Hugh-Jones of:
automation as a method ~ engineering production;
automation's bases in science; its probable effects
on labor; its possible administrative applications;
its social implications. The book is an attempt
to define automation, and to bring some of its implications clearly home to management and labor
and to the public in general.
electrical network theory.
Quastler, Henry, editor, and 12 authors / Informaticn
Theory in Biology / Univ. of lliinois Press, Urbana,
Ill. / 1953, printed, paper bound, 273 pp., $4.00.
This book is a collection of exp!oratory essays
on the applications of .:tiUormation theory to the
higher functions of living organisms, and on the
use of information theory principles in analyzing
functions such as metabolism, growth and differentiation. The essays themselves, in the words
of the editor, "range from authoritative reviews
of well-known facts to hesitant and tentative formulations of embryonic ideas". The papers are
concerned specifically with: the concepts of information theory; definition and measurement of
"information"; the structural analysis of fundamental biological units; the functional analysis of
fundamental biological units; and the information
content of bio-systems. Applicable and interesting illustrations accompany the various papers.
Tsien, H. S. / Engineering Cybernetics / McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc., 330 W. 42 St., New York 36,
N. Y. / 1954, printed, 289 pp., cost?
This is a theoretical study and analysis of that
part of cybernetics which has "direct engineering application in designing controlled or guided
systems". '.r:~ understand this work, the reader
needs some knowledge of advanced mathematics
including variational calculus and differential
equations, and he must be somewhat familiar
with advanced mathematical and engineering terminology. Some topics discussed and analyzed
are the method of LaPlace transforms, the theory
of various servomechanisms and linear systems,
the theory of control designs, noise, and stability; also theoretical means for controlling error.
Korn, Granino A., and Theresa M. Korn / Electronic
Analog Computers (D-c Analog Computers), 2nd
edition / McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 330 West
42 st., New York 36, N. Y. / 1956, printed, 452
pp., $7.50.
This new edition of the book is again a textbook
treatment of direct-current analog computers.
It is intended to give research and development
workers practical methods for using such computers. Much of the book has been rewritten to
present up to date design information on co~put
er components and systems. The book demonstrates how to set up problems for analog computation, and how to design these computers. It
covers circuit theory, components and overall
systems.
-
END -
*----------- * ----------- *
Nodelman, Henry M., and Frederick W. Smith / Mathematics for Electronics with Applications / McGrawHill Book Co., Inc., 330 West 42 St., New York 36,
N. Y. / ~956, printed, 391 pp., $7.00.
In this book the authors correlate electronic engineering practice with mathematical theory,
yet have constantly retained an emphasis on applications, rather than on theory. Part I describes the use of mathematics in electronics and
presents certain engineering problems using calculus for their solution; Part IT introduces dimensional analysis as applied in electronics; Part ill
deals with the algebra of determinants; Part IV
presents the fundamental properties of series
approximations; Part V demonstrates solutions
of differential equatioos; Part VI discusses elements of Boolean algebra and switching circuits:
The book presupposes that the reader understand
elementary calculus, physics, and elementary
- 37 -
SPECIAL ISSUES OF
~~COMPUTERS AND
AUTOMATION"
The June issue of "Computers and Automation" in each year commencing with 1955 is a
special issue, "The Computer Directory", containing a cumulative "Roster of Organizations"
and a cumulative "Roster.of Products and Services
in the Computer Field", and other reference information.
In early 1957, we shall publish Edition No.2
of a cumulative "Who's Who in the Computer Field",
as an extra number of "Computers and Automation".
For more information, see page 51.
NEW PATENTS
RAYMOND R. SKOLNICK
Reg. Patent Agent
Ford Inst. Co. Div. of Sperry Rami Corp.
Long Island City 1, New York
The following is a compilation of patents pertaining to computers and associated equipment from
the Official Gazette of the United States Patent
Office, dates of issue as indicated. Each entry
consists of: Patent number / inventor(s) / assignee / invention.
October 23. 1956 (cont'd from Jan. issue):
2,767, 913 / Robert D. Mitchell, ~Q. Orange,
N. J. / - / Device for computing relative motion problems.
2,767, 915 / Harold S. Hansen, Pacific Palisades,
Calif. / - / A Logarithmic computer.
2.767, 917 / Howard N. Faucett, Pleasantville,
N. Y. / U. S. A. / A mechanical vector computer for a sound ranging azimuth detector •.
2,767,919/ Franz J.A. Huber, Dayton, Ohio /
True airspeed indicator.
'
Oct. 30. 1956: 2,769,124 / John R. Erbe, Pittsburgh, Pa. / Westinghouse Electric Corp. ,
East Pittsburgh, Pa. / A remote control system with automatic follow-up.
Nov. 6. 1956: 2,769, 591 / Paul Zamboni, Zurich,
Switzerland / Landis & Gyr A. G., Zug, Switzerland / An integrating mechanism.
2,769,595 / Alan S. Bagley, Los Altos, Calif. /
Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif. / A
frequency counter.
2, 769, 903 / Gordon Donald Paxson, EI Cerrito,
Calif. / U. S. A. / A pulse forming network.
Nov. 13, 1956: 2,770,415 / John L. Linde smith,
Sierra Madre, Calif. / Clary Corp., Calif. /
A readout and radix conversion apparatus for
electronic computing apparatus.
2,770,724 / Henry N. Frihart, Brookfield, and
George F. Baroch, Lombard, lli. / Motorola,
Inc., Chicago, lli. / A converter.
2,770,725 / John J. Lentz, Chappaqua, N. Y. /
International Business Machines Corp., New
York, N. Y. / A binary-decade counter.
2,770,728 / Gerald B. Herzog, Princeton, N. J. /
Radio Corp. of America, Del. / A semi-conductor frequency multiplier circuit.
2, 770,734 / Robert J. Reek, Bellwood, lli. /
Teletype Corp., Chicago, lli. / A transistor
relay device.
- 38 -
2,770,743 / J3ernard H. Wallach, New York, N. Y.
/ Kearfott Co., Inc., Little Falls, N. J. / A
servo system and servo motor with built-in
damping action.
2,770,797 / Francis E. Hamilton, Binghamton,
and George V. Hawktns, Robert E. Lawhead, Jr ••
and Ernest S. Hughes, Jr., Vestal, N. Y. / international Business Machines Corp., New YOrk,
N. Y. / A data storage apparatus.
Nov. 20, 1956: 2,771, 244 / Francois Henry Raymond, Le Vesinet, France / Societe d'Electronique et d'Automatisme, Paris, France / A
coded pulse circuit for multiplication
2,771,551 / Robert W. Hampton, Contra Costa
County, Calif. / Marchant Calculators, Inc.,
Calif. / A counting circuit.
2,771,573 / Ake Hugo. Petrus Blomqvist, Johanneshov, and Per Ake Lindegren, Stockholm,
Sweden, AkUebolaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden /
A remote control follow-up system for positioning a controlled unit by a control unit.
2,771,595 / Arnold P. Henrickson, Minneapolis,
and William R. Keye, St. Paul, Minn., and
John H. Howard, Springfield, Pa. / Sperry
Rand Corp., New York, N. Y. / A data storage
system.
November 27, 1956: 2,772,050 / Arthur Alexander
Robinson, Scunthorpe, Frederic Calland Williams,
Timperley, and Tom Kilburn, Manchester, Eng.
/ National Research Development Corp., London,
Eng. / An electronic digital computing machine.
2,772,370 / George D. Bruce, Wappinger Falls,
and Joseph C. Logue, Kingston, N. Y. / I. B. M.
Corp., New York, N. Y. / A binary trigger and
counter circuits employing magnetic memory
devices.
December 4, 1956: 2,773,250 / Pierre R. R. Aigrain and Georges B. A •. Laindrat, Paris, France
/ International Standard Electric Corp., New
York, N. Y. / A device for storing information.
December 11, 1956: 2,773,444/ Gordon E. Whitney, Derby, Colo. / Internation:al Business Machines Corp., New York, N. Y. / A magnetic core
storage for business machines.
2,773,641 / Richard V. Baum, Akron, Ohio /
Goodyear Aircraft Corp., Akron, Ohio / An electronic multiplier.
2,773,648 / John B. 'Cannon, Jr., State College,
Pa. / Research Corp., New York, N. Y. / A
binary-decimal counter.
2, 773, 983 / Richard H. Baker, Los Angeles, and
Donald E. Eckdahl, .Manhattan Beach, Calif. /
Northrop Aircraft Inc., Hawthorne, Calif. / An
electronic counting device.
2,774,019/ Anthony J. Hornfeck, S. Euclid, Ohio
/ Bailey Meter Co., Del. / An electric servo
system for measuring and control.
BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS
(cont'd from page 29)
APPENDIX
TABLE OF COMPUTER SYMBOLS
SUMMING AMPLIFIER
POTENTIOMETER
a
-:C>>---
____x__~()~--a-x---
o y, connecting A (arm) to
NO (normally open) ; otherwise A is connected.
to NC (normally closed).
NCr-----
*-------------------------------------- *---------------------------------------*
The Ramo-Wooldridge
Corporation
Digital Computer
PROGRAMMERS
The Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation has several opportunities
for those interested in programming the UNIVAC Scientific Model
1103 A, and other electronic digital computers. A college
degree in mathematics, physics or engineering is required,
and several years of programming experience is desirable.
Please direct inquiries for additional information to:
Mr. R. Richerson
The Ramo -Wooldridge Corporation
5730 Arbor Vitae Street • Los Angeles 45, California • Telephone: ORchard 2-0171
Forum
LOS ANGELES CHAVTER, ASSOCIATION FOn CO~PUTING MACHINERY,
STATLER HOTEL, LOS ANGELES, MAnCH 1, 1957
Eugene H. Jacobs
Association fori Computing Machinery
The Rand Corp.
1700 Main St.
Santa Monica, California
Session I
The Los Angeles Chapter of the Association
for Computing Machinery is sponsoring, in conj~ction with, and immediately following, the forthcoming Western Joint Computer Conference, a one
day symposium on "New Computers - A Report
from the Manufacturers". This meeting, which
will be held on March 1, 1957, at the Statler Hotel
in Los Angeles, will provide a forum for computer manufacturers to announce and explain new computer developments. The program has been restricted to papers on general purpose c omp ute r
systems for commercial or scientific uses, involving high-volume, high-speed storage systems
and high operating speeds. Only the newest, most
advanced and most recently publicized equipment
will be discussed. The material to be presented
will stress the viewpoint of the user rather than
that of the logical or circuit designer.
A New Large-Scale Data Handling System - DATAmatic 1000, W. C. Carter, DATAmatic Corp.
A copy of the program is attached. Also,
we should like to point out that there will be no registration fee for this Symposium.
The RCA BIZMAC II - Characteristics and Applications, J.A. Brustman, H.M. Elliott, andA.S.
Kranzley, Radio Corporation of America
Chairman: Paul Armer, the RAND Corporation
Magnetic Tape File Processing with the NCR-304,
a New Business Computer, J. S. Sumner, National Cash Register, Inc.
The Cardatron and the Datafile in the DATA TR ON
System, F. G. Withington and Dean H. Shaw,
ElectroData Corporation
Intermission
We believe that these "Reports from the Manufacturers" will be of interest to your many readers
in the computing field, and your assistance in publicizing this meeting will be appreciated.
Lunch
1:30 P. M., Friday, March 1, 1957
Session II
NEW COMPUTERS A REPORT FROM THE MANUFACTURERS
Chairman: Jack A. Strong, North American Aviation, Inc.
Golden State Room, Statler Hotel, Los Angeles
Advanced Techniques in Univac Scientific Computer
Systems, A. A. Cohen, Remington Rand Univac
9:00 A. M., Friday, March 1, 1957
Recent IDM Developments in High Speed Computation and Design Objectives for the Super Speed
Stretch Computer, J. L. Greenstadt and S. W.
Dunwell, International Business Machines Corp.
Opening Remarks
Walter F. Bauer, The Ramo-Wooldridge
Corporation, Chairman, Los Angeles
Chapter, Association for Computing
Machinery
(cont'd on pige 48)
- 40 -
NINE BILLION NAMES
(cont'd from page 25)
George thought this over for a moment.
"That's what I call taking the Wide View, "
he said presently. "But what d'ya suppose we
should do about it? I don't see that it makes the
slightest difference to U's. After all, we already
knew that they were crazy. "
"Yes - but don't you see what may happen?
When the list's complete and the Last Trumpdoesn't
blow - or whatever it is they expect - we may get
the blame. It's our machine they've been using. I
don't like the situation one little bit. "
"I see, " said George slowly. "You've got a
point there. But this sort of thing's happened before, you know. When I was a kid down in Louisiana we had a crackpot preacher who said the wOJ:"ld
was going to end next Sunday. Hundreds of people
believed him - even sold their homes. Yet nothing happened, they didn't turn nasty as you'd expect.
They just decided that he'd made a mistake in his
calculations and went right on believing. I guess
some of them still do. "
"Well, this isn't Louisiana, in case you
hadn't noticed. There are just two of us and hundreds of these monks. I like them, and I'll be sorry
for old Sam when his lifework backfires on him.
But all the same, I wish I was somewhere else. "
"I've been wishing that for weeks. But
there's nothing we can do until the contract's finished and the transport arrives to fly us out. "
"Of course, " said Chuck thoughtfully, "we
could always try a bit of sabotage. "
"Like hell we could! That would make things
worse. "
"Not the way I meant. Look at it like this.
The machine will finish its run four days from now,
on the present twenty-hours-a-day basis. The
transport calls in a week. O. K. - then all we
need do is to find something that wants replacing
during one of the overhaul periods - something
that will hold up the works for a couple of days.
We'll fix it, of course, but not too quickly. If we
time matters properly, we can be down at the airfield when the last name pops out of the register.
They won't be able to catch us then. "
"I don't like it, " said George. ''It will be
the first time I ever walked out on a job. Besides,
it would make them suspicious. No. I'll sit tight
and take what comes. "
"I still don't like it, " he said, seven days
later, as the tough little mountain pOnies carried
them down the winding road. "And don't you think
I'm running away because I'm afraid. I'm jus t
sorry for those poor old guys up there, and I don't
want to be around when they find what suckers
they've been. Wonder how Sam wUI take it?"
"It's funny," replied Chuck, "but when I said
good-bye I got the idea he knew we were walking
out on him - and that he didn't care because he
knew the machine was running smoothly and that the
job would soon be finished. Af.ter that - well, of
course, for him there just isn't any After That .•. "
George turned in his saddle and stared back
up the mountain road. This was the last place from
which one could get a clear view of the lamasery.
The squat, angular buildings were silhouetted against
the afterglow of the sunset: here and there, lights
gleamed like portholes in the sides of an ocean liner.
Electric lights, of course, sharing the same c~rcuit
as the Mark V. How much longer would they share
it, wondered George. Would the monks smash up
the computer in their rage and disappointment? Or
would they just sit down quietly and begin their calculations all over again?
He knew exactly what was happening up on
the mountain at this very moment. The High Lama
and his assistants would be sitting in their silk
robes, inspecting the sheets as the junior monks
carried them away from the typewriters and pasted
them into the great volumes. No one would be saying anything. The only sound would be the incessant
patter, the never-ending rainstorm, of the keys hitting the paper, for the Mark V itseU was utterly
silent as it flashed through its thousands of calculations a second. Three months of this, thought
George, was enough to start anyone climbing up the
wall.
"There she is!" called Chuck, pointing down
into the valley. "A in 't she beautiful!"
She certainly was, thought George. The battered old DC 3 lay at the end of the runway like a
tiny silver cross. In two hours she would be bearing them away to freedom and sanity. It was a
thought worth savoring like a fine liqueur. George
let it roll round his mind as the pony t r u d g e d
patiently down the slope.
The swift night of the high Himalayas was
now almost upon them.
Fortunately the road was
very good, as roads went in this region, and they
were both carrying torches. There was not the
slightest danger, only a certain discomfort from
the bitter cold. The sky overhead was perfectly
clear and ablaze with the familiar" friendly stars.
At least there would be no risk, thought George,
of the pilot being unable to take off because of
weather conditions. That had been his only remaining worry.
(cont'd on page 42)
- 41 -
News Release
MAGNETIC RECORDING HEADS
Ferroxcube Corp. of America
Saugerties, N. Y.
a
f)
a
TYPICAL FERROXCUBE
RECORDING
HEADS
Here are some of the recording heads recently in production at the
Saugerties, New York plant of the Ferroxcube Corporation of America
for use in various types of electronic computers.
*-----------------------------------------*----------------------------------------*
NINE BILLION NAMES
(cont'd from page 41)
He began to sing, but gave it up after a while.
This vast arena of. mountains, gleaming like whitely
hooded ghosts on every side, did not encourage such
ebullience. Presently George glanced at his watch.
"Should be there in an hour, " he called back
over his shoulder to Chuck. Then he added, in an
afterthought: ''Wonder if the computer's finished
its run? It was due about now. "
Chuck didn't reply, so George swung rounq.
in his saddle. He could just see Chuck's face, a
white oval turned towards the sky.
ROBOT
SHOW STOPPERS
From time to time you. .may nee d t 0
help organize a display in a business
show including some device that you
hope tdll "STOP" every perso n attending the show and make him notice
your display - a device which may
be called a "SHOW-STOPPER".
In addition to publishing the magazi-fte "COMPUI'ERS AND AUTOMATION", we
have for six years been developing
alld constructing "ROBOT SHOW-STO PPERS", small robot machi nes t hat
respond to their environmen t a n d
behave by themselves.
"Look, " whispered Chuck, and George lifted
his eyes to heaven. (There is always a last time
for everyt}:rlng.)
Write us for more information:
Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.,
815 Washington St., R 191
Newtonville 60, Mass.
Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were
going out.
-END - 42-
AlITOMATEO FUfURE
(cont'd from page 19)
News Release
leisure is to mean something more than just another
day when we can sleep late, will need to develop
some of these qualities. In view of these needs, one
of the greatest mistakes we could make would be to
concentrate all our attention on the specialized problems of educating scientists and technicians.
A hundred years ago, when it was necessary
for most people to put in 60 or 70 hours a week in
miserable factories, just in order to survive, the
question of what to do with non-work - with leisure - never presented itself. Today, with our
forty hours of work a week, we are already facing
the two-day weekend with something of a self-conscious attitude. When leisure time spills over from
the weekend to Monday and Friday, when a man
leaves his desk or his station after six hours of
work, still fresh and full of energy, then for the
first time in history, we will really face the problem of what to do with leisure time.
Change
ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER INPUT-OUTPUT
FOR COMPUTERS
International Business Machines Corp.
New York, N. Y.
The Electric Typewriter Division of International Business Machines Corporation has announced the development of a new model electric
typewriter designed for use as an input and output
device for the data processing field.
The new typewriter automatically types at a
rate of 120 words a minute or approximately twice
as fast as the average typist. It can be used associated with computers, as well as with measuring
and recording instruments, scales, and meters, in
such applications as engine testing, liquid flow
through pipelines, production control, wind tunnel
research and others, providing a visual record.
The input-output typewriter is operated by a
series of electro-magnets and solenoids mounted
beneath the keyboard. When used as an output device, the magnets and solenoids receive signals
transmitted from the controlling device, or computer, and automatically actuate keyboard functions
of the typewriter, including carriage return, spacing, tabulation, ribbon color control. and others.
When used as an input device, electrical impulses
are transmitted from the typewriter by merely depressing a key.
Like the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution
in the 18th century, we face a world in which only
one thing is sure: change, fundamental change.
Instead of fearing change~ I think we might
do well to think about the words that the great philosopher and teacher Alfred North Whitehead wrote
more than twenty-five years ago:
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous;
and it is among the merits of science that it
equip the future for its duties. . . .. In the
immediate future there will be less security
than in the immediate past, less stability. It
must be admitted that there is a degree of instability which is inconsistent with civilization.
But, on the whole, the great ages have been unstable ages. "
It is approximately the same &ize as a standard IBM electric typewriter and may be used for
general office procedure. The new typewriter is
available with carriage lengths up to 30 inches and
is priced from $740.
- END-
*---------- * ----------*
An Age When the Buttons Push Themselves
Today we are leaving the pushbutton age and
entering an age when the buttons push themselves.
We should greatly benefit from it. Farsighted and
aggressive managements see not only the possibility
of decreasing operating costs, but also of entering
the field with new products and new services. Entirely new markets are coming into existence, and
alert businessmen are already seizing the opportunities they see before them. I think it is fair to
say that automation offers as great a challenge and
reward as any industry has ever known.
- END-
- 43 -
Forum
WHAT
READERS
SAY
~~COMPUTERS
ABOUT
AND
AUTOMATION'"
from 82 readers of "Computers and Automation"
The following are comments received from readers of our magazine "Computers and Automation". The
sources of these comments are entry forms for "Who's
Who in the Computer Field 1956-7" sent in to us; the
comment is usually written in a space on the form entitled "Remarks and views? " .
Wm. G. Deutsch, Information Systems Applications
Engineer, Panellit, Inc., 7401 N. Hamlin Ave.,
Skokie, lll.
"Suggest an issue devoted to discussion of Automatic Logging of Physical data - An Input for
Computers. "
In order to give a complete and fair picture, here
are all comments (1) relevant to the magazine, (2) unselected, both favorable and unfavorable, (3) arranged
in sequence according to date received, October 18,
1956, up to about December 7, 1956. If the meaning or
context of any comment is not clear, we shall be glad
to try to explain it if we can.
Lt. j. g., A. Robert Rafner, U. S. Navy Aviation
Supply Office, Electronic Computer BrancJl, 700
Robbins Ave., Philadelphia 11, Pa.
"Excellent magazine. Look forward to each
issue. "
To draw attention to some comments which are
particularly important to us, we have enclosed them in
boxes.
J. James Ingram, Sr., Engr., mM Corp., Product
Development Lab., Endicott, N. Y.
"Would seem desirable to list last or possibly
all degrees. "
Howard H. Metcalfe, Mathematician, The Rand Corporation, Lincoln Lab., Lexington, Mass.
"Excellent magazine - filling a great need in
this field for such distribution of information. "
Aside from a few free subscriptions to advertisers, agencies, editors of other magazines, and similarly placed persons, every subscription to "Computers and Automation" is paid for.
Howard S. Levin, Consultant, Ebasco Services, Inc.,
2 Rector St., New York 6, N. Y.
"Thanks for planning a complete directory of
computer people. "
*-.,.....--------- * - - - - - - - - - - - *
William W. Allen, Product Development Analyst,
Remington Rand-Univac Div., 315 Fourth Ave., New
York 10, N. Y.
"Computers and Automation seems to be growing
in popularity in my office. It does a good job in
covering all aspects of the computing industry. "
Lynn A. McCabe, Assistant to Comptroller, Campbell
Soup Co., Camden, N. J.
rrVery Good"
Edward S. Stein, Consultant to Electronic Systems,
U. S. Bur. of Census, Washington 23, D. C.
"Not technical enough. "
C. Hugh Spencer, Marketing Services Manager, The
Reuben H. Do~elley Corp., 401 North Broad St.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
"I appreciate your recent articles on programming and applications in industry. "
Warner G. Cumber, Manager, Advanced Process Application, American Airlines, Inc., 100 Park Ave.,
New York 17, N. Y.
"Would like to see more articles on applications
of computers to business which are outside the
accounting and financial fields. "
Mrs. Nora M. Taylor, Mathematician, David Taylor
Model Basin, Washington 7, D. C.
"I dropped my subscription because 1 don't think
the content justifies the present high price. "
Willard G. Bourieius, Director of Computin-g Center,
IBM Research Lab., Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
"Your publication is doing more than any other
to get new people interested in and informed
about computers. "
- 44 -
What Readers Say About Computers an:l Automation
Jolm H. Kain, Sales Repr., Underwood Corp., 2424
W. Brand Blvd., Detroit 8, Mich.
"Practical application of small medium scale
computers will depend largely upon experienced
accounting machine salesmen. "
E. J. Quinby, Product Mgr., Computers, Philco Corp.,
Govt. & Indus. Div., Philadelphia 44, Pa.
"We do subscribe, of course, because Computers and Automation is the pioneer and the most
widely read in its field. "
N. T. Grisamore, Asst. Prof., George Washington
Univ., Washington, D. C.
"The idea of not including the Who's Who as part
of the regular subscription is, at the least, irritating. My subscription will be dropped at the
end of its period. This is no must publication
to individuals since it can be obtained at any
technical library. "
George V. Maverick, Mathematician, IBM Corp. ,
3287 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 5, Calif.
"Present method of financing Who's Who is an
improvement. In C & A I regularly read the
fiction first. "
Otis N. Minot, Pres., Minot Informatic Devices,
22 Eliot Road, Lexington 73, Mass.
"I like your Computers and Automation."
L. Eugene Handloff, Design Engr., mM Product
Devt. Lab., 99 Notre Dame, San Jose, Calif.
"I enjoy your magazine very much. One of its
best features is its brevity. I appreciate not
having to wade through mountains of overspecialized articles and generality. "
Herbert F. Lindsay, Logistics Data Processing Office, Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan, Calif.
"I am interested in the planned, properly integrated use of electronic data processing machines as a balanced part of the total organization. "
George H. L. Norman, Sales Manger, Sprague Electric, Pacific Division, 12870 Panama St., Los Angeles 66, Calif.
"Computers and Automation is much appreciated."
Mrs. David A. LaMarre, Jr. Mathematician, American Optical Co., Southbridge, Mass.
"Always seems quite interesting and informative."
Robert F. Meyers,' Meteorologist, Air Force Cambridge Res. Cen., L. G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Mass.
'rvery good; would like a periodic review of automatic digital computers and similar pieces of
equipment. "
Zoel M. Radner, Head, Integrated Business Systems,
Hughes Aircraft Co., Culver City, Calif.
"More business systems preparation steps
required. "
- 45 -
Jerome J. Dover, Chief, Data Reduction Branch, Air
Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, Calif.
"Keep up the good work. "
Ashley J. Hollingsworth, Devt. Engr., Friden Calculating Machine Corp., San Leandro, Calif.
"Your magazine is ~mproving or else my interest
in subject is. "
William H. Jenkins, Computing Devices of Canada,
Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
"Computers and Automation is improving steadily.
Trust the editors are not completely satisfied.
Technical lev~l could be higher. "
John L. Little, Electronic Scientist, National Bureau
of Standards, Washington 25, D. C.
"Worthwhile reading. "
D. K. Ritchie, Senior Elec. Engr., Ferranti Electric
Ltd., Mount Dennis, Toronto, Canada
"The 'Science Fiction' stories are not only not
very good: they also do nothing to improve the
prestige of the publication. "
Roderick Gould, Research Asst., Harvard Compo Lab.,
Cambridge 38, Mass.
"Your mag;azine would be greatly improved by:
(1) getting rid of those awful Danch cartoons;
(2) eliminating or greatly improving your fiction. "
William F. Atchison, Head, Programming and Coding
Group, Rich Electronic Computer Center, Georgia
Inst. of Tech., Atlanta 13, Ga.
'rvery interestlllg. "
Stanley H. Cohn, Computing Specialist, Avro Aircraft
Ltd., Malton, Ontario, Canada
"Science fiction stories out of place. 'Truth is
stranger than fiction.' "
Miss Frances C'. Benthine, Ass't. Director Sales
Support, Sperry Rand Corp., 315 Fourth Ave., New
York, N. Y.
.
"Articles are very useful in keeping our staff
informed of developments in the computer field. "
Alfred Walker, Director of Public Relations, Logistics Research, Inc., 141 S. Pacific Ave., Redondo
Beach, Calif.
'rvery useful, very necessary. Fills need for
publication devoted exclusively to Computeors
and Automation. "
Theodore C. Austin, Elect. Eng., ARO, Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn.
'rverY enlightening information. "
Arthur R. Friedenheit, Sales Technical Specialist,
288 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, Calif.
"Read circulating copy; a fine magazine!"
Computers and Automation
Herbert O. Brayer, Management Consultant, Professor of Automation, Loyola Univ., Chicago, Ill.
"Excellent material - wish we could get more
information on costs in relations to systems and
operations rather than just machine costs. Also
management experience, problems, etc., in automation from business and commercial view rather
than manufacturing or engineering. "
Gerald S. Briney, Section Head, Application Engrg.
Div., Minneapolis-Honeywell, Wayne & Windrim Aves.,
Philadelphia 99, Pa.
"I enjoy your magazine and have read it since its
inception. It is, in my estimation, a valuable
contribution to this field. "
Paul H. Hunter, Engr., Headquarters Staff, Western
Electric Co., Inc., Lexington Rd., Winston-Salem,
N.C.
"Interested in systems for reducing cost, manpower and time lag involved in reduction of statistical quality data in the electronic manufacturing area. As far as I know, a completely undeveloped field for automatic data processing. "
Lowell S •. Michels, Senior Engr., Bendix Computer
Div., 5630 Arbor Vitae St., Los Angeles 45, Calif.
"Informative and enjoyable publication. "
George T. Davis, Treasurer, Erdco, Inc., 511 Locust
St., St. Louis, Missouri
"I enjoy your publication, Computers and Automation. This is the ONLY direct contact we have
with the computer field outside of our own little
group."
Buckley C. Pierstoree, Sr. Member, Tech. Staff,
Simulation Lab., RCA Airborne Systems Lab., Waltham, Mass.
"Try for more analog computer material in C & A. "
Harold J. Ehlers, Assoc. Engr., Boeing Airplane Co.,
Seattle, Wash.
"Would like more articles of a technical nature.
Drop the fiction stories. "
Cecil N. Batsel, Jr., Engr., Radio Corp. of America,
11819 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles 69, Calif.
''Very informative."
William J. Stadler, Engr., Physical Research Staff,
Boeing Airplane Co., Plant IT, Seattle, Wash.
"Feel the need for abstracts of published material
on Digital Computin~ programming, applications,
hardware, conference, etc."
Frank M. Delaney, Ass't. Director, Automatic Programming Devt., Remington Rand Univac Div., Sperry
Rand Corp., 19th and Allegheny, Philadelphia, Pa.
''Very interesting - keep up the good work!"
Richard C. Singleton, Research Engineer, Stanford
Research Inst., Menlo Park, Calif.
"Enjoy your publication. "
Matthew A. Alexander, Senior Staff Engr., Telemeter
Magnetics, 2245 Pontius Ave., Los Angeles 64, Calif.
"The publication is in my experience widely read.
Why not publish short essays on subjects which
are part of our general field in place of the articles like 'Pure Word', etc."
Herbert J. Holzman, Mathematician, The Rand Corp. ,
1700 Main St., Santa Monica, Calif.
"Enhance the quality of your short stories. "
Bruce N. Jenks, Systems Analyst, Continental Assurance Co., 310 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, lli.
"Improving magazine with every issue - Keep
it up."
Ralph J. Preiss, Associate Engineer, IBM Product
Devt. Laboratory, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
"I am glad that you have decided that purchasers
should pay the cost of preparing and publishing
this 'Who's Who'. "
Marcel A. Martin, PhysiCist, Data Processing Analysis, General Electric, Missiles and Ordnance Systems
Dept., 3198 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.
"Congratulations for your free listings. "
I
H. Arthur Hatch, Data Processing Analyst, Argonaut
Underwriters, Inc., 250 Middlefield Road, Menlo
Park, Calif.
"Read it all every month - Very useful and interesting. "
Ladimer J. Andrews, Project Engr., National Cash
Co., Hawthorne, Calif.
"Format very good; fiction welcome break in
routine. "
Regist~r
Howard Bromberg, Systems Analyst, Remington RandUnivac, 19th and Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.
"The only really comprehensive magazine for
a field whose scope expands daily. "
Theodore R. Meyer, Aaa't. Actuary, Guaranty Union
Life Ins. Co., Beverly Hills, Calif.
"Excellent coverage. "
Robert E. Margolies, Project Engineer, Arnoux Corp.,
11924 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles 66, Calif.
"A worth while magazine. II"
- 46 -
James H. M. Williams, Senior Engineer, Ferranti
Electric Inc., 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N. Y.
''Very Informative and Interesting. "
Eugene Garfield, President, Documation, Inc., Woodbury, N. J.
"Telephone numbers would be extremely valuable
and time saving. Ours is Tllden 5-7876. "
What Readers Say About Computers and Automation
Vincent F. St. Jolm, Accounting Supervisor, New York
Telephone Co., 140 West St., New York, N. Y.
"We here in headquarters find the magazine loaded
with up-to-date and valuable information. "
Joseph M. Zappia, Store Project Representative, Burdine's, Miama 30, Florida
"Excellent publication and organization. "
Robert C. Ferber, Busine ss Consultant, Peat, Marwich,
Mitchell & Co., 70 Pine St., New York 5, N. Y.
"Excellent publication; copy should be in justified
type style."
Arthur A. Ernst, General Engr., National Bureau of
Standards, Data Processing Systems Div., Washington
25, D.C.
"0. K. and useful - but it is really 'mechanization' rather than 'automation'. "
Stanley R. Klion, Consultant, Peat, Marwich, Mitchell
& Co., 70 Pine St., New York 5, N. Y.
Howard S. White, Physicist, University of California
Radiation Lab., Berkeley 4, Calif.
"Good, well rounded selection of material. "
"Fine magazine but a little amateurish in format. "
Mrs. Nan H. Adams, Programmer, Lenkurt Electric
Co., Inc., San Carlos, Calif.
'rvery good. More glossaries of all related words
and terms would be helpful. "
D. G. O'Connor, Manager, Digital Computer Devt. ,
Link Aviation, Binghamton, N. Y.
"I feel the 'Who's Who' performs a valuable service to the industry. "
Mr. Marvin C. Green, Chief, Simulation & Computation Division, Holloman Air Development Center, Holloman AFB, N. M.
"Computers and Automation is very helpful in my
work."
Robert E. Koning, Tabulating Equipment Supervisor,
Stat. Services, MacDill AFB, Florida
"Would like to see articles or letters on Braw
Analogue (Self Programming Machines)."
Joseph M. Bernard, Research Engineer, Boeing Airplane Co., c/o Lincoln Laboratory, Lincoln, Mass.
"Enjoy your publication and its informative presentations. "
Lucille J. Albers, Mathematician, Air Force Armament
Center, USAF, E]gin AFB, Florida
" Computers and Automation is keeping me up to
date on programming teclmiques, computer installations, and people. "
Burton W. Bostad, Sr. Syst. Design Engr., Convair
Astronautics, 653 Minot Ave., Chula Vista, Calif.
"Enjoy your publication and hope to see it grow
with the automation field. "
David Gindoff, Partner, Gindoff & Swartz, CPA's,
5858 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif.
"There appear to be many more computer
people than computers. "
Benjamin F. Cheydleur, Dept. Manager, Remington
Rand Univac, 1902 W. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul,
Minn.
"Continue the good work! Best wishes 1"
Richard Lindaman, Technical Writer, Remington Rand
Univac, Univac Park, St. Paul, Minn.
"Except for some of the fiction, I have enjoyed
nearly everything in Computers and Automation
including ads. "
Byron E. Wicks, Operations Research Assistant, Bank
of America N. T. and S. A., 300 Montgomery St., San
Francisco 20, Calif.
"I like it very much; very interesting and informative."
Charles B. Slack, Administrative Assistant, Baird
Associates - Atomic Instrument Co., 33 University
Rd., Cambridge, Mass.
"I would like to see more extensive treatment of
data handling techniques - data conversion,
multiplexing, high speed printers, etc."
Peter G. Neumann, Research Assistant, Harvard Computation Laboratory, Cambridge .38, Mass.
"Enjoyed the Examination of John Carr IIL Excellent idea to reproduce such. "
Maurits P. de Regt, Sales Technical Representative,
Electrodata Division of Burroughs, 201 Boren North,
Seattle, Wash.
"Many valuable contributions to the field of computers. "
R. B. Curry, Comptroller, Southern Railway System,
Washington 13, D. C.
"Excellent publication. "
Joel Franklin, Senior Mathematician, Electrodata
Division of Burroughs Corp., Pasadena, Calif.
"You have a very fine publication, and you deserve continued success. "
Lawrence F. Hope, Consultant to General Motors Research Staif, Grosse Pointe Farms 36, Mich.
"How about more emphasis on 'fringe areas'
which may contribute much to techniques, e. g.,
information theory, learning, adaptation?"
Robert C. Brackett, Production Control Department,
Zenith Radio Corp., Chicago 39, lll.
"To me this (the computer field) is a most interesting field, and your 'Computers and Automation'
has helped me tremendously. "
- F.NO - 47 -
Payments. In many cases, we make small token
payments for articles, papers, and fiction, if
the author wishes to be paid. The rate is ordinarily ~¢ a word, the maximum is $20, and
both depend on length in Ifords, whether printed before, whether article or paper, etc.
- EN» -
MANUSCRIPTS
We are interested in articles, papers,reference
information, science fiction, and discussion relating to computers and automation. To be cQnsidered for any particular issue, the ma~u~r~t
should be in our hands by the fifth of the precedlng month.
*------------------------*---------------------*
Articles. We desire to publish articles that are
factual, useful, understandable, andin~sting
to many kinds of people engaged in one part oranother of the field of computers and automation.
In this audience are many people who h a\e expert
knowledge of some part. of too field, but wID are laymen in other parts of it. Consequently alaiter
should seek to explain his subject, and sh91'1 its
context and significance. He should define unfamiliar terms, or use them in a way that make s
their meaning unmistakable. He should identify
unfamiliar persons Iv! th a few lVords. He shruld
use examples, details, comparisons, analogies,
etc., whenever they may help readers to understand a difficult point. He should give data
supporting his argument and evidence for his
assertions. We look particularly for articles
that explore ideas in the field of computers
and automation, and their applications and implications. An article may certainly be contr~
versial if the subj ect is discussed reason ably
Ordinarily, the lengt.h should be 1000 to 4000
words. A suggestion for an article should be
submi tted to us before too much {fork is done.
ACM
(cont'd from page 40)
The Philco S-2000 Transistorized Large-Scale Data
Processing System, S. Y. Wong, Philco Corp.
The Logistics Research Model 800 Computer, Neil
Block, Logistics Research, Inc.
Closing Remarks
John W. Carr ITI, University of Michigan,
President, Association for Computing
Machinery
SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEE
Walter F. Bauer, Chairman, The Ramo-Wooldridge
Corp.
Paul Armer, The RAND Corporation
Eugene H. Jacobs, The RAND Corporation
Jack A. Strong, North American Aviation, Inc.
Technical Papers. Many of the foregoing requbements for articles do not necessarily apply to
technical papers. Undefined technical terms,
unfamiliar assumptions, mathematics, circuit
diagrams, etc., may be entirely appropriate.
Topics interesting probably to only a few
people are acceptable.
- ENn _
*-----------------------*-----------------------*
MAKE YOUR OWN BABY GENIUS COMPUTERS
WITH
Reference Information. We desire to print ot'reprint reference information: lists, roste~ abstracts, bibliographies, etc., of use to computer people. We are interested in m a kin g
arrangements for systematic publication from
time to time of such information, with other
people bes ides our Olvn staff. Anyone who would
like to take the responsibility for a type of
reference information should Ifri te us.
GENIAC
Electric
Construction
Brain
Kit
No.1
Diagram of the versatile mul Uple SId tch,
which can be assembled
to make any s tv i t c h
COmbination from 16
decks of 2 positions,
to 2 decks of 16 positions.
Fiction. We desire to print or reprint fiction
which explores scientific ideas and possibilities about computing machinery, robots, cybernetics. automation, etc., and their. implicatWn~
and which at the same time is a good story. 0rdinarily, the length should be 1000 to 4Oe 1, 4, 8, 12, 20, 28, 32 and 40. When two numbers were fed into the multiplication circuits the
two labels would be interpreted in order to determine the accuracy of the multiplication. The number of digits in the product would probably be taken
as the minimum of the two lengths of the factors.
Although this suggestion seems obviOUS, it
has perhaps been generally overlooked, with the
result that many calculations could be performed
considerably faster than at present with only a
slight increase in expense, and without any new
el~ctronic techniques.
I was disappointed to find business machines
firms funnelling off the cream of all the univer.sity
design groups into commercial product developments, lured by higher salaries of course. The
entire group from BESK at Stockholm has recentiy moved to Atvidaberg, makers of Facit Calculators. The heads of the design groups at Darmstadt and Munich have gone to Standard, Telefunken, IBM and Siemens. There is not sufficient training taking place to replace these pioneers, and
some unfinished computer projects are left with
no experience to complete the work. The answer
is to establish, at once, computer design and operation courses in our universities allover the
world and to increase the training given by manufacturers.
The electronic automation business, I ike
most other highly scientific fields, recognizes few
national boundary limitations. We should g i v e
technical assistance to less prosperous countries
instead of robbing them of their best talent. This
does not refer to temporary transfers or exchanges
which are most welcome. One of the most complimentary things I heard about the U. S. A. was
that a college here granted the money to send a
scientist over there to help them build an electron
microscope. He stayed a year, ~ade f r i end s ,
taught a group the techniques he was expert -in,
and they like that much more than just money.
And the whole world benefits mw time knowledge
is spread. Let's do it in the computer business.
Let's have an international computer con g res s
soon, and hold it over there, because the one thing
they don't have is dollars. We have no monopoly
on brains and much can be learned from discussions with the wonderful group of dedicated engineers it has been my privilege to meet during this
interesting trip.
- END-
*---------*----------*
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
(cont'd from page 13)
represents Samas in the U. S. A.
In. "'Conclusion I want to emphasize what I
believe to be the most pressing problem in the
computer industry, not only in all the countries
I visited but here at home also. This is the lack
of trained manpower to design, build, program,
install and maintain these rather complicated new
business tools. I was sorry to see that the col-
- END -54-
lOp drawer
developments
achieved through Convair's
ENGINEERING to the Nth POWER
Break Through The PRO
BLEM B carrier
To help them achieve "top drawer developments", Convair selected PACE Analog
Computing Equipment. One more example of two leading companies joining together
to break through the problem barrier. Setting the PACE-® for progress throughout
the world, Elearonic Associates, Inc. continues to serve major industry - offering the
rental- of computing time in either the Los Angeles, Calif. Computation Center or
the Princeton, N. J. Computation Center - and, through progressive engineering,
supplying industry with the latest advances in analog computing equipment. For full
details, address Dept. CA- 2, Electronic Associates, Inc., Long Branch, New Jersey.
~
~
ELECTRO".JI C:;",
ASSOCIATES
P~d:
~~
. .' ,
EAI
SETS
THE
p
I;"RECISIOIIi
LONG BRANCH • NEW JERSEY
A
ANALOG
c
E
COMPUTING EQUIPMENT
R
ADVERTISING IN "COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION"
Memorandum from Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
Publisher of COMPUTERS AND AUTOMA TION
815 Washington St., Newtonville 60, Mass.
1. What is "COMPUTERS AND AUTOMA TION"?
It is a monthly magazine containing articles, papers,
and reference information related to computing
machinery, robots, automatic control, cybernetics,
automation, etc. One important piece of reference
information published is the "Roster of Organizations in the Field of Computers and Automation".
The basic subscription rate is $5~ 50 a year in the
United States. Single copies are $1. 25, except the
June issue, "The Computer Directory", (1956,
$6.00; 1955, $4.00). For the titles of articles and
papers in recent issues of the magazine, see the
"Back Copies" page in this issue.
2. What is the circulation? The circulation includcs 2500 subscribers (as of Nov. 10); over 300
purchasers of individual back copies, and an estimated 3000 nonsubscribing readers. The logical
readers of COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION are
people concerned with the field of computers and
automation. These include a great number of people who will make recommendations to their organizations about purchasing computing machinery,
similar machinery, and components, and whose
decisions may involve very substantial figures.
The print order for the October issue was 3000
copies. The overrun is largely held for eventual
sale as back copies, and in the case of several
issues the overrun has been exhausted through
such sale.
should be exactly as desired, actual size, and assembled, and may 'include typing, writing, line
drawing, printing, screened half tones, and any
other copy that may be put under the PQotoofiset
camera without further prep_aration. Unscreened
photographic prints and any other copy requiring
additional preparation for photooffset should be
furnished separately; it will be prepared, finished,
and charged to the advertiser at small additional
costs. PLEASE DO NOT SEND US METAL
PLATES OR ELECTROO; please send reproduction proofs instead. In the case of printed inserts,
a sufficient quantity for the iss u e s h 0 u I d be
shipped to our printer, address on request.
Display advertising is sold in units of a full page
(ad size 7" x 10", basic rate, $190) two-thirds
page (basic rate, $145), half page (basic rate,
$97), and quarter page (basic rate, $55); back
cover, $370; inside front or back cover, $230. Extra for color red (full pages only and only in certain positions), 35%. Two-page printed insert
(one sheet), $320; four-page printed insert (two
sheets), $590. Classified advertising is sold by
the word (60 cents a word) with a minimum of 20
words.
5. Who are our advertisers? Our advertisers in
recent issues have included the following companies' among others:
3. What type of advertising does COMPUTERS
AND AUTOMA TION take? The purpose of the magazine is to be factual and to the point. For this purpose the kind of advertising wanted is the kind that
answers questions factually. We recommend for
the audience that we reach, that advertising be factual, useful, interesting, understandable, and new
from issue to issue. We reserve the right not to
accept advertising that does not meet our standards.
4. What are the specifications and cost of advertising? COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION is published on pages 81/2" x 11" (ad size, 7" x 10") and
produced by photooffset, except that printed sheet
advertising may be inserted and bound in with the
magazine in most cases. The closing date for any
issue is apprOximately the lOth of the month preceding. If possible, the company advertising should
produce final copy. For photooffset, the cop y
- 56 -
Aircraft-Marine
Products, Inc.
American Bosch Corp.
Ampex Corp.
Armour Research Found.
Arnold Engineering Co.
Automatic Electric Co.
Bendix Aviation Corp.
Bryant Chucking
Grinder Co.
Cambridge Thermionic
Epsco, Inc.
Ferranti Electric Co.
Ferroxcube Corp.
General Electric Co.
Hughes Research and
Development Lab.
International Business
Machines Corp.
Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
Lockheed Missile
Systems
The GlennL. Martin Co.
Monrobot Corp.
Norden-Ketay Corp.
Northrop Aircraft Inc.
George A. Philbrick
Researches, Inc.
Potter Instrument Co.
Ramo-Wooldridge Corp.
R. C. A. Service Co.
Reeves Instrument Co.
Remington Rand, Inc.
Republic Aviation Corp.
Sprague Electric Co.
Sylvania Electric
Products, Inc.
i
IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS AT JPL
The Analytical Mind and Electronic Computers
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a stable research and
development center located
north of Pasadena in the
foothills of the San Gabriel
mountains. Covering an 80
acre area and employing
1600 people, it is close to
attractive residential areas.
The Laboratory is staffed by
the California Institute of
Technology and develops its
many projects in basic research under contract with
the U. S. Government.
Opportunities open to quali.
fied engineers of U.S. citizenship. Inquiries now invited.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
IN THESE FIELDS NOW
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory supports
drama remain the applied mathematicians,
its research and development programs with
engineers, and scientists focusing their
extensive modern digital and analog com-
analytical minds on the problems of their
puting systems. To this end our computer-
respective technologies and formulating
equipment staff has made important original
them for computing machine solutions.
contributions in the development of new
Every technology applying to missile pro-
analog computer components, encoding
pulsion and guidance is represented on the
techniques, and digital data handling equip-
Laboratory: aerodynamics, guidance, instru-
ment including advanced systems for han-
mentation, electronics, chemistry of propellants, propulsion systems, design and
dling the high volume output of supersonic
wind tunnels.
metallurgy. It is in this setting that applied
Though the computing machines have
mathematicians and computer engineers
made dramatic contributions to the Labora-
find rich opportunities for growth and
tory program, the central figures in this
achievement in scientific computation.
COMPUTERS • APPLIED MATHEMATICS • DATA HANDLING • INSTRUMENTATION
APPLIED PHYSICS • TELEMETERING • RADIO AND INERTIAL GUIDANCE
GUIDANCE ANALYSIS • SYSTEMS ANALYSIS· ELECTRO-MECHANICAL
MICROWAVES • PACKAGING • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
A DIVISION OF CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
PASADENA • CALIFORNIA
ADVERTISING INDEX
General Transistor Corp., 1030-11 90th Ave., Richmond illll, N. Y. / Hi-Speed Switching Transistor
/ Page 60 / CA No. 146
International Business Machines Corp., 590 Madison
Ave., New York 22, N. Y. / Research / Page 59/
CA No. 147
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. / Employment Opportunities
/ Page 57 / CA No. 148
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory,
86-41 Georgia Ave., Silver Springs, Md. / Employment Opportunities / Page 51/ CA No. 149
Ramo-Wooldridge Corp., 8820 Bellanca Blvd., Los
Angeles 45, Calif. / Employment Opportunities /
Page 39/ CA No. 150
The purpose of COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION is to
be factual, useful, and understandable. For this purpose, the kind of advertising we desire to publish is
the kind that answers questions such as: What are
your products? What are your services? And for
each product: . What is it called? What does it do?
How well does it work? What are its main specifications?
Following is the index and a summary of advertisements. Each item contains: Name and address of the
advertiser / subject of the advertisement / page number where it appears / CA number in case of inquiry
(see note below).
Arnold Enf:,ineering Co., P. O. Box G, Marengo, nl. /
Bobbin Cores / Page 2/ CA No. 141
Automatic Electric Co., 1033 W. Van Buren St.,
Chicago 7, TIl. / Relays / Page 5 / CA No. 142
Computers and Automation, 815 Washington St., Newtonville 60, Mass. / Glossary, Who's Who, Back
Copies, Advertising / Pages 31, 51, 52, 56 / CA
No .. 143
Electronic Associates, Inc., Long Branch, N. J. /
Analog Computation / Page 55 .I CA No. 144
General Electric Co., Computer Dept., 1026 Van Ness,
Tempe (Phoenix), Arizona / Employment Opportunities / Page 53 / CA No. 145
READER'S INQUIRY
If you wish more information about any products or
services mentioned in one or more of these advertisements, you may circle the appropriate CA Nos.
on the Reader's Inquiry Form below and send th at
form to us (we pay postage; see the instructions). We
shall then forward your inquiries, and you will hear
from the advertisers direct. If you do not wish to
tear the magazine, just drop us a line on a po s tcard.
*--------------------------------------------_.* ---------------------------------------------- *
Paste label on
READER'S INQUIRY FORM
envelope:~
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_..J_ • _________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - --
announces a
G..ound-l'loe.. Oppo..lunily
ro..
Scienlific and Bagillee..ing Men
in IBM's new
Special Engineering Producls Division
•••
6
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••
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
It's like ioining ci new company-the ground-floor opportunities you will find in this new IBM Division-plus
all the advantages of-the stability, and security of IBM.
REALLY NEW
PURPOSE OF THE DIVISION
We want men with creative ingenuity to solve
problems never encountered before . . . who will
significantly influence the new Division by their
enterprise. Projects are not routine . . . and
small enough to permit individual contributions that will establish your stature as a professional engineer.
The new Special Engineering Products Division
has been created to enable IBM to apply systems
knowledge, engineering and production skills to
organizations seeking assistance on specific probl~ms connected with the processing of industrial,
commercial and scientific data. Its engineers
will design, fabricate and install tailor-made systems for such applications as engine test stands
... wind tunnels ... flight test ... industrial
process control ... machine tool and material
handling control . . . nuclear reactors . . .
innumerable others.
OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES
Career opportunities exist not only for electronic
and mechanical engineers but also physical and
chemical scientists and metallurgists with experience in any of the following areas:
EMPHASIS ON VERSATILITY
It should be emphasized that the new Division
has the responsibility for developing and building
equipment related to, but outside of, IBM's
regular line of products. The variety and diversification of projects call for ultimate creativeness
to develop nonstandard computing and datahandling components, machines and systems for
tie-in with existing IBM equipment.
• analog or digital computers'
• telemetering
• servo systems
• process control
• electronic packaging
• design of intricate mechanisms
• data conversion, transmission, processing
or display systems
• instrumentation
• advanced component design
• automation
FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, write today to R.
A. Whitehorne, International Business Machines
Corporation, I Dept. 7102,,590 Madison Avenue,
• solid state devices
Graduating E.E.'s, M.E.'s, physicists and mathematicians will find responsible, stimulating assignments in this Division.
DATA PROCESSING
ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS
TIME EQUIPMENT
MILITARY PRODUCTS
SPECIAL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS
SUPPLIES
New York 22, N. Y.
IBM
I;)
SPECIAL
ENCINEERINC
PRODUCTS
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· .. .
General NEW HI·SPEED
SWITCHING TRANSISTORS
Assures Computer Reliability
,
.........
Computer engineers long seeking PNP transistors in applications requiring high current and fast switching will specify
General Transistor's new 2N315, 2N316, and 2N317 for
peak reliability .
2N317: As developed by General, a typical switching speed, of
.3 of a microsecond at 400 milliamps of collector current is
possible with only 20 rna. of drive current.
The series resistance of these GT transistors, when conducting,
is ¥2 ohm; the nonconducting series resistance is as high as
10 megohms with a result that approaches optimum diciency
at high current levels•
Computer manufacturers know they can depend on General's
engineering and development as well as their quality and
service. That's why GT is the largest supplier of transistors
for computers .
CHARACTERISTICS
Conditions
Typical Max
Parameter
Min
CoUector-Base
Voltage (Vcbol_ _ lc = -25~a_-20V_-30V
Emitter Open
Collector Cut-off
Current (lcbol___Vcb = -5V_ _ __
D.C. Current Gain (hfeLlc=-400ma
Vce=-.2V__ 20_ _ 30_ _ 50
Alpha Cut-off
Frequency (fafbl__Vcb = -5V
Ic= -lma,_ ____-L20mc
~ ~ -400MI.
1'1= -2OMa.
n ____---.--o M IR=
5 Me..
151'1"
(probe)
DecuRRENT GAIN
00
" COlLECTOR CURRENT
.-
V
0 'N
.......
80
~
'" '"
60
0
..........
-r-
~
20
0
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
ColieclorCur'l'ent Ma .
Write for GT's special Computer Transistors Specifications
Bulletin.
GENERAL TRANSISTOR CORP.
Richmond Hill 18, N. Y.-Vlrginia 9-8900
Cable: Transistor New York
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