TELETYPE

GENERAL ELECTRIC USES TELETYPEWRITERS to solve research problems in real-time via time-sharing computer TELETYPE

case history:

General Electric Company’s Appliance Park facility GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY i had long used computers in its research and design APPLIANCE PARK work. But because the engineers and scientists did LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY not have direct access to the computer, there was considerable delay in processing data.

But now, as a result of Teletype Model 33 and 35 ASR (automatic send-receive) sets linked to a time¬ sharing computer, they can determine immediately the feasibility of ideas, new designs and engineering changes.

The story of how GE uses time-sharing to get real¬ time answers to problems is detailed here and in recent issues of several leading publications.

For information about leased services featuring Teletype equipment, consult your local telephone or telegraph company. To purchase equipment, contact us at our general offices address on the back cover.

When ordering input-output terminals for your data processing system, be sure to specify Teletype equipment—your vital communications link.

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© 1968 by All Rights Reserved Appliance Park, world’s largest major appliance manufacturing facility, Louisville, Ky. houses offices and manufacturing facilities for G.E. clothes washers and dryers, electric ranges, dishwashers, Disposalls, refrigerators, freezers and room air conditioners.

Appliance Park is the name given What Bianco and his group are by General Electric to its manufac¬ striving for is the use of computers turing facility in the Louisville, to permit “management by excep¬ Ky. area. Here, G.E.’s major ap¬ tion”—i.e., using the computer to pliances—ranges and ventilating instantly uncover exceptional or hoods, refrigerators, freezers, au¬ unexpected data of any kind. Ad¬ tomatic clothes washers and dry¬ mittedly, such usage is still some ers, dishwashers, garbage disposal time away. units and room air-conditioners— are produced. “We’re looking ahead toward di¬ rect-inquiry, even individual use, Other General Electric major ap¬ of the computer memory banks,” pliance and Hotpoint plants are Bianco says. Thus, a department located in Chicago, Illinois; Mil¬ ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS manager, for example, could ask waukee, Wisconsin; Trenton, New the computer what has changed— AT G. E.’S APPLIANCE Jersey; Tyler, Texas and Bloom¬ and receive in a moment informa¬ ington, Illinois. PARK LINKED TO tion on what is significantly dif¬ ferent from the traditional. TIME-SHARE COMPUTER COMPUTERS USED FOR VIA TELETYPEWRITERS SOME TIME “Management too often equates The Louisville facility has for data with information,” says Bian¬ some time made individual use of co. “They are not synonymous, various types of computers. and there is too much of the former.” “Because our engineers and re¬ searchers did not have direct ac¬ Appliance Park’s early experience SYSTEM OFFERS REAL-TIME cess to these computers, however, with time-sharing was via Bell ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS we were faced until recently with System telephone lines to General Electric Information Processing By permitting engineers and scien¬ considerable delays in processing Centers (IPC’s) in New York, tists at Appliance Park to access a data,” states Ernest Bianco, man¬ Phoenix and Valley Forge, Pa. time-sharing computer via tele¬ ager of the Division’s Applied , General Electric Com¬ Mathematics Laboratory.* Then, early in 1966, the Louisville pany is adding new dimensions to “But now,” Bianco points out, plant began to use exclusively the individual creativity and problem¬ solving skills. “thanks to time-sharing computer service of G.E.’s Information Proc¬ service with teletypewriter links essing Center in Chicago. It will Researchers and mathematicians to the computer, we are able to do continue to use these facilities are finding it possible to determine everything in one big gulp. And, until it has augmented its own immediately the feasibility of because we are able to ‘debug’ computer complex. ideas and designs. They are also programs before going on-line to able to check out modified prod¬ the computer, we have virtually *Title at time this article was prepared. ucts rapidly to establish the tech¬ eliminated delays occasioned by Bianco is now manager of new ventures nical worth of engineering changes. errors.” planning at Appliance Park. Engineers and scientists in the Applied Mathematics Laboratory at General Electric’s Appliance Park are respon¬ sible for developing the computer pro¬ grams for use in research activities. Here, statistician, Robert D. Mohr (right) works out a program with the aid of Robert B. Hadeler (left), a time-share mathematician.

100-WPM TELETYPEWRITERS available to all time-sharing ser¬ USED vice users from all G.E. centers. Twelve Teletype Model 33 and 35 The curriculum of the course in¬ ASR (automatic send-receive) sets cludes familiarization with system are employed at Appliance Park to commands; the start-up and call¬ communicate with the G.E. service ing sequence; the use of Teletype center in Chicago via Bell System equipment in context with a com¬ Data-Phone Service. Embodied puter; the “library” program (i.e., within these machines are a key¬ what programs are “on file” with board send-receive page printer, a the computer); the BASIC lan¬ paper tape punch, and a paper guage, and finally, file editing tape reader, which can be used in (modification or alteration of pro¬ different combinations. Both sets grams already on ). operate at 100 words per minute (10 characters per second) and use “The BASIC language and the the U.S.A. Standard Code for In¬ ubiquitous teletypewriter have formation Interchange (ASCII). helped establish a true man-ma¬ chine interaction,” states Bianco. Each of the teletypewriters is con¬ “Empathy exists because of the nected to voice-quality phone lines high accessibility rate and the con¬ through the Bell Systems “Com¬ versational mode used. Our engi¬ mon Control Switching Arrange¬ neers and scientists now have a ment” (CCSA, which G.E. inter¬ real chance to express themselves nally calls its “Dial Comm” sys¬ analytically.” tem). In fact, this gives the com¬ pany its own direct-dial telephone PROGRAMS PUNCHED network. INTO PAPER TAPE Users of the service at Appliance To date, scores of different pro¬ Park, most of whom are engineers, grams have been developed by the have been schooled in “BASIC” personnel at the Applied Mathe¬ computer language—an acronym matics Laboratory. Each has been for Beginners All-Purpose Sym¬ punched into paper tape and is bolic Instruction Code developed stored at a central location within by Dartmouth College with Gen¬ the department. When an engineer eral Electric. This language is desires to make use of a particular taught in a short course given by program, he merely inserts the Appliance Park personnel and program tape into the tape reader Each computer program developed at the Applied Mathematics Computer program tapes are stored at a central location Laboratory is punched into paper tape by the operator of a within the Applied Mathematics Laboratory. When a particu¬ Teletype Model 35 ASR (automatic send-receive) set, as demon¬ lar one is to be used, it is transmitted to the computer via a strated by Mrs. Betty Hall, computer programmer. Tapes are teletypewriter, as Mrs. Betty Hall, computer programmer, then stored until an engineer or scientist has application for a demonstrates. particular one, at which time the tape is inserted into the ASR set’s tape reader and transmitted to the computer. of a Model 33 ASR set, which in comparing this data to that on file “We watch only for excessive on¬ most cases is near his desk. for the latest models in production. line time that indicates the user of the Teletype equipment has not Once the tape has been trans¬ Another use is for statistical anal¬ done his ‘homework’ before going mitted to the computer, the engi¬ ysis—dealing with tests of an in¬ on-line,” Bianco states. “ ‘Heavy- neer is ready to begin asking pre¬ ferential nature and utilizing the handed’ restrictions would negate determined questions to elicit probability theory (i.e., given a all we have striven for in our pres¬ analytical data. The entire “con¬ complete set of circumstances or ent data communications setup.” versation” between man and com¬ criteria, the computer will provide answers of the “this course of ac¬ puter is recorded as page copy on “Getting file information on just tion is better than that” sort). The the ASR unit. If desired, a paper what you want is an immeasurable computer also is accessed for sim¬ tape can be punched simulta¬ benefit,” continues Bianco. “In the ulation studies by engineers — neously to duplicate page copy; future, I’m almost sure we’ll see the tape is made whenever infor¬ most recently of a mathematical a proliferation here of remote ter¬ mation will be processed through building “model” to justify a sug¬ minal devices. The number, in fact, the computer at some future time. gested plant expansion. should double—and just as impor¬ The greatest use of G.E.’s Teletype tantly, our uses of them will ENGINEERS GIVEN FREE REIN machines in the current time-shar¬ double. We’ll be in possession of ing program is for analysis—as Bianco, who terms time-sharing dynamic information—of the sort opposed to cybernetic use, or the “without doubt the greatest single that would be represented by daily batch-processing of data in large achievement in the computer busi¬ sales forecasts, if that were our amounts. A current example is a ness today,” underscores the fact concern. Refrigeration Department study that he does not supervise use of that transmits to the computer test the Teletype computer-access “And the factor of analytical ex¬ data on the engineering perfor¬ equipment in the strict sense of pressiveness,” Bianco concludes, mance of experimental models, the word. “will also continue to grow.” *

Engineers and scientists at Appliance Park communicate directly with the computer via a Teletype Model 33 ASR (automatic send-receive) set. The “conversation” is re¬ corded as page copy, but a paper tape can be punched simultaneously. Shown here is Stuart R. Kunz, Specialist Engineering, Merchandized Information Systems.

Traffic flow into and out of the computer in Chicago is controlled by a G. E. Datanet-30 communications proces¬ sor similar to the unit above located at Appliance Park. By next year, the Laboratory’s work will be phased out of the Chicago facility and onto the Appliance Park data processing system. At right is Wayne Kepley, specialist in telecommunications applications, discussing new program¬ ming with analyst M. R. Salsman.

Data processing facilities at Appliance Park used by the Applied Mathematics Laboratory with similar equipment in Chicago. machines that make data move

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