1959 PICTORIAL REPORT ON THE COMPUTER FIELD DECEMBER Maintenance Methods for Digital Computers 1959 • VOL. • 8 - NO. 12 ~~"""""""""""""""""""""""""'"""""""""""""""""""""" - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I Contribute to the f" ormulation ~ ~ ~ ~ of Ootally New Oechniques :J{pplicable I ~ to ..carge-Scale Systems at ~ ~ ~ ~ THE ~ ~ MITRE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ MIT~E, formed under the sponsorship of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ~ ~ has as a primary responsibility the design and development of computer-based air defense ~ ~ systems. An important part 01 this effort is the lonnulation 01 totally new programming ~ ~ techniques. ~ ~ Supported by such computer equipment as an IBM 704 and an experimental SAGE ~ i AN/FSQ-7 (soon to be augmented by an IBM 7090 and a solid state SAGE computer) ~ ~ MITRE engineers and scientists are involved in broad applied and creative programming ~ ~ areas. A significant part of this effort involves the development of computer programs to: ~ ~ ~ ~ • Provide simulation vehicles for testing missiles, ~ ~ interceptors, guidance systems .and tracking procedures ~ ~ • Carry out data reduction and analyses ~ ~ • Assist in the study of man-machine relations ~ ~ • Assist in the design and evaluatiou of new systems ~ ~ • Check out equipment and subsystems ~ ~ ~ ~ Additionally, MITRE has undertaken a number of challenging projects in the study of ~ ~ machine design and programming research; programming systems are being developed ~ ~ to provide more efficient techniques that will facilitate the writing, testing, operation and ~ ~ modification of large programming systems such as SAGE. ~ ~ There are career openings for systems-oriented programmers at MITRE's modern facilities ~ ~ in suburban Boston, Massachusetts; Fort Walton Beach, Florida & Montgomery, Alabama. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ To arrange an immediate and confidential interview please forward your ~ ~ inquiries to Dana N. Burdette, Personnel Director ~ ~ ~ THE MIT R E COR P O· RAT I O·N ~ ~ ~ 244 WOOD STREET -LEXINGTON 73, MASSACHUSETTS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - , -~ "~ a,\""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 2 COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for December, 1959 COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION DATA PROCESSING • CYBERNETICS • ROBOTS Volume 8 Established Number 12 DECEMBER, 1959 September 1951 1959 PICTORIAL REPORT ON THE COMPUTER FIELD 8 FRONT COVER Seeking Utmost Reliability Under Extreme Conditions - Sylvania's Mobidic 1, 17 ARTICLE Maintenance Methods for Digital Computers, FRED LIGUORI , 20 READERS' AND EDITOR'S FORUM Greetings to Computers 6 Controversy and "Computers and Automation" 6 Mathematics Laboratories . 6 Calendar of Coming Events 24 Computer Accessory 24 REFERENCE INFORMATION Survey of Recent Articles, M. M. BERLIN 26 Who's Who in the Computer Field (Supplement) 31 New Patents, R. R. SKOLNICK. 32 INDEX OF NOTICES Advertising Index 34 Back Copies . see Oct., page 39 Bulk Subscriptions see Oct., page 39 Computer Directory and Buyers' Guide, 1959 see Nov., page 31 Manuscripts see August, page 28 Reference and Survey Information . see August, page 29 Who's Who Entry Form . see August, page 32 COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION is f>ublished monthly at 160 Warren St., Roxbury 19, Mass., by Berkeley Enterprises, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (United States) $5.50 for 1 year, $10.50 for 2 years; (Canada) $6.00 for 1 year, $11.50 for 2 years; (Foreign) $6.50 for 1 year, $12.50 for 2 years. Address all Editorial and Subscription Mail to Berkeley Enterprises, Inc., 815 Washington St., Newtonville 60, Mass. ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MATTER at the Post Office at Boston 19, Mass. POSTMASTER: Please send all Forms 3579 to Berkeley Enterprises, Inc., 160 Warren St., Roxbury 19, Mass. Copyright, 1959, by Berkeley Enterprises, Inc. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If your address changes, please send us both your new address and your old address (as it appears on the magazine address imprint), and allow three weeks for the change to be made. 4 COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for December, 1959 AMPEX PRECISION NOW 'LOCKED 'IN" Lose the precise alignment of tape guiding and driving 'limits, reducing flutter and eliminating mechanical feed~ components in an instrumentation recorder al1d you lose back of speed variations. 2. Modular plug-in amplifiers the fine edge of designed·in performance. As alignment is and power supplies give quick versatility for direct. FM fast. flutter and skew set in. carrier, PDM, and NRZ digital recording. 3. Front,,'panel. In the new Ampex FR-IOOB analog recorder, the pos· four-speed switching over a six-speed range from 1 'l's to sibility of misalignment-even under conditions of shock 60 ips allows flexibility in selecting upper frequency limit and 'vibration incidental to shipment or installation - is for maximum tape economy. now eliminated by a framework of three precision castings These and other features of the new Ampex FR·IOOB with machined 'V' mating surfaces that lock all critical add up to unmatched performance and refiabiJity. The fun parts into a single rigid unit. The result: an instrumenta­ story is available in the new Ampex FR·I00 brochure. tion recorder with buUt- in performance and reliability that stays built in. Other advanced features= 1. A unique electrical hold­ ,AMPEX INSTRUMENTATION. back system keeps tape tension constant within narrow 934 Charter Street. Redwood City. Calif. Readers' and Editor's Forum GREETINGS TO COMPUTERS In the pages of this magazine we shall do our best FOR CHRISTMAS, WE wish our subscribers, our to promote controversy, honorable controversy, which readers, and all computer people: truthfully and honestly expfores ideas, ao.d which tries MERRY to make sure that each side of a questioh is expressed X MAS and a fairly - without calling names, attacking reputations, or hugging orthodoxy. ATAWWY EYBSST IV. From the Editor: S N E'S A S This is still exactly what· we believe' in - and the subject of the social responsibility of computer scientists = NY B MM B W Y, is worth quantities of discussion and argument. +SASNARTEYSB =SANENEWYEAR, 24619 59956 65743 85219 60145 65743 2453000. (Solve MATHEMATICS LABORATORIES for the digits; each letter stands for just one digit 0 to 9, I. From: J. F. Clark although one digit may be represented by more than 21054 Clark Ave., RR3 one letter.) Langley, British Columbia This is a Numble, a number puzzle for nimble minds. Canada For hints for solution if needed, write us. The solution I am teaching mathematics in one of two Junior­ will appear in January. Senior High Schools in this district. Our total enrol­ We repeat our annual challenge to automatic com­ ment in Grades 7 - 13 is approximately 1600. Our puters - to solve this kind of problem by an automatic School Board is at present planning to spend about program. The challenge, offered now for the sixth $30,000 on a music-band room in one school to satisfy December, remains unanswered so far as we know. the demands of a Music Specialist .. Full band equip­ ment, music scores, piano, record-player, etc., are already CONTROVERSY AND "COMPUTERS AND provided. AUTOMATION" As a mathematics specialist I am gre~n with envy. I. From: E. J. Teagle The total appropriation for mathematics equipment in Maracaibo, Venezuela the last 10 years would scarcely buy the piano. In order to rectify this sitaution I am contacting the major This is my last subscription unless you cut out that American suppliers of mathematics laboratory equip­ c - - p about social responsibility and devote more ment. Your address has been obtained from a publica­ space to, applications. tion of the National Council of Teachers of Mathe­ matics. II. From: George A. Hall, Jr. I therefore request your serious consideration in sup­ Asst. Editor, ISA Journal plying me with catalogues, descriptive literature, and Pittsburgh, Pa. material which can be of use in approaching the School We here are particularly interested in your continued Board and selling them on the necessity of mathematics support and promotion of the social responsibility of laboratories. computer scientists - and by impli~ation automatic con­ Our local Board is one of the best an~ I can assure trol engineers - in the columns of your magazine. This you they will respond to reasonable demands. is fine work: please keep it up. II. From the Editor to Mr. Clark: III. From the Editor's Notes, Computers and Thank you for your recent letter. We are happy to Automation, April 1954 (Vol. 3, No.4), p. 4 ff: enclose our announcements of the things we publish We believe in the value of controversy, in the field and our Brainiac kit. Good luck to you in what you of computers and automation as well as in all other are trying to do, and if we can be of any further help fields. A controversial subject is an interesting sub­ to you, write us again. ject, an important one to argue about and seek the truth about, through discussion, investigation, and the III. From the Editor to the readers of Computers clash of different views. It is not necessary to lose one's and Automation: temper in discussion, but it is necessary that each party If you have any information or announcements which in the discussion have his fair chance to express his relate to school mathematics laboratories which might views, without being called names or having his in­ be of interest to Mr. Clark, will you please send them tegrity or loyalty to anyoody or anything attacked. to him? 6 COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for December, 1959 Dramatic improvement over present standard cores offers greater design flexibility, top performance in high-speed coincident current memory applications New l-fL sec memory cores 226Ml (XF-4028) Call your local RCA Field Representative and and 228Ml (XF-4257) developed at RCA's Ma­ learn how the new 226Ml and 228Ml can fit into terials Lab in Needham Heights, Mass., repre­ your new computer designs. He can also give sent an important step forward in ferrite core you information on the entire line of RCA Fer­ design for military and commercial computers. rite Memory Cores, Planes and Stacks available See chart for the significant improvements in to meet your specific design requirements.