Fifty Years Ago .... from the pages of Computer Weekly

Autumn 1970 computing, compiled by TNMOC volunteer archivist, Brian Aldous.

A selection of stories from Computer Weekly from the Autumn of 1970. The full archive of Computer Weekly can be seen at TNMOC, where there are special rolling displays of front pages from 25 and 40 years ago.

Cost-cutting TTL memory from Tl:

A new TTL random access memory monolithic integrated circuit, the SN54/74170, which is claimed to improve memory utilisation by 100 per cent over conventional bipolar random-access memories, has been announced by Texas Instruments of Bedford. It is expected to be particularly suitable for scratch pad and high-speed buffer memory applications. (CW 3/9/70 p16)

Myriad III meets needs of air traffic control:

Claimed to be the most flexible on-line computer ever produced, the Marconi Myriad III was unveiled this week at the Farnborough Air Show. Designed specifically to meet the stringent demands of advanced air traffic control and defence radar processing systems, the Myriad III will be marketed by Marconi-Elliott Computer Systems Ltd, but its development was financed by Marconi Radar Systems Ltd, who are expected to be the principle users. (CW 10/9/70 p1)

Remote meter reading system developed:

The disappearance of the “gas man” may be one of a number of far-reaching effects that will stem from the announcement of an automatic remote meter reading and load control system by the Plessey Electronics Group. The new system, which is suitable for electricity and water as well as gas, will enable supply boards to invoice customers automatically. The Plessey system, which has been developed by them in co-operation with the London Electricity Board and the South-Eastern Gas Board, enables meters fitted with a simple reed switch to be read electronically every half minute by a scanner. Each scanner, which is connected to meters by ordinary telephone or private pilot lines, can deal with up to 1,000 meters in groups of up to 100. (CW 10/9/70 p3)

Sigma 5s to aid Jupiter flights:

Two US Pioneer spacecraft, due to make 500 million-mile flights to Jupiter in February 1972 and 1973, are to be monitored through ten months of pre-flight testing by two XDS Sigma 5 computers which are in the process of being installed at Redondo Beach, California by NASA. Each spacecraft will carry, on the two-year trip to Jupiter, a number of scientific experimental packages which will analyse the earth’s tmosphere, measure magnetic fields, solar winds, cosmic radiation and the nature and intensity of a meteoroid belt which separates earth from the outer planets. As these packages are assembled they will be tested under laboratory-simulated, inflight conditions. Data from all the instruments will be collected and encoded into a single telemetry signal by communications equipment on board the craft, and then transmitted to a test station in the spacecraft assembly area, where the two computers will process the data and report malfunctions. (CW 24/9/70 p21)

Tories urged ‘Protect the Privacy of Individuals’:

Among resolutions submitted by local Tory branches for possible discussion at next week’s Conservative Party conference at Blackpool is one drawing attention to “the dangers to individual freedom entailed in the development of sophisticated technological aids such as databanks, and particularly their use by administrative agencies”. The resolution, from the West Ham constituency, urges the government to adopt legislative and other measures to "protect the privacy of the individual from undue interference” Another motion, from Southgate, views with concern “the increasing number of state, commercial and private organisations which hold personal information on individuals, and which communicate this information to other bodies”. It says legislation is needed to protect personal liberty. (CW 1/10/70 p63)

Datagen backs Europe bid with new machines:

A strong challenge in the minicomputer market is being made by Data General Corp, of Massachusetts, manufacturer of the Nova and Supernova machines, with the introduction of three new fast machines, one of them featuring a semiconductor main memory. These coincide with an increased sales drive in Europe. The 16-bit word machines, all of which can have up to 32K of memory, are hardware and software compatible with the existing Nova and Supernova machines which they will supersede. The new Nova 1200 has a core cycle time of 1,200 nanoseconds, and will be available next March. The Nova 800, which has a cycle time of 800 nanoseconds, is scheduled for next April. The Supernova SC, an all semiconductor machine with an MOS memory which has a cycle time of 300 nanoseconds, will be available next June. The new machines will be entering a now fiercely competitive market in which the Digital Equipment Corp is the foremost manufacturer worldwide. In terms of 16-bit machines the DEC PDP-11 range, for which an extended arithmetic element was recently announced will probably provide the main competition. (CW 8/10/70 p24)

Plated wire is here to stay:

Plated wire memories are about to take off, according to Mr N. Crocker, divisional director of the memories and materials division of Plessey Components Group, which is now marketing what is claimed as the first plated wire memory commercially available anywhere in the world. Plessey, which delivered the Mark I S250 plated wire memory to Mintech last year, was showing the Mark II at the Computer 70 exhibition, and Mr Crocker, at a seminar on Plessey memories held at the Kensington Palace Hotel last week, said there was a great deal of interest now, particularly in the US where Plessey showed a fast plated wire memory at the Sprint Joint Conference. (CW 15/10/70 p9)

IBM 1130 helps study pollution effects on fish:

Researchers at the Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory at Ann Arbor, Michigan are using an IBM 1130 computer to help study changes in the fish population of the lakes. The laboratory is particularly concerned with the effect of pollution in the Great Lakes. Four research vessels on the lakes record data on fish population by geographical area and type, as well as noting biological, chemical and physical changes taking place in the water. This data is combined with “catch” information and historical records provided by commercial fishermen and state agencies for computer processing. The computer correlates the data into charts for conservationists. (CW 22/10/70 p11)

4/70s bring changes for UK Atomic Energy:

The installation of three ICL 4/70 computers marks the year 1969/70 for the UK Atomic Energy Authority as one of change in several of their centres. The UKAEA’s report for the year, published last week, states that the System 4/70 installed at Risley in Lancashire now has data links to the establishments at Capenhurst, Dounreay, Springfields and Windscale, but also says that software difficulties at first hindered the transfer of commercial and managerial work on this machine. Software difficulties are not referred to in connection with the 4/70s at Culham and Winfrith, both of which will take over the work of KDF9s, but software developed for the KDF9, including the Cotan multi-access system has reached such a high standard that the authority’s personnel and ICL will have to work hard to get System 4 software up to the same standard before the handover of work from the old to the new machines is finally completed. (CW 22/10/70 p26)

Alpha 3 unveiled by Air France:

”Do-it-Yourself” systems which will enable an airline passenger to make a seat reservation, pay for it by credit card and collect a ticket, baggage tags and boarding pass from automatic printers, were envisaged by Mr George H. Geick, executive vice-president of Univac, when he unveiled Air France’s Alpha 3 reservations system in Paris last week. Univac was now working with the airlines in the development of Automated Passenger Processing Systems and these would become a familiar feature of the world’s larger airports within the next five years, said Mr Geick. Such systems would automate the passenger handling functions of the airport enabling credit cards to be verified, tickets and other documents to be printed and passengers to be admitted to the aircraft, without human intervention. Although such applications were unlikely to materialise before the mid-Seventies Mr Geick was justifiably pleased with his company’s record in meeting the more conventional computing requirements of the world’s airlines. Univac, he claimed, was already supplying 15 airlines including two-thirds of the major trunk carriers, with equipment valued at $132 million. This included 84 Univac central processors to which nearly 7,000 remote terminals were currently connected. (CW 29/10/70 p10)

Practical Optical Fibre for Wide Band Communications:

Practical optical fibre wide-band telecommunication systems are likely to be produced within five years, according to Standard Telecommunication Laboratories of Harlow. The company, which is working in conjunction with two US firms, the Corning Glass Co and Bell Laboratories, has recently succeeded in fabricating an optical waveguide fibre with suitable characteristics. It has also successfully coated the hair-thin fibres with plastic to form a wire-like element which can be assembled into a complete cable. The cable is flexible and could be installed in existing cable ducts. (CW 29/10/70 p11)

1904A will aid UK space research:

The Radio and Space Research Station at Datchet, Buckinghamshire, has installed an ICL 1904A computer to replace the 1905 machine which the station, a Science Research Council establishment, has been using for the last two years. One of the main reasons for this expansion is the greater demand placed on the station’s computing resources by the forthcoming launch of the UK4 research satellite. The new processor has a 64K word core store and floating-point unit. The existing 1905 peripherals will remain in use, augmented by six additional standard interfaces and two additional exchangeable disc units, giving a total value to the installation of nearly £400,000. The new equipment is worth £246,000. The RSRS is mainly involved in tropospheric and ionospheric research, including the use of these regions in communications. It works closely with NASA and ESRO, for which it is currently processing some experimental data, and has two satellite-tracking and data acquisition out-stations — one at Winkfield in Berkshire, and one in the Falkland Islands. (CW 5/11/70 p1)

Second Hermes for air traffic control:

Experience with Ferranti’s computer-based flight plan processing system, Minicap, which they have used operationally since about 1967 has prompted the West Drayton Air Traffic Control Centre to order a second Hermes computer and other hardware from Ferranti. Besides a second central processor a 32K store has been ordered for the first Hermes computer, and the 8K of store from this machine will be transferred to the second one, giving it a 12K capacity. Other hardware ordered also includes control logic for five more flight progress strip printers. (CW 12/11/70 p28)

BCL adds Mini-Susie to its range of VRCs:

Following the success of the present Sadie and Susie range of invisible record computers, Business Computers Ltd has now stepped up its attack on the lower end of this market with the introduction of a low cost Mini-Susie, highly competitive with the Burroughs L2000 and the Olivetti P203. Priced from £3,850 upwards, Mini-Susie fits between the Sadie and current Susie range. The minimum configuration includes 512 words of drum store, full program complement and I/O typewriter. Store can be expanded to 3K, with the maximum configuration costing £8,500. (CW 19/11/70 p1)

Law enforcement system based on Spectra 70/60:

A contract which will be worth almost £10 million to RCA over the next seven years has been placed by the New York State police for a law enforcement system based on two Spectra 70/60 computers. Replacing an earlier Univac machine, the system will greatly expand the volume of criminal information available on a near immediate basis to state troopers and police affiliated agencies. Delivery of the equipment is expected to begin early next year and the system should become operative on April 1. It will be used for two main applications — information retrieval and the transfer of teletype messages from the transmitting terminal to any number of receiving terminals without intermediate relays. The RCA system will be interfaced with the FBI computers in Washington so that data on out-of-state stolen cars, fugitives, stolen guns, missing persons and similar information may be accessed directly through the state system. (CW 26/11/70 p15