PDP-8/E aid to Soil Analysis: Soil samples are being analysed automatically for lime requirement, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium at Johnstown Castle Research Centre, Wexford, Ireland, by specially designed equipment under the control of a 4K Digital Equipment PDP-8/E. Liquid extracts of the soils are mixed with reagent and pumped from a sample transporter to linked test-tubes on a sample changer (….)

Air traffic control data handling improved: An attractive alternative to the use of large-scale central computers for data handling and display systems in air traffic control, air defence and other communication and control systems, has been introduced by Marconi Radar Systems, a GEC subsidiary. Called Locus 16, the system makes extensive use of distributed processing in a way which makes even a conventional minicomputer seem inflexible (…)

Saab-Scania units for Ariane rocket: Under an ESRO contract worth between £600,000 and £1million, the Aerospace Division of Saab-Scania is to supply nine special purpose computers for the Ariane rocket, a 200-ton three-stage launch vehicle, which is the biggest ESRO project so far. Ariane has been developed by a consortium headed by CNES, the French national space agency, with the aim of producing a European launcher to put up geostationary telecommunications and research satellites in the 1980s (…)

Micro16V base system to help fight diseases: A nine-year project undertaken by Dr Ken Bagshaw, head of the Oncology Department at Charing Cross Hospital, London, has resulted in a minicomputer-based system, the ramifications of which should have a profound effect on the treatment of malignant diseases. Developed jointly with minicomputer manufacturer, Digico of Stevenage, Herts, the on-line automated radioimmunoassay analytical system, known as Darias, is based on a Micro 16V processor with 16K store (…)

Dataset to sell Scan-Optics range in UK: Complementing the range of input/output media that it already sells, Dataset, the wholly-owned peripheral equipment marketing subsidiary of ICL, has signed an agreement with Scan-Optics Inc, of Connnecticut, under which it will sell the Scan-Optics range of OCR systems to ICL mainframe users in the UK. Scan-Optics Ltd, the UK subsidiary of the US company, will continue to cover the rest of the British market…

Laboratory on the right the lines: A mobile laboratory, which includes Hewlett-Packard equipment, is currently being used by British Rail in experiments it is conducting on Inter-City express trains. Known as Test Coach Mercury, the laboratory is being used between London and Birmingham. If successful, the experiments could form the basis of a system which would display information to drivers about the running of their trains.

The OCR wand casts its spell on the PoS market: The low-cost OCR wand, based on LSI technology, which is being developed by Recognition Equipment, has a wide range of applications with terminals, point-of-sale units, and is also expected to be of interest to banks. The wand is based on a 2.5 mm high solid state LSI chip in its nose which incorporates a 16 by 38 matrix of light sensitive elements.

London link to Arpanet enables otherwise impossible UK research projects to get off the ground: The London link to Arpanet is now in its eighth month of full operation, and at a Users Meeting in mid-March, no fewer than 50 representatives from 16 universities and 13 research establishments attended. Already several research projects have been started in the UK which would not have been possible without access to the network.