[AT] Names that have become generic

[Dean VP]

Steve:

Yes, I went through the era of designing digital logic circuits and analog
amplifiers with discreet components. In the early 60's, believe it or not, a
single flip flop made from discreet components sold for $40.00 ea and took
up half of a 4" x 5" card. The first digital computer I worked on in the
early 60's had 4K of re-circulating delay line main memory. It also happened
to be THE FIRST desk top computer but it was about a 4 foot cube! Data entry
was accomplished with a "Greeny" or a teletype machine using punched paper
tape. No disk memory at all. We announced a new computer, a model 440 and it
got its name from the fact it had 440 circuit cards in it. That was a big
scientific computer. Very fast for its time. 

But the analog computer stuff was really the thing in the early 60's.
Digital computers were very slow doing certain computations. Such as summing
up multiple variables and/or integrating variable information. These could
be done so much faster with an analog summing/integrating amplifier. The
computer I worked on had 120 of these summing amplifiers or integrators
available for simultaneous use on any given patched up problem. I was part
of the design team that developed these analog computing amplifiers. 120
variables per computer, then 4 of these analog computers were connected
together and then in turn connected to the most powerful digital computers
of the day creating an awesome Hybrid computing capability. A Multi million
dollar system in those days. These systems were used in the aerospace
industry for flight simulation in the days of the early space program and
the design of the jumbo jets such as the 747's and C5's. These were heady
days. Typical installations were in excess of $7 Million and that was when
$7 Million was a lot of money.  

I was a young bench circuit design engineer but gradually advanced into
being an overall system design engineer as well. I was also offered the
opportunity to help the installation teams achieve customer acceptance which
was a major undertaking as many acceptance tests and performance milestones
had to be met. This caused me to get experience dealing with the upper
management of many of the major firms around the country. This experience
was an eye opener for me and caused me to want to get away from the design
side and move into the marketing/sales/management side of the business. That
began my career in marketing/sales/management in several high tech companies
on the West Coast, eventually ending up General Manager of a fairly large
rapidly growing company here in NW Washington state. Then I became retarded
and got into this interesting hobby of antique tractors and have reverted
back to my childhood. A complete circle. I have forgotten more about circuit
design and high technology than I ever learned. The issues those of us in
management have to deal with just do not allow one to be nearly as
technically competent as sometimes we would like to be. I had an interesting
career, however. Enjoyed the experience but don't miss the stress one iota. 



Dean A. Van Peursem
Snohomish, WA 98290

CRS = Having a Photographic Memory but a shortage of unused film.

www.deerelegacy.com

http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Steve W.
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 10:21 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Names that have become generic

You mean as in  AND/NAND OR/NOR and other gates used in TTL and later
CMOS circuits. I recently received a bunch of cards out of an OLD
machine (two chips and approx 100 discrete transistors per board). Makes
me respect the folks who managed to design and fly Apollo equipment with
less computer equipment than a modern calculator.

I still have my Curta sitting here to remind me what state of the art
meant then.... And how truly bad some items are designed and made now..

Steve Williams
Near Cooperstown NY