Simon Lavington. Moving Targets. Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the. Computer Age in Britain, ^ Springer

Transcription

1 Simon Lavington Moving Targets Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain, ^ Springer

2 Contents 1 The Navy Comes to Borehamwood A Place Called Borehamwood The Early Days of Naval Radar Setting up the UK's Research Establishments JF Coales and ASE Fire-Control Systems Action Information Organisation and CDS The Admiralty Decides Enter the Instrument Makers The Lewisham Factory of Elliott Brothers LeonBagrit 25 References 30 2 A Glint on the Horizon The Man for the Job Distant Targets The CDS Project The MRS5 Project Why Digital? Innovative Radar The Cancellation of MRS The Netting Project and the Legacy of MRS A Little Computer History The Elliott 152 Computer Enter the Entrepreneurs Borehamwood's Financial Struggles Pulling Out of the Mire 72 References 75 xv

3 xvj Contents 3 The Secret Digit The Elliott 153: The DF Computer The Admiralty's Needs The Project at Borehamwood General Description of the 153's Architecture The Operation of the 153 at Irton Moor GCHQ and Oedipus The Problem of Super-Enciphered Intercepts The 311 Project at Borehamwood The Structure and Operation of Oedipus Australia and WREDAC The Needs of Woomera WRE Chooses Elliott The Performance of WREDAC The Architecture of WREDAC and WREDOC 107 References HI 4 Analogue Expertise Introduction: Analogue Versus Digital Admiralty Fire Control Tables Developments up to Flyplane Predictor Systems Early Analogue Computing Activity at Borehamwood The Differential Analyser TRIDAC: The World's Largest? Guided Weapons and Cold War Imperatives The TRIDAC Project and Borehamwood TRIDAC at RAE Farnborough AGWAC: An Australian Success The Joint Project Background The Birth of AGWAC AGWAC Grows Up Elliott Analogue Computers and Simulators for Nuclear Power Small Analogue Computers: GPAC 140 References NRDC and the Market NRDC Discovers Borehamwood Funding for the Small-Scale Prototype Hopes for an Advanced Computer The Elliott/NRDC 401: Of Men and Machines The Ideas Take Shape The First Public Appearance 160

4 Contents xvii They Have Their Exits and Their Entrances The 40l's Progress, via Cambridge, to Rothamsted Into the Marketplace: The Elliott 400 Series New Management The 402 Production Gets Going Early Scientific Applications The Flutter Problem NRDC as a Partner for the Future The Siemens Project Process Control 188 References Process Control and Automation: The Bagrit Vision What Is, or Was, Automation? The Historical Perspective The Reith Lectures Perspective The Origins: Industrial Instrumentation and Control Prehistory: B&P Swift Post-war Rationalisation of the Instrument Industry Elliott Acquires a New Image and a New Name Automation Comes of Age American Licences and the Grand Strategy Al Sperry, Panellit and the Elliott 803 Computer The Component Parts of a 1960s Automation Application Computers Suitable for the Task in the 1950s The American Scene Early Days in Britain: The Growth of Elliott and its Rival, Ferranti Ltd The Computer Comes to Market in Britain: References Automation: The Machines and the Applications The Need for Digital Control The ARCH Family of Industrial Control Systems ARCH Installations and the Market Competition Applications of Elliott Computers in Automation Steel and Other Metals Processing Electricity (or Power) Generation UK Government R&D Establishments Oil Refining and Related Activities Chemicals Ships and Shipping Paper Mills and Typesetting 244

5 xviii Contents Road Traffic Control Other UK and Overseas Industrial and Research Applications Anecdotes from Elliott Programmers who Worked on Automation Projects FromEdHersom From Peter Williams From Roger Cook From Richard Burwood 255 References Software and Applications at Borehamwood General Introduction Early Days: Nicholas in the Theory Division: The Computing Division Goes to Market: The Golden Years of Elliott Computers: Evolving Divisional Structure Autocode Algol Systems Software and Operating Systems Defence Applications Ground-Based Air Defence Artillery Control for the Army Computers in Education Last Days: A Plethora of (On-line) Applications 302 References NCR, the 405 and Commercial Data Processing Early Commercial Applications of the Elliott How NCR Became Involved: Processing the Army's Payroll: A Snapshot of EDP Capabilities NCR's Activities in the Period Strategic Appraisal: An Alternative View The Market Competition in The End of the NCR Arrangements Selling Computers: The Competition Increases 333 References Evolution of Elliott Computer Architectures Early Years: High-Tech, High-Speed, High-Complexity New Directions for Borehamwood's Digital Technology Into the Market Place: The Elliott 401,402 and

6 Contents xix 10.4 Address Modification, Indexing and General Register Sets Pegasus: The First Implementation of a General Register Set Word Lengths and Instruction Sets Borehamwood and Transistors Memory Management and Bulk Input/Output Magnetic Tape and Magnetic Film Storage Other Peripheral Equipment 363 References EARS and Aerials: Elliott's Radar Achievements, Introduction: John Coales'Legacy ( ) The Establishment of the Borehamwood Laboratories Radar: The Core of the MRS5 Contract The Borehamwood Research Laboratories in the Early 1950s Mopsy and the Cassegrain Aerial Reorganisation and the Start of Elliott's Airborne Radar Elliott-Automation and the Changing Role of Borehamwood ( ) The Microwave Division The Communications and Radar Research Laboratory, Elliott Automation Radar Systems (EARS): 1960 Onwards Company Reorganisations Sensors and Signal Analysis Proposed Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Systems for the Navy EARS and the Aircraft Manufacturers: AEW Gathers Momentum Five Airborne Radar Projects that Did Not Bear Fruit ( ) Forward to the 1980s The End of an Era Airborne Interception (AI) and Foxhunter Nimrod Airborne Early Warning System Conclusions 394 References Airborne Computing System Developments at Elliott-Automation, Digital Computing Takes to the Air The Verdan Computer The Elliott 920B and 920M Computers 405

7 XX Contents 12.4 Airborne Digital Computing Becomes a Separate Discipline The 12 Series and the 920 ATC Digital Computers Computers for Nimrod and Jaguar Tactical Aircraft Attack Systems and Head-Up Displays Expanding into America: The A7 Contract Mirage, MIG and China Technological Marvels The Influence of the F16 and American Standardisation The Tornado and Nimrod The Maritime Re-organisation The Microprocessor Arrives Squeezing the Last Juice from the 920 ATC Epilogue 431 References Mergers, Takeovers and Dispersals The UK's Computer Landscape in the 1950s and 1960s The Zenith of Elliott-Automation as an Independent Company The Computing Sector of Elliott-Automation The Company's Overall Financial Position Satisfying the UK's Business Data Processing Market The Large Engineering Companies The Electrical Giants GEC and Arnold Weinstock English Electric Marconi, a Famous Name The Coalescing of Computer Interests: EELM and ICT The Merger Between Elliott-Automation and English Electric The Letter to Shareholders Government Encouragement for Rationalisation The GEC Takeover and the Formation of ICL 463 References The End of the Line All Change at Borehamwood Meanwhile, in the Wider World of Information Technology Formal and Professional Qualifications Computing and Journalism The BBC's Computer Literacy Project Minicomputers and Microprocessors Data Transmission and Wide-Area Networks Sorting Out the Pieces 476

8 Contents xxi 14.4 GEC Computers at Borehamwood and Dunstable in the 1970s The GEC Series 63: A Very Difficult Project GEC Computers in the Mid-1980s: The End of Borehamwood's Independence The Demise of Borehamwood Post-script: John Coales and Leon Bagrit as Public Figures 499 References 503 Appendix 1: Technical Details of the Elliott 152 and Appendix 2: Technical Details of the Elliott Nicholas Computer 515 Appendix 3: Technical Details of the Elliott 400 series Computers 531 Appendix 4: Technical Details of the Elliott 800 Series & 503 Computers 555 Appendix 5: Technical Details of the Elliott 502 Computer 569 Appendix 6: Technical Details of Elliott 900 Series Computers 579 Appendix 7: Technical Details of the Elliott 4100 Series Computers 597 Appendix 8: Elliott Digital Computer Deliveries and Costs 611 Appendix 9: Supplementary Avionics Details 637 Appendix 10: Historical Notes on Early British and Non-British Computers 655 Appendix 11: Elliott-Automation Group Structure and Factories in Bibliography 679 Index 689 Picture Credits 709