Technical Diagrams (Schematics)

Back to Home Page
 These particular schematic diagrams describe circuits in the IFC area. Similar circuits described circuits in the missile and launcher area.

The specialists (enlisted personnel and warrant officers) were taught the functions of each circuit and the general flow of signals and control in wonderful detail. (I thought I was in heaven.) The IFC people learned about 2 to 6 pages a day. I still remember the details (when looking at the schematics) after all these years. (And I have trouble remembering my social security number.)

The pages that I do not remember (upon looking at the schematics) were those taught while I was doing KP (kitchen police - helping in the kitchen!) (We thought the army was very short sighted in saving the few bucks having us "pull" KP while in technical school! Start of whine - "the Air Force technical school people don't pull KP" - end of whine)

There were several hundred of these schematic diagrams for the IFC area, and probably somewhat fewer for the Launcher area.

The DC amplifier (used in the computer).
click blue box for expanded image (48 K bytes)
There were 2 amplifiers per circuit. There were about 70 of these amplifiers in the computer, all identical except for external connections (signals coming in and signals going out).

"Track Range Unit Amplifier"
click blue box for expanded image (72 K bytes)
Logic to generate the range gate for display to the tracking operators and for gating the received signals into the servo system.

Be thankful - I had considered describing the function of these circuits in detail. Those hardy souls who wish such treatment will have to e-mail the request.

For Better or for worse, Eric W e-mailed
"Please e-mail me a description of the function of these circuits. The more detail the better.
Why? For the sole purpose of learning. Thank you for your time."

OK, You asked for it! There are 2 circuits given

1) an operational amplifier
2) a linear timing circuit, voltage increased linearly with time
(I have forgotten the use of the controlled oscillator, and don't care to look it up.)
Unfortunately we need to discuss the reason for these circuits inorder to make meaning of what they do.

The following is not for the faint hearted, and assumes that you already know the basic function of

a) basic electronics, resistors, capacitors, Ohm's law, ...
b) vacuum tubes - or accept that a triode is a bit like a FET
c) triode or FET amplifiers
If this is not the case, - ah - where to go? Maybe a local radio amateur, a local vocational school, some *serious* study in the library, ...

Assuming the above prerequisites, we will plunge in a little further.


Operational Amplifiers are DC and low frequency high gain amplifiers that can be used for analog computing. The circuit in the figure has a gain of about 20,000 up to about 20,000 cycles/second [Hertz]. To be useful, an operational amplifier must have very close to a zero voltage output for a zero voltage input.

To help cause a zero output voltage with a zero voltage input, a "Zero Set" circuit is provided. In Nike, this was an automatic circuit, that had high gain. As the circuits were used, the gain of the basic amplifier was multiplied by the gain of the Zero Set amplifier, giving an effective gain of at least 10,000,000.

Return to top"

If you have comments or suggestions, Send e-mail to Ed Thelen

Back to Home Page
Updated May 5, 1997