BRL Report 1964

BRL 1964, NCR 310, starting page 0202

NCR 310 National Cash Register Corporation Model 310 MANUFACTURER National Cash Register Corporation

Photo by the National Cash Register Corporation APPLICATIONS Bank transit operations. Merchandise control. PROGRAMMING AND NUMERICAL SYSTEM Internal number system Binary Binary digits/word 12 Binary digits/instruction 12 Instructions/word 1 . Instructions decoded 62 Arithmetic system Fixed point instruction type One address Number range 2¹² - 1 Instruction word format +----------+---------+ | Function | Address | +----------+---------+ | 6 Bits | 6 Bits | +----------+---------+ Automatic coding. 310 NEAT (NCR's Electronic Autocoding Technique) ARITHMETIC UNIT Incl. Stor. Access Excl. Stor. Access Microsec Microsec Add 6.4, 12.8, 19.2 6. 4 Mult Programmed 1,000 Div Programmed 1,800 Arithmetic mode Parallel Timing Asynchronous Operation Sequential STORAGE No. of No. of Access Words Digits Microsecond Magnetic Core 4,096 49 and 52 bits 6.4 INPUT Medium Speed Paper Tape (NCR) 1,000 char/sec Typewriter Typing speed

BRL 1964, NCR 310, starting page 0203

 
    OUTPUT
     Medium                    Speed
     Paper Tape (Teletype)      110 chars/sec

     CIRCUIT ELEMENTS OF ENTIRE SYSTEM
     Type         Quantity
     Diodes            7,000
     Transistors       1,400
     Magnetic Cores   49,152

    POWER, SPACE, WEIGHT, AND SITE PREPARATION
    Power, computer         0.7 Kw 1.0 pf
    Volume, computer       20 cu ft
    Area, computer         10 sq ft
    Room size Dependent on peripheral equipment
    Floor loading         700 lbs concen max
    Weight, computer      700 lbs
    Air conditioning is dependent on room size and peripheral 
    equipment needed. Air conditioning is not generally needed.

    PRODUCTION RECORD
    Number in current operation      45

    COST, PRICE AND RENTAL RATES
                                                 Monthly
       Basic System                Purchase      Lease
    NCR 310                        $66,500       $1,625
    NCR 343-4 Lister                33,000          825
    NCR 340-501 Printer/Lister      43,750          995
    NCR 402-2 MICR Sorter           62,000        1,700
    NCR 420-1 Optical Reader        75,000        1,900

    PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS
    Training is made available by the manufacturer to the 
    users in the form of a two week programming course.

    RELIABILITY. OPERATING EXPERIENCE
    Design requirements have allowed for operation under 
    extreme conditions. Solid state construction
    provides an unusually high degree of reliability.

BRL 1964, NCR NORDEN SCRIBE II, starting page 0204

NORDEN SCRIBE II NORDEN SCRIBE II Scoring & Data Transcription Computer MANUFACTURER United Aircraft Corporation Norden Division

Photo by United Aircraft Corp. APPLICATIONS System is used for special purpose data processing and off-line scoring and transcription, with general applications to topologically equivalent systems. Similar to SCRIBE I with the addition of Magnetic Tape output. Concurrent output from Card Punch and tape can be obtained as well as individually. PROGRAMMING AND NUMERICAL SYSTEM Internal number system Binary Coded Decimal Decimal digits/word Variable Binary digits/instruction 6 Instructions/word Variable 1 to 3 Instructions decoded 18 Arithmetic system Fixed point Instruction type One address Number range 0 - 999 Instruction word format Variable Programming is identical to SCRIBE I with the additional capability of modifying storage during run of sheets by insertion of a modification programming sheet in the stack of data sheets. A wired program interpreting core memory is used. The equipment is a special purpose data processor used mainly for the scoring and transcription of answer sheets. It can be used for other topologically equivalent documents. It is programmed by scanning an array sheet which is marked in accordance with the identification instructions and their addresses. A drum memory with 24 answer keys is used for automatically scoring as many as 6 different keys indicated on an answer sheet. ARITHMETIC UNIT Construction (Arithmetic unit only) Transistors Arithmetic mode Serial Single bit adder is used, same as SCRIBE I. Timing Synchronous Operation Sequential

BRL 1964, NCR NORDEN SCRIBE II, starting page 0205

 
    STORAGE
                  No. of    No. of          Access
    Medium        Words     Digits/Word     Microsec
    Core           600         17               14
    Drum           784         40           17,000
    The drum memory also contains two 480-bit recirculating 
    registers for output buffering to card punch.

    INPUT
     Medium                         Speed
    Paper Sheets (8 1/2" x 11")     100 sheets/min
     (2,240 marking positions on each sheet)
    The sheet is arranged into 40 positions per row and a 
    maximum of 56 rows. The row arrangement is 8
    groups of positions.

    OUTPUT
    Medium                                 Speed
    Punched Card (80 col Parallel Punch)    100 cards/min
    Magnetic Tape (RCA Model 581)         1,000 chars/sec
    Either card or tape or both can be operated simultaneously. 
    Tape will contain same 80 characters as
    card plus additional data.

    CIRCUIT ELEMENTS OF ENTIRE SYSTEM
     Type             Quantity 
       Diodes
       1N770           5,000 (Approximately)  
       et al 
       Transistors  
       2N317  
       2N388 
       2N404 
       2N426  
       and others
                 Total 3,500 (Approximately)
       Magnetic Cores 10,800
    There are a few vacuum tubes (L10) in the system for 
    voltage reference plus the photomultiplier tubes
    used for sensing.

    CHECKING FEATURES
    Checking features include many built in routines
    plus parity check on magnetic core memory. Additional
    inherent checks in tape station.

    POWER, SPACE, WEIGHT, AND SITE PREPARATION
    Power, computer       4.5 KVA
    Volume, computer    285 cu ft
    Area, computer       56 sq ft
    Room size            10 x 20 feet
    Floor loading        93 lbs sq ft
                        145 lbs concen max
    Weight, computer  5,200 lbs
    Air conditioned at 60 - 95 F 
    Relative humidity at 20% - 60% 
    208 V, 3 phase, 60 cycles/second

    PRODUCTION RECORD
    Number produced to date        1
    Number in current operation    1
    Time required for delivery    12 months

    PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS
                 One 8-Hour Two 8-Hour
                 Shift      Shifts
    Operators      1         2
    Engineers      1         1
    Technicians    1         2
    In-Output Oper 1         2
    Training made available by the manufacturer to the 
    user includes training to suit users requirements.

    RELIABILITY, OPERATING EXPERIENCE
    Passed reliability test on 26 March 1962, consisting 
    of 10 runs of 7-1/2 hours each with no more than one
    "failure" per run, and availability of 97%.

    ADDITIONAL FEATURES AND REMARKS
    Provides mark sensing capabilities of mose intense
    mark in a group plus ability to provide for variations
    in background level. Includes printing facility for
    identifying sheets in alternate stack. System has a 
    capability of scoring mixed answer sheets of different
    tests.

    INSTALLATIONS
    Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey