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- HEADQUARTERS 

ARMY 

Washington 

SECURITY AGENCY 

25, D. c. 

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WDGAS-72 29 April 1947 

SUBJECT: 1947 National Convention of the IRE 

TO: Chief", Research Laboratori.es Division 

l. Messrs. Rutherf'ord and Mathews covered the 1947 

National Convention ot the IRE as official representatives of" 

the Army Securit7 Agenc7. The purpose or this visit was to 

help this agenc7 keep abreast of the latest happenings in the 

field ot electronics. The tour days, March 3, 4, 5 and 6, 1947 

that the convention lasted saw many reports or varied subject 

matter presented in the form of lectures, demonstrations, and 

exhibits. During that period the technical literature alone 

which was collected would have made the trip a profitable one, 

to sa7 nothing or the personal contacts with representatives or 

various companies and manuf'acturers. It is strongly recommended 

that the practice of sendirtg representatives or the Arm;y Security 

Agen07 to such technical meetings be continued. 

2. A complete report on the Technical Sessions, Ezhibits, 

and Special Conferences is attached • 

1 Incl. 

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. Isl Mi:ttord M. Mathews, Jr. 

MITFORD M. MATHmS ~ JR. 

CIC, Encrypting Development 

Section 

"Report on the 1947 National Convention of the IRE. 9 

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@'pp roved for Release by NSA on O 1-16-2014 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 
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REF ID:A68375 

29 Karch • 1947 

REPORT 

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1BE 1947 NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THB IRE 

§ESSIONS ATTENDED 

Jlondq - Radar and Commmication S,-stems 

FrequenCT Modulation Reception 

Tuesday - Television 

Electronic Digital Cqmputers 

Wednesd&7- Broadcasting and Recording 

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Thursdq - Relq and Pulse-Time S,-stems ot Communication 

Receiver Circuits 

General Comments ----------------

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The papers presented at this meeting represented some of' the 

latest advances in the art of electronics. Howev~r, the presentation 

ot some of' the papers was tar :f'rom perfect. The personality ot the 

speakers influenced the presentations to a large extent; particularly 

the atrocious accents which some of the speakers had. Also some ot 

the pictures shown were almost unreadable. These features plus the 

rapidity of presentation prevent•d a complete analysis of the papers 

presented. 

f APERS PRESENTED AT MEETINGS A.'l'TENDED 

. 1 - Shipboard Radar Fire Control f'rom the System Viewpoint 

2 - System Considerations in the Design ot Very-High-Frequency 

and Super-High-Frequency Communication Circuits · 3 - Portable Military communications Set 

4 - Carrier-Current Dialing over Long Distance Telephone Circuits 

S.- FrequenCT·Modulation Detector S,.stellS 

6 - A Method for Measuring the Instantaneous P'requency of a 

Frequenc,.-Yodulation Oscillator 

7 - General Electric Frequency-Modulation Monitor 

8 - The Linel\l" Accelerator • 

9 - Syncho-Lite for Televisio11 Film Projectors 10 - Video-Frequenc,. Performance of Some Receiving Tubes f'or Television 

11 - A theory ot Multistage Wide-Band A.mplitier Design 

tl2 - Recent Advances in the Design of' Intermediate Frequen07 

Alllplif iers for Television Receivers 

13 - The Electronic Digital Computer 

14 - Input Mechanisms tor Electronic Digital Compaters 15 - Electronic Computing 8 16 - The Selectron • A 'lube tor Selective Electrostatic Storag 
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17.- Applications ot Electronic Digital Computers 

18 - Propagation Characteristics ot the Ultra-High-Frequency 

(480 to 920-Megacycle) Television Band 

19 - Theoretical and Practics.l Aspects ot Frequency-Modulation 

20 - Broadcast Antenna Design 21 - Monitoring Equipment tor Frequency-Modulation Broadcasting 

22 - Ultra-High-Frequency Multiplex Broadcasting System 

23 - Field Measurements on Magnetic Recording Heads 

24 - Consideration of Moon-Relay Communications 

25 - Experimental Studies ot a Remodulating-Repeater System 26 - Experiences with Multipath Transmissions at Very-HighFrequeney, Ultra-High-Frequency, and Super-High-Frequeney27 - Multiplex Employing Pulse-Time and Pulsed Frequency Modulation 

28 - •ultiplex Microwave Radio .tpplied to Telephone Systems 29~- A compact Electromec)lanical Filter tor the 455-Kilocycle 

Intermediate Frequency Channel 

Several ot these papers are ot interest to the Research Labora-· 

tories Division ot the Army Security Agency. The papers on Electronic 

Computers were of general interest and attendance at these meetings 

would have been of' value to all personnel engaged in the construction 

.of electronic or electromechanical decoding equipment. It is only 

through repeated attendance at lectures similar to this, that the 

necessary inf'ormation can be acquired. The information does not consist 

ot a set or f'acts but rather a fundamental attitude toward the construction of' large multipurpose machines. Unf'ortunatel.y no representative of this agency directly engaged in the construction or 

decoding equipment were in attendance. 

The talk on the Selectron Tube gave details of an electrostatic 

storage tube which is similar to those which are being developed in 

secrecy by the Army Security !;ency. fA tube almost identical with 

ours was diwcussed at the March loth meeting of the Washington Section 

of the IRE., 

The new principle which was set forth in the Slectron Tube was 

the method of' selecting the active element on the storage matrix. 

This w~ done by means of two intersecting grid structures each having 

64 slots thus forming 4~6 (or 642) individual openings. Only when 

the tour bounding wires of the opening are energized will a particular 

area be energized. 

The storage feature of the tube was identical to the storage 

method suggested f'or the tube being developed under specif'ication 

number 471-58.32 for .A.SA. One method of' reading was ingenious~ It 

involved coating the storage elements with a fluorescent material and 

then when it is read by allowing electronis to tlow toward it,, it will 

fluoresce to a different degree depending on whether it is active or 

inactive. The light output is picked up by a photo-electric cell and 

converted to a useful signal. 

The paper entitled "ultra-High-Frequen07 Multiplex-Broadcasting 

System" contained a reference to a single channel Cyclophone tube 
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which was pictured as being about the same size as a type 6L6 tube. A 

tube like this would prove useful for unmultiple~ing a single channel 

ot a time multiplex system. For handling all the channels or a time 

multiplex system the multichannel cyclophone tube is suggested. The 

speaker represented the Federal Telecommunication Laboratories. 

The paper entitled "Experimental Studies or a RemodulatingRepeater System", presented a summary or a technique which is worthy 

ot application to some or the projects of the Research Laboratories 

Division. !he basic problem presented was to measure the distortion 

ot an al.most distortionless system arid to predict the ef.fect ot a 

multitude or such systems, in series on the intelligence information. 

This was to be done without the construction ot more than one unit ot 

the equipment under test. 

The solution consists of recirculating the information through the 

qstem and introducing a suitable time delay between the input and 

output points. Hence the successive degeneration or the information 

can be recorded, as it is repeatedly passed through the system. In 

the system under df"scussion the delay was achieved by means of a coaxial 

delay line. 

Messrs. Goldberg and Bath in their paper, "Multiplex Employing Pulse-Time and Pulsed Frequency Modulation,• presented an interesting 

concept of multiplexing. Radio sets to which it might.be applied are 

the AN/TRC-5, A~/TRC-6 and the AN/TRA-16 plus AN/TRA-6 combination. 

Essentially they found another means or transmitting intelligence on 

a pulse system by means of' frequency modulating the individual pulses 

in the R. F. carrier. These F.M. pulses can be utilized to carry low 

grade .circuits which do not lend themselves to encipherment. Dif'f iculty 

:will be experienced in suitably repeating !the intelligence in these 

channels. However, it does otfer the possibility of multiple order 

wire circuits. 

The paper by Dr. Adler on "A Compact Electromechanical Filter tor 

the 455-Kilocycle Intermediate-Frequency-Channel," offers a new approach to the design ot filters• EssentiallT he replaces the electrical elements to a multisection band-pass tilter with their mechanical 

equivalents and produces a compact metallic ladder of mechanically 

resonant elements, lillk8d by compliant members and coupled to electrical 

circuits by magnetostrictive terminations. This produces a tilter 

having much better pass band characteristics than equivalent electrical 

laddBr tilters due to the higher Q of the mechanical elements. Further 

exploration of mechanical tilters should prove fruitful especially in 

the narrow band-pass case. 

EXH I! ITS DISPLAYED AT THE CONVENTION 

The Radio Show of the 1947 National Convention ot the IRE dis• 

played the products ot 182 different companies listed in Appendix A. 

The display was housed on the main and second floors of Grand Central 

Palace, 46th and !Atxington, New York, N.Y. Items ot particular interest 
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to ASA which were displayed or advertised are listed below with comments: 

1. Aircraft Marine Products, Inc., Harrisburg, Pa, 

l line ot solderless terminal. lugs attached by a crimping 

process. 

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2. Cambridge Thermonic Corp., Cambridge, Mass. 

. A group ot slug-tuned inductors ranging from. 750 microhenries to :t'ractional microhenry sizes. The coverage was not continuous 

but the representative of the company informed the writer that there 

would be no extra charge ror the manuf'acture or special sizes in 

quantities ot one hundred. The small inductances would prove excellent 

for compensation in high speed ring circuits. 

3. Oatham Electronics, Newark, N. J. 

Exhibited a miniature halt wave high voltage rectifier 

tor use in cathode ra"f accelerating supplies. Tube type Z2. Peak' 

inverse 20,000 current 2Jla filament 1.25 volts, 265 Ma. 

4. Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp., Jamaica, N. Y. 

a. A special camera attachment tor photographing oscil• 

loscope tracrs. Used in conjunction with a standard Dullont scope. 

J'ilm speed up to five feet per second are available. 

b. Precision recorders incorporating synchronous motor 

drive. 

. c. Precision wirewc>und potentiometers. 

· 5. Finch Telecommunications, Inc., New York, N. Y. 

l group ot page CO'J!1' facsimile receivers were displ.a.7ed, 

also facsimile transmitters • 

6. Radio Corporation ot America, Camden, N. J. 

l complete portable television pickup unit was diapJ.a7ed 

including sync sigD&l generators, image orthicon camera, monitor, and 

power control panel. 

7. Sylvania Electric Products,, Inc., New York, N. Y. 

a. Miniature and sub-miniature vacuum tubes were displayed. 

• b. G9rmanium Cl"1'Stal varistors were displqed. These 

will be suitable for use in place of Western Electric coperoxide 

varistors. 

s. Technology Instrument Corp., Waltham, Maas. 

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a. An impedance meter termed w;g Meter• was displayed 

This device will rapidly measure the impedance and phase angle ot 

inductive and capacitive reactances. . . b. A line ot precision potentiometers was disp~d. 

9. Telequip Radio Company, Chicago, m. 

A line or television synchronizing generators, monoscopes, 

and monitors tor television was displa,-ed. 

10. Television Projects, Inc., Newark, N. J. 

' A studio rehearsal set up ror television shows was 

displayed. 

• 11. Times Facsimile Corp., New York, N. Y. 

A. line of facsimile equipment was displa7ed. Of particular interest was the 14" X 1811 tu transmission equipment. 

12. United States Television Mtg. Corp., New York, N. Y. 

'.I. line ot television p&J~s and equipment was displayed. 

SPECIAL DEMONSTRATIONS AND MEE'l'm(B NOT DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH IRE 

Cplor Television 

Because or recent FCC Proceedings, the question or color television 

is perhaps as greatly published as an.y in the whole field or radio 

communication. It seemed a shame, therefore, to visit New York without. 

seeing a demonstration or the CBS color system. Since at present, the 

CBS equipment is only being demonstrated to small audiences chosen on 

the basis or the good they are likely to do the CBS cause, it was not 

particularly easy to arrange tor admission to the showing. However, 

atter explaining that we ,were connected with the Research and Development 

Division or the Arm,r Security Agency, CBS arranged tor our admittance. 

Without entering the debate on the relative merits or the CBS sequential qstem as contrasted with other techniques, allow me to aq 

the demonstration was extreme:cy- good. The color television gives the 

impression of producing much better pictures than black and white because 

ot the sharp color contrast. In 11f1' opinion the television we saw was 

tul}T as good as •ll7 colored movie, and black and white always seems 

interior to color movies. 
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lleetim with Dr, Leedz and Dr, Vaile 

Tuesdq noon, 'March 4, 1947, at the expense ot the lunch hour, 

lleesra, Rutherford and Mathews •sandwiched" a visit to the hotel suite 

or Drs, Leedy and Vaile in bwtween the lectures on Television and Computers, The purpose of this visit was to discuss the magnetic recorder 

and to discover whether or not the Armour Research Foundation would be 

interested in the contract for its construction, 

Dr. Vaile was somewhat late tor the meeting and in his absence 

Dr, Leedy demonstrated the magnetic sound-on-film SJ11tem and a telephone 

with an automatic magnetic secretary was on display, 

In due course, Dr, Vaile arrived and the discussion got under wq, 

It was somewhat disconcerting that the good doctors missed the general 

picture of the equipment, They were ~.nterested in pulse shape, duration, 

amplitude, appearance ot the output signal and other minor details and 

didn't seem to grasp the implication of synchronous operation in conjunction with a frequen07 standard. Incidenta117, a long discussion 

took place regarding the accurac,- of the frequency standard even though 

that was taken b)" definition to be correct, 

Finally', the overall system and the timing requirements of the 

same seemed to dawn upon them and the:Lr f'irst reaction was that it 

was an expensive and difficult job. Being more or less satisfied that 

they understood the problem and its requirements and were bterested 

in the contract, we made a hurried exit and returned to the Convention 

Hall just in time to stand two hours before getting a seat in the Digital 

Computer lecture, 

. ,!!etipg with Dr, Travis and Dr, Chedaker 

Wednesday afternoon, March 5, 1947, a rwnor to the affect that 

portions or the EDVAC would be demonstrated at 9100 the next morning 

by representatives of the Moore School of Engineering came to the attention ot Messrs, Rutherford and Mathews, Consequently, the next 

morning found us expectantl)" waiting in the conference room. 

The attendance to the lecture was so small that those present 

gathered around the mercury delay equipment on display and asked their 

questions in very inf'ormal fashion, 

Because reports in our possession had already indicated that the 

Moore School was doing considerable work with magnetic recording equipment in connection with their computed design, we got Dr, I, Travis and 

Dr, J, Ohedaker off in a corner and broached our synchronous recording 

and playback problems to them, Dr. Travis's reaponse was indeed grati-

.t;ying, He sized up the problem almost instantly, mentioned work of a 

tairly" similar nature they were doing and expressed interest in further 

discussion with us at our convenience. 
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Evidently the Moore School has engineers who b&ve worked on 

similar problems and could handle thie job. It is strongly recommended 

that f'urther liaison be planned with these people. 

Incl. 

List ot Exhibitors, App. A 

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c. E. RUTHERFORD 

CIC, Ciphon;y Section 

MITFORD M. MATHEWS, JR. 

CIC, Encrypting Development 

Section