Patent GB-731341-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electronic digital computing devices
Inventor: WILLIAMS FREDERICK CALLAND
IPC: G06F9/355
Filed: 1949-06-03
Abstract: 731,341. Digital electric calculating-apparatus. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. June 5, 1950 [June 3, 1949], No. 14951/49. Class 106 (1). In an electronic digital computing machine employing a main storage device, an arithmetical organ, and a control system for controlling the sequence of operation and ordering the necessary transference of numbers and arithmetical operations within the machine, the control system comprises a single storage device adapted to retain simultaneously at least two separate instruction-defining-numbers, the first of which consists of a Present Instruction word governing the next operative machine cycle and derived, by appropriate selectionfrom the main storage device, and the second of which consists of a Control Instruction word governing the selection of the Present Instruction word. General arrangement. The computor shown in Figs. 1a and 1b is similar to that described in Specification 705,479 employing C.R.T. stores as described in Specifications 645,691, 657,591 and 705,474 (the system in which " 0, " " 1, " are represented by a, " dot " and " dash " respectively on the C.R.T. screen being preferably used), and the scanning system described in Specification 682,156 (alternate scan and action beats). Each beat comprises 45 digit periods defined by clock pulses, Fig. 2 (i), from a generator C.P.G. supplied to divider stages DV1, DV2 whose outputs, Fig. 2 (ii) and (iii), define the black-out and beat periods respectively. The usual black-out, dot, dash-and strobe waveforms, Figs. 2 (iv) to (vii), are produced by the generators shown and supplied to all the C.R.T. circuits. Digit-defining P-pulses P0 to P39, Fig. 2 (viii) to (xi), are producedby a generator PPG as described in Specification 705,477, [Group XL (c)]. The output of the black-out wave generator is supplied also to the X time-base circuit XWB and the " halver " trigger circuit HWG to produce the wave-forms of Fig. 3 (xiii) to (xv). The main store MS comprises at least one C.R.T. 10 in which number and instruction words are contained, and has its input and output lines connected through gates ITG, OTG to an accumulator A including a subtract unit 21, e.g. as described in Specification 693,424, and a single-line C.R.T. store 16. The store output is also connected to a control unit CL, which replaces the units C.R. and P.I. of Specification 705,479, and includes an adding unit 30, e.g. as described in Specifications 683,882, 692,853, 693,424 or 705,478, and a C.R.T. 25 having the control instruction (C.I.) and present instruction (P.I.) registered on separate lines selected by a Y-plate voltage generator GYWG (see Figs. 3 and 4 (xxii)). Instructions from the control unit are sent through gate I.G. to staticisors LST, FST which select respectively an address in the main store (defined by 5 digits as shown) and the function to be performed on the number or instruction thereat (defined by 3 digits). A regeneration circuit, including " read and " write " units, is associated with each C.R.T. store, and an " erasing waveform can be supplied to the read units from generators ACEG, SEG supplied with a paraphased " action " waveform, Fig. 4 (xxxii), from a trigger circuit AWG, and controlled by outputs from the function staticisor. Normally, a single operation or function is completed in a " bar " of four beats initiated by a prepulse, Fig. 4 (xvii), these pulses being continuously generated by a unit PPU under control of a stop-unit SU. A test unit TU normally adds " 1 " to the control instruction at the beginning of each bar but may be made to add " 1 " or " 2 " according to the result of a test, e.g. of the sign, of the partial solution of a problem, the corresponding new control instructions causing a sequence of operations to,be repeated (by subtraction of a number in the main store from the control instruction) and the progress to new operations respectively. Numbers and instruction words are initially entered manually in the main store by selectively operating keyboard switches K0-K39 connected respectively to lines carrying pulses P0-P39, a. switch SS being first set in the manual position and the address being selected by switches S0-S4 associated with staticisor LST. The switch PPS is opened to disconnect unit PPU from the stop unit SU and prepulses are produced one at a time by a key KSP. A digit, a word and the whole content of store MS can be erased by operating a switch WE and keys KLC, KSC respectively. Operations on the entered words can also be effected manually, if desired, by selective operation of function staticisor switches S13-S15. The accumulator can be cleared by manually operating erase key KCC. Operating sequence. The normal sequence for a single automatic operation during the four scan and action beats S1, A1, S2, A2 is similar to that described in Specification 705,479, and comprises the following steps:- (S1) C.I. line of control unit CL scanned, Fig. 3 (xxii), and new control instruction (obtained by adding " 1 " or " 2 ") sent to staticisor LST (no pulses being sent to staticisor FST since the C.I. function digits are always " O ") ; (A1) the present instruction, read out from store MS, is sent to P.I. line, Fig. 3 (xxii), of CL; (S2) present instruction sent to staticisors; (A2) present instruction obeyed. Staticisors ; Y-shift generator for main store. Fig. 6 shows one section of the staticisor FST corresponding to the (n+1)th digit of the instruction word (where n= 13, 14 or 15 in the embodiment of Figs. 1a and 4b). A trigger circuit comprising a suppressor-grid-to-anodecoupled pair of valves V1, V2 has the instruction word and the pulses pn applied through diodes D1, D2, forming a coincidence gate, to the control grid of valve V1. If the (n+1)th digit of the present instruction word read out during beat S2 is a " 1," a negative pulse coincident with pulse pn will lower the control grid potential sufficiently to switch " on " the trigger circuit which will remain in this condition until reset at the end of beat A2 by the differentiated halver waveform, Fig. 4 (xxxiii), applied to valve V2. The suppressor grid of valve V2 is connected through cathode followers V3-V6 to output terminals 0/n, 1/n. When the trigger is " on " and " off " terminals 1/n are at a lower and higher potential respectively than terminals 0/n. These function-controlling potentials are applied to other units in Figs. 1a and 1b as indicated. The sections of the staticisor LST each comprise only the parts shown above the broken line, the outputs from valves V2 being applied through gates G5-G9, Fig. 1b, which are opened only during action periods by the HA waveform, Fig. 3 (xv), to switching valves SV0-SV4 of the Y-shift generator YSG which selects the line of the main store C.R.T. 10 to be scanned during each beat, as described in Specification 682,156. During scan beats, the switching valves are controlled by voltage outputs from cascade-connected counter stages CO-C4 fed with the H5 waveform, Fig. 3 (xiv), so that the lines are scanned consecutively and the charge pattern on the C.R.T. screen regenerated. Line selection and output gating for control unit. Action wave trigger. The Y-shift waveform for the control unit and the waveform controlling read-out through the gate IG are supplied by the generator GYWG, Figs. 1a and 7. A trigger circuit 35 has the prepulse and differentiated HS waveforms, Fig. 4 (xvii) and (xix), applied thereto, so as to produce output waves, Fig. 4 (xx) and (xxvi), the first of which is differentiated, Fig. 4 (xxi), and applied to a trigger circuit 36 and the second of which is combined with the output wave at 38, Fig. 4 (xxvii), to produce the waveform of Fig. 4 (xxviii) which is fed through a gate 37 opened during scan beats by wave HA, Fig. 4 (xxxv), the gate output, Fig. 4 (xxix), being fed to the gate IG. The inverse of the wave at 38 provides the line-selecting Y-shift waveform, Figs. 3 and 4 (xxii), and differentiated forms of the two waves of Fig. 4 (xxvii) and (xxii) are combined, Fig. 4 (xxiii), and applied to the action wave trigger circuit AWG whose two output waves are then as indicated in Fig. 4 (xxx) and xxxii). During manual operation the switch SS allows only the waveform of Fig. 4 (xxiv) to be applied, to produce modified output waves such as Fig. 4 (xxxi), these modifications preventing a manually-set instruction being obeyed during both A1 and A2 beats. The action waves are fed to various units as shown in Figs. 1a and 1b so as to control operations during action beats. The waveform of Fig. 4 (xxx) fed to the write unit 29 of control unit CL, for example, blacks out the C.R. beam of tube 25 unless function digits 14, 15 are both 0. Test unit. A trigger circuit 50, Fig. 7, is normally in the condition to which it is set by the applied action trigger wave of Fig. 4 (xxiii) or (xxiv), in which gate 53 is open and gate 52 closed. These gates have applied thereto the waveform of Fig. 4 (xxvi) and the P0 and P1 pulses respectively (corresponding to 2‹ and 2<1>) so that normally a pulse P0 is let through during every beat S1 and applied to the add unit 30 of the control unit, Fig. 1a. A " test " instruction, represented by function digits 0, 1, 1, opens gate 51 to the number read out from accumulator A and if the 40th digit, selected by pulse P39 is a " 1 " (indicating that the number is negative written as a complement), a negative triggering pulse will be applied to circuit 50 which will then open gate 52 instead of 53 to allow a P1 pulse to be applied to add unit 30 during the next beat S1. Prepulse and stop units. The prepulse unit PPU, Fig. 1a, comprises a trigger circuit VII, V12, Fig. 8, which is normally switched over by the positive pulses of the differentiated waveform from counter CO (see Fig. 4 (xxxiv) and (xxxv)) applied to the suppressor grid of an input valve V10, to produce negative anode pulses, Fig. 4 (xxxv