Patent GB-783086-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electronic digital computing machines
Inventor: CRAWLEY HUBERT JOHN
IPC: G06F9/355
Filed: 1952-12-22
Abstract: 783,086. Digital electric calculating-apparatus. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Dec. 21, 1953 [Dec. 22, 1952], No. 32475/52. Addition to 734,073. Class 106 (1). In an electronic digital computer according to the parent Specification for operation with instruction words each containing separate groups of address-defining signals, the means for altering a selected instruction word under the control of an applied modifying word (B-word) includes further means for applying a predetermined group of digit signals of the B-word to control the modification of either a single one only or more than one of the address-defining signal groups of the instruction word. General arrangement. The computer described is similar to that described in Specification 731,341, employing C.R.T. binary digital stores comprising one or more lines each storing a numerical or instruction word, but operates with a 3-address instruction code and has an instruction modifying 8-line B- store, Fig. 6, in addition to a main multi-tube storage unit (Fig. 2, not shown), a single line accumulator (Fig. 3, not shown) having parallel connections for addition, subtraction and multiplication, and the two line control unit including C.R.T. 400, Fig. 4. Each operation cycle or bar consists of 6 (instead of 4) beats S1, A1, S2, A2, A3, A4, and each beat consists of 45 digit periods defined by P-pulses PO-P44, e.g. see Fig. 8, (e)-(g), P40-P44 defining the black-out period (wave form BO, Fig. 8 (d)) and PO-P3a defining the digit positions of a word. Each C.R.T. store comprises a regeneration circuit including a pick-up plate such as 604, Fig. 6, an amplifier (605), read unit (606) and write unit (607) of which the output terminal u is connected to the control electrode (601) of the C.R.T. (600). The read and write units, for which detailed circuit diagrams are given, are controlled by the basic dash, dot and stroke timing pulses, Fig. 8, (a)-(c). The scanning of a line on the C.R.T. screen is controlled by a sawtooth waveform XTB applied to X-deflection plates, such as 602, and, for a multi-line store, the required line is selected by a Y-shift generator (circuit diagram given) such as 608 connected to Y-deflection plates (603). Instruction code. Fig. 8 (m) shows a typical present instruction which comprises 3 addresses P, Q, R in position PO-P26, B digits in positions P27-P32 and F digits in positions P33- P39. Each address has 4 tube-defining (e) and 5 line-defining (1) digit positions for selecting a given C.R.T. in the main storage unit and one of the 32 lines on the tube screen respectively. The B digits comprises 3 " store address " digits for selecting one of the 8 lines in the B-store, and select digits which determine how the address sections BP, BQ, BR, Fig. 8 (n) of the B-word are used. The F digits determine the kind of function or operation to be performed. Normaly cycle of operations. The normal operations during beats S1, A1, S2 are similar to those in the corresponding beats in the computer of Specification 731,341. During S1, gate G441, Fig. 4, is normally opened to allow a pulse PO (representing " 1 ") to be paned to the adder 410 in the control unit regeneration circuit so as to add " 1 " to the control instruction (C1), consisting of a single address, Fig. 8 (k), simultaneously read out through unit 406; if, however, a negative number has been detected in the accumulator during a test operation, signal TEST A (-) opens gate G442 to allow pulse P2 (representing " 2 ") to be sent to the adder. The new CI is applied via lead 412 and gate G450 to gates G400-G408 controlled by pulses PO-P8 whereby it is staticized on trigger circuits LO-L4, E5-E8. Meanwhile the contents of the main storage unit and B-store are cyclically regenerated by control of the associated Y-shift generators through counter-controlled gates such as G605, G610, G615, Fig. 6. During beat A1, the triggers LO-L4 and E5- E8 control respectively the main store Y-shift generators and tube selection circuits (including " blackout valves " in the write units) to select the next present instruction (PI) which is passed over lead 10, gate G460, Fig. 4, and add unit 410 to the PI line of C.R.T. 400, which line is scanned during beats A1, S2, by applying appropriate waveforms to deflection plates 403; the previous contents of the PI line are erased by applying the A1 waveform to " erase " terminal of read unit 406. During S2, the contents of the main storage unit are again cyclically regenerated, and the PI is applied over lead 412 to gates G450, G451, G452, whereby the address and function portions, Fig. 8 (m), are staticized on triggers LO-L4, E5-E8 (address P); L9-L13, E14-E17 (address Q); L18-L22, E23-E26 (address R); and F33-F39. During the following bears A2, A3 and A4, the P, Q and R address triggers respectively are operative on the main store address selecting circuits, and the F-triggors co-operate with the A2, A3 and A4 waveforms to open the gates necessary to perform the required function. If, e.g., the function is adding the numbers in addresses P and Q and sending the result to address R, the F -triggers will be so set as to open the input gate to the accumulator (not shown), and the gate in the adding connection of the regeneration circuits, during A2 and A3, and the accumulator output gate during A4. Modifying instructions. During beat A1, the PI is sent not only to the control unit but also over lead 10, Figs. 4 and 5, to gates G500- G503 and over lead 18, Figs. 4, 5 and 6, through gate G600 to G601, G606 and G611. The latter gates are controlled by pulses P27-P29 whereby the B-store address, Fig. 8 (m), is staticized on triggers BA27-BA29 whose setting is duplicated, through gates G603, G608, G613 on triggers 610-612. Gates G500- G502, Fig. 5, are controlled by pulses P30- P32 whereby the B select digits, Fig. 8 (m), are staticized on triggers PS, QS, RS and G503 is controlled by P38 so that if the corresponding function digit is " 1 " (calling for an instructionmodifying operation) a trigger BF will be operated to open a gate G505. During beat 52, the Y-shift generator 608, Fig. 6, is controlled through gates G604, G609, G614 to select the required modifying word whose digits (if any) in positions P27-P39 are applied through gate G504, Fig. 5, controlled by a trigger F, and through G505 to lead 17 and the adder 410 for modifying the B and F portions, Fig. 8 (m), of the PI. The modifying word is applied also to gate G506 and through -digit period delay circuits 508, 509 (e.g. an electric or acoustic delay line or a stepping register) to gates G507 and G508. Gate G506 is controlled through gates G509, G510, G512 by triggers P, Q and R which produce outputs, Fig. 8 (h)-(j), defining the P, Q and R addresses of the P.I., Fig. 8 (m). If triggers PS is set by a B select digit in position P30 and triggers QS, RS are in their initial or zero state, the latter gates are all operative whereby addresses P, Q, R are modified by the corresponding portions BP, BQ, BR of the modifying word, Fig. 8 (n), paned through gates G506, G505 to adder 410. If, however, QS is set, Q-controlled gate G511, instead of G510, will be rendered operative so as to open gate G507 and cause the BP digits, Fig. 8 (n), delayed in 508, to modify the Q address; similarly, if RS is set, gates G513, G508 are operative to cause the BP digits to modify the R address. The modified P.I. is passed from the output of adder 410 to the appropriate staticizing triggers and the modified instruction is performed during the following beats A2, A3, A4. In particular, the modified B-store address portion is staticized on triggers BA27-BA29 (previously next) to select a word in the B-store which may itself be modified during the following beat A2, in a manner similar to that described in Specification 742,525 by a word from the main storage unit applied via lead 10 and gate G624 to a subtracting unit 609 in the B-store regeneration circuit. The output of 609 is supplied to gates G620, G621, G622 which control a trigger TB which, when set, supplies an opening signal TEST B (-) to gate G442, Fig. 4. The circuits of Fig. 5 may be replaced by a modified arrangement (Fig. 7, not shown) which supplies shift potentials to the X-deflection circuit of the B-store to enable any of the portions BP, BQ, BR to be scanned during any of the P, Q and R address periods, 6B select digits being employed. Specification 582,758, [Group XL], also is referred to. The Provisional Specification refers also to Specification 705,479.