Patent GB-856438-A (GB)
Title: Electric digital computer
IPC: G06F9/318
Filed: 1957-12-12
Abstract: 856,438. Digital electric calculating-apparatus. SOC. D'ELECTRONIQUE ET D'AUTOMATISME. Dec. 12, 1957 [Dec. 12, 1956], No. 38676/57. Class 106 (1). In a general purpose electric digital computer comprising a one-word instruction store MO and decoder DO, Fig. 1, therefor including a function letter decoder, Fig. 2, the latter comprises a first group of circuits 50-53 for analysing a partial function code of digits (15, 16) having a constant location in the store MO, a first group of one-digit stores 54-57 individually controlled from the analysing circuits, second groups of analysing circuits, each such group being controlled from an associated one of the one-digit stores of the first group and from a combination of digits of an instruction, the locations in the instruction store from which this combination of digits is derived for at least one of the second groups being different from the locations for another of the second groups, and second onedigit stores controlled from the analysing circuits of the second groups. The computer described comprises as well as the programme control circuits CP, Fig. 1, a main magnetic drum store MM, a fast access store MR comprising magnet core matrices, an arithmetic unit BC, and input/output equipment OE, including, e.g. readers and recorders for punched and magnetic tape. These units have corresponding addresses Nm, Nr, Nt and Ne respectively and, except for BC, corresponding block addresses Bm, Br and Be. An instruction word comprises 26 operative binary digits and normally includes in addition to a function letter LF, at least one address, decoded at Ad, and auxiliary symbols or "tags," decoded at Ad, which may be used, e.g. for address modification. In the function letter decoded, Fig. 2, instruction digits 15, 16 cause one of the gates 50-53 to be operative to set up the corresponding one-digit store 54-57. Store 57 is set up if the instruction contains only addresses Ne, Be; since there is only one instruction (function letter X) of this type, the output X is obtained directly from 57. Store 56 is set up if the instruction contains both addresses Nr and Ne. The four instructions E, L, M, T of this type have function letter digits at 13, 14 which control a second group of gates 74-77 whereby the appropriate second one-digit store 78-81 is set up. Stores 54 and 55 are set up for instructions containing an address Nm (or no address) and an address Nr respectively. Digits 17, 18 indicate whether such instructions include also a second address (Nt) referring e.g. to an accumulator in the arithmetic unit. If such digits are both zero, indicating no second address, gate 59 or 62 is operative to set up one-digit store 63 or 66, which controls a decoder circuit 71 or 72 responsive to instruction digits 19-21; otherwise, gate 60 or 61 is operative to set up one-digit store 64 or 65 which controls a decoder circuit 69 or 70 responsive to instruction digits 17-19. Each of the circuits 69-72 comprises further gates and one-digit stores for providing the function letter outputs indicated. The instructions include, e.g.: H-enter word at address Nm into a sequence control member under control of overflow test; D-shift content of accumulator by quantity defined by content of Nr; S-subtract; U-round-off of amount at Nm; Y-manual entry of instruction into sequence control member; M and B-multiplication of content of an accumulator by content of Nr; Q-division; and G-squarerooting. One-digit store 63 controls also a circuit 73 for a " symbolized operation " instruction J for calling up sub-routines.