Patent GB-851418-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to digital computers
Inventor: FOULKES RONALD MITFORD
IPC: G06F3/06
Filed: 1957-04-01
Abstract: 851,418. Electric digital-data-storage apparatus. METROPOLITAN-VICKERS ELECTRICAL CO. Ltd. April 3, 1958 [April 1, 1957], No. 10585/57. Class 106 (1). An electric digital computer having a fast access working store and a slower access backing store is provided with an intermediate buffer store. As described, a computer using words of ten binary digits has a backing magnetic drum store D of large capacity, a buffer store B of magnetic cores and a working store (not shown) also of magnetic cores, blocks of 128 words being transferred to and from the drum as required. Information is stored in 64 tracks on the drum D each containing 256 words divided into two blocks, and clock, word and block timing tracks are provided. The buffer store B comprises a matrix array of ten planes each containing 32 x 4 magnetic cores and each word read from the drum is staticised in a shift register SR before being entered into the buffer store B. Transfer from the drum.-The address of the required track is set up by the computer on triggers T0-T5 and one of the triggers B0 or B1 is set according to which block in the track is required, the computer also switching a trigger " D to B " to indicate the direction of transfer. During the word period immediately preceding the specified block, a gate 1 or 2 is opened to switch on a trigger 7 which stays on until the last word period of the block. A gate 5 is thus enabled at the first digit period of each word (time PDO) to produce a pulse which after delay at 8 by one word time emerges at 6, the first such pulse stepping on the buffer address counter C from its normal reading of 127 to read 0. The first word is then read from the drum D and staticised in the shift register SR whence it is transferred to the buffer store B via gates 20-29 and the buffer write units BW under the action of a pulse on the line 49. The end of transfer is signalled by a pulse on a line 52 when the counter C reaches the value 127 and this pulse switches on a " buffer full " trigger and switches off the " D to B " trigger. Transfer from the buffer store to the computer working store which consists of a magnetic core matrix of ten planes each of 32 Î 32 cores. Transfer will not take place until the " buffer full " trigger is on and when this trigger is on, gates 60-69 are opened and 128 address selecting pulses over the line 85 together with a pulse on the line 17 to the buffer read/write control causes transfer to the working store via the gates 60-69. Transfer to the drum.-On receiving an instruction to transfer to the drum, the computer checks that buffer full " is not indicated and switches an " S to B " trigger (not shown) to open gates 70-79. A set of 128 pulses then steps the address selectors through the two stores, the read/write drivers being triggered following each pulse to effect the transfer, switching the " buffer full " trigger on completion of the operation. The contents of the buffer are now transferred to the drum, the address on the drum being selected by the triggers T0-T5 and B0 or B1, a trigger " B to D " also being set. The trigger 7 is switched on just before the start of the block required and the gate 4 produces 128 pulses timed to first digits PD0 of each of the drum addresses to be filled, which pulses step on the counter C. Transfer to the register SR is effected by pulses on the line 18, and ten shift pulses on the line 19 are supplied to pass each word serially to the drum via the write unit DW.