GTE Burst Switch Collection
name: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Information, Technology and Society
label: Creator
content: GTE Laboratories Inc.
topic: label: Topic
content: Electric switchgear
label: Topic
content: Telecommunication
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by Thomas Muldoon on December 17, 1999.
creator: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Information, Technology and Society
label: Creator
content: GTE Laboratories Inc.
setName: label: See more items in
content: GTE Burst Switch Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Drawings, patents, notes, computer printouts, articles, and technical papers documenting the GTE Burst-switch; also, subject files relating to many aspects of the burst switch project.
bioghist: label: Historical
content: The burst switch was developed in the 1970s-1980s at the GTE Laboratories in Waltham, Massachusetts. The burst switch was one of the first switches to demonstrate how voice and data traffic could be integrated into a single network and be handled simultaneously. It was never manufactured on a large scale, but concepts derived from the technology have been used in numerous forms of telecommunications equipment.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7 Cubic feet (14 boxes, 6 map-folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1984-1999.
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Information, Technology & Society (now Division of Medicine and Science) on February 22, 2003.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0833
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Patents
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Manuals
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Software
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into ten series. 

Series 1: Articles and Papers, 1983-1999

Series 2: Patents, 1987

Series 3: Manuals and Instruction Guides, 1987-1990

Series 4: Testing Materials, 1985-1987

Series 5: Notes, 1985-1988

Series 6: Subject Files, 1985-1991

Series 7: Software/Firmware, 1987-1989

Series 8: Datacon Wire Wrap Listings, 1985-1987

Series 9: Drawings, 1984-1987

Series 10: Floppy disks, 1987-1991
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2003.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Patents -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Manuals
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Software
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: The collection is arranged into ten series—articles and papers, patents, manuals and instructional guides, testing materials, notes, subject files, software/hardware information, Datacon wire wrap listings, drawings, and 5" and 8" floppy diskettes documenting the GTE burst-switch project.  The majority of the project work was done in the early 1980s and continued through 1985.  The subject files are arranged alphabetically and relate to specific aspects of the project.  The drawings are divided into original and copies.  The originals drawings are mylar or vellum. The Mark IIA refers to the final research model of the burst switch.