Helipot Precision Potentiometer Received with CDC 160 Minicomputer
date: label: date made
content: 1962
name: label: maker
content: Beckman Instruments
notes: label: Description
content: In the 1940s, the firm of National Technical Laboratories (later Beckman Instruments) developed a line of "Helipot precision potentiometers" for use within PH meters. The device, marketed as a varialbe resistor, soon found wider applications within electronics, particularly for military use. This example is cylindrical, with a metal protrusion at one end and three metal protrusions along one side for electrical connections (these are marked A3, A2, and A1). A sticker on the side reads in part: 7223-71-1 (/) RES. 10K Ω. It also reads in part: Helipot (/) PRECISION POTENTIOMETER (/) HELIPOT DIVISION OF (/) BECKMAN INSTRUMENTS INC. (/) FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA TORONTO, CANADA (/) PRINTED IN U.S.A. The example is wrapped an protective cloth and stored in a paper bag. The bag is marked on one side: Item A42280 (/) G. O. 3139 (/) 5905-881-1798 (Resistor (/) 1 ea (/) A IA 8 MAR 15 1962 (/) AF33/600/-39922 (/) Ser. No.
label: Description
content: The object was received with a CDC 160 minicomputer.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, South Pasadena
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Department of Defense
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.3004.21
label: catalog number
content: 1983.3004.21
label: nonaccession number
content: 1983.3004
objectType: label: Object Name
content: computer component
label: Object Name
content: minicomputer component
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm; 1 9/16 in x 3 15/16 in x 3 15/16 in