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The contract was placed end of 1969 (after some delays), causing a computerless-period between the end of the 3D-simulator project in 1970 and the acceptance of the Ferranti FM 1600B system.
In the mean time, limited spare capacity of the SIMREK system of the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder could be used. Thus, the newly Computation/programming group (Rekenafdeling/programmeergroep) had to limit their activities to the preparation of the installation of LEOK's own Ferranti FM1600B computer. Fortunately, the RAREK computer became available earlier than expected as the 3D-project ended and the system was made available to the LEOK.
In the summer of 1971, LEOK's own Ferranti FM1600B was accepted. The photo's above, made during the conveyance of the system, give an impression of the total system and the input/output equipment.
The computer system comprised a central processing unit, 16K core memory (later 40K), 22 interrupt channels which connected the following input/output equipment:
The software comprised compilers for
ALGOL
60, FORTRAN II and CORAL 64, a FIXPAC asembler, a subroutine library and
utilities. CORAL 64 was at that time the NATO programming standaard, block structurered
as Algol 60, for applications in real-time environments. The compiler had six
passes! Calculations could be performed in integer, floating point, or fixed
point (where the comma moved around). The advantage was an optimum precision
and maximum speed.
FIXPAC (FixedPoint Autocode) was the assembler. Instructies were based on three
adresses, e.g., Va=Vb+Vc - V was written as the Greek character 'nu').
Programs were started from papertape. During compilation of a program, multiple passes of the compilation process resulted in intermediate code on papertape. The computer was controlled from the operator panel. We developed our own operating system that allowed the use of magnetic tape. After these modifications the de bootstrap recognised the magnetic tape drive as a "boot device". We called that "BOS". Later on, a larger operating system "EOS" was loaded from magnetic tape . It had a simple command structure and a very universal IO-interface. A own-developed text editor, like the one on a PDP 8 was added. Compilers were disassembled and adapted to make use of the IO-interface("I recal that my collegue Pim O. worked hard for several months to get the Algol compiler working. Finally, it produced an "Eureka" stating "It is ok now, boys"). A Tektronix phosphorus memory screen was used as operator station. Finally the noisy Teletype could be switched off. The operasting system was sold to Ferranti for an extra block of memory. EOS was used, with disk instead of magnetic tape, for the Mechlua trainer project
An important project which used the Ferranti was Torpeval (2D-phase). Information recorded at ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy was processed by the LEOK. The outcome was presented in the form of tables and plots. Printing and plotting of the Torpeval results required the writing of Torpeval in assembly code. Later, LEOK changed the ALGOL and FORTRAN compiIers/runtime systems in such a way that the output devices could be addressed in a more high-level way causing programming to become quicker and easier.
The hardware was extended with the needed core memory till 32K (total) and a display-terminal.
The Ferranti system was used for:
The largest project of the LEOK during that period was the Mech Lua (Luchtafweer = Anti-air) Trainer (MLT) based on Ferranti FM1600B computers. These trainers are still (1998!) in use in Ede (they are 'retired' now). One of the TNO-FEL employees concluded in the beginning of 1998: "It is remarkable to see such a system still working, it even does not make a worn-out impression!"
MuseumWaalsdorp@tno.nl
