Making Electrons Count (part 7 of 11)

229 Plotted results are recorded on film by a camera attached to a second oscilloscope.

230 Here are some results recorded by the camera: a plot of a seventh-degree polynomial;

231 Note two thousand digits recorded on one frame in ten seconds.

232 The test center provides facilities for monitoring computations and coordinating maintenance procedures.

233a, b, c Note The special test program being read into the machine permits the computer to help diagnose its own ills.

234 Note Marginal checking, a technique developed at M. I. T., varies one of the supply voltages in one group of tubes at a time, inducing deterioriating tubes and other components to fail, and, at the same time, localizing any such failure. Thus deteriorating parts may be removed before they cause trouble in normal operation.

Credits and Notice:

The MIT Museum has kindly granted permission for me to reproduce these extracts from the 1953 film on MIT Project Whirlwind,"Making Electrons Count." The permission is governed by an agreement between Daniel P. B. Smith and the MIT Museum, and covers publication at this Web site only. Individuals may view this material at this Web site, http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/. Any other use requires permission from the MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307.

The original film credits contain no date or copyright notice and reads, in full:

The Digital Computer Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Presents "Making Electrons Count: Solving a Problem on M.I.T.'s Electronic Digital Computer 'Whirlwind I.' Sponsored by: Office of Naval Research. Physicist played by Dean N. Arden. Script by Edwin S. Kopley. Photographed and Directed by Lloyd G. Sanford.

--Daniel P. B. Smith, http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/

229	Plotted results are recorded on film by a camera attached to a second oscilloscope.
230	Here are some results recorded by the camera: a plot of a seventh-degree polynomial;
231 Note	two thousand digits recorded on one frame in ten seconds.
232	The test center provides facilities for monitoring computations and coordinating maintenance procedures.
233a, b, c Note	The special test program being read into the machine permits the computer to help diagnose its own ills.
234 Note	Marginal checking, a technique developed at M. I. T., varies one of the supply voltages in one group of tubes at a time, inducing deterioriating tubes and other components to fail, and, at the same time, localizing any such failure. Thus deteriorating parts may be removed before they cause trouble in normal operation.