Analog Computers

Historical Document

Model 3500 Analog Computer

Read the PDF (6 pp) ↗

Sales brochure for the Systron Donner Model 3500 Analog Computer, a compact 28-pound desktop unit designed for instruction, data reduction, signal generation, and process control. The machine features 10 stabilized plug-in amplifiers, a problem board with diode modules, single- and ten-turn potentiometers, regulated ±105 V power supplies, and a front-panel metering system; priced at $1,985. The brochure covers the system's components, specifications, application areas, accessories (including the Model 3530 Problem Board and Model 3570/3571 Potentiometer Strips), and basic installation configurations.

Manufacturer
Systron-Donner
System
Systron Donner Model 3500
Type
Historical Document
Language
English
Learning track
machine reference
Pages
6
  • Systron Donner Model 3500
  • Systron-Donner
  • analog computer
  • brochure
  • specifications
  • education

← Back to the Reference Library

Model 3500 Analog Computer

a W 2 2 0 a) Oo N CORPORA T SYSTRON = a= MODEL 5 _ Fi t { ff ‘\ } 1 i || | | | {| | i i | i | i | " 4 } \ \ i ] | | | { \ \ J N maar ee | f yA, 4 . ——_— pa SSO Gy, =, ~ \ \ 2 UE Wi, 25, q fr ™“ | 7 i/ \ | | i } : yA i Wee } fj 4 \ | 1 é i \ i 4 i \ it | {\ \ ' { ‘ i] {t | 4 | | W fl {) | { fi | ’ | | | ~. } K a aoe \ : | | R f j bil } ee | = a COMPUTER AN ALO G t- 3 z 3 Donner’s Model 3500 is a full-fledged analog computer weighing just 28 pounds. Designed for engineers, educators Accuracy, Convenience, and scientists, it can be used to study almost any physical system that can be described by differential equations. It can be operated on desk tops and benches by anyone who can run a slide rule. The standard 3500 contains 10 ampli- fiers, stabalized or unstablized as the user chooses. The Low Cost computer performs accurately with 1% or 0.1% computin components, and is furnished ready-to-work for $1850, de- pending upon specific equipment desired. This is how you use it FOR INSTRUCTION The Donner 3500 uses problem boards designed espe- cially to solve problems peculiar to classroom instruc- tion. Two such problem boards may be associated with the basic computer through interconnecting cables supplied with the problem boards. When so connected, 5 amplifiers terminate at each problem board, and two student groups can simultaneously program and con- trol their half of the basic computer without mutual interference. Further, possession of more than two 3530 Problem Boards permits additional student groups to set up the boards away from the computer and to store their pro- grammed boards between classes for subsequent use. Each 3530 Problem Board terminates 5 of the com- puter’s 10 amplifiers. Three of these amplifiers may be used as summers or integrators and the remaining two amplifiers may be used as summers. Integrators can be controlled in the Reset, Compute, and Hold modes of operation from each board without inter- fering with the adjacent group of students. To program a problem, students merely plug molded resistors, capacitors, and patch cords into the jacks on the board. The amplifier designation screened on the problem board surface Corresponds directly to the symbolism the students use in drawing the computer wiring diagrams. Thus, students capture a “feel” for computer programming by directly duplicating the programming instructions. cell x 7 1 — | = jo | 5 dual amplifiers (10 channels) are mounted on plug-in printed circuit cards. The Model 3103 Dual Amplifier provides drift-free chopper-stabilized operation. The first 5 amplifiers may be used as integrators or summers; the remaining 5 channels as summers. Internally regulated supplies provide all power required by 10 amplifiers. Sources of +105 and —105 volts at 20 ma maximum load current terminate at the prob- lem board for additive constants and initial condition supplies. A reference volt- age of 100 volts, positive and negative, is used with the comparison Null Volt- meter for precision voltage measurements. Four silicon diodes are contained within the 3500 and terminate at the problem board. Additional diodes may be obtained to plug into the problem board for more demanding applications. Five single turn, ungrounded potentiometers are included and may be used to establish problem coefficients or initial conditions. Additional potentiometers may be obtained in groups of 8 by associating Potentiometer Strips with the 3500. The Model 3570 Potentiometer Strip provides 8 ungrounded single turn pots, and the Model 3751 contains 8 ungrounded, ten turn helical potentiometers with digital indicating dials. One Potentiometer Strip may be mounted on the 3500 as shown. Additional strips are supplied with protective enclosures. Precision resistors, capacitors, and patch cords must be associated with the computer to yield a complete facility. A large variety of plug-in resistors, capac- itors, cords, diodes, potentiometers, relays, and shunt plugs are available, either individually or in recommended assortments. The voltmeter located on the 3500 front panel can be switched to function as a conventional zero-centered meter with sensitivities of 100, 30, 10, and 3 volts full scale or as a comparison Null Voltmeter in conjunction with the ten-turn reference pot to yield measurements within 0.25% of full scale. The meter move- ment is protected against burnout in all modes of operation, and the metering system may be used to measure differential voltages as well as voltages referred to ground. The output voltage range of each amplifier is continuously monitored, and volt- ages exceeding +100 volts are indicated through a bank of neon indicators. Thus, amplifier gain fall off caused by voltage saturation is instantly indicated at the 3500 front panel. All vacuum tubes in the 3500 are mounted on vertically oriented printed circuit cards, and an integral muffin blower provides ample ventilation to insure long component life, even in elevated ambient temperatures. Two panel mounted connectors terminate all amplifier input and output leads. Thus, amplifiers may be programmed and controlled remotely. PROBLEM CAPACITY The complexity of a problem which can be handled by a given computer is determined by the number of amplifiers, initial condition circuits, coefficient potentiometers, and non- linear accessories available. The basic Model 3500 includes 10 amplifiers and 5 initial condition circuits. Five potentiometers are included which may be used for coefficient setting or establishment of initial conditions. Additional potentiometers may be added to the basic 3500 in groups of eight mounted on two types of potentiometer strips. Thus, a basic Model 3500 computer has sufficient problem capacity to permit solution of a 5th order differential equation with initial conditions, or a seventh order equation where at least two of the initial conditions are zero. Higher order transfer functions may be simulated. Laplace equations of the ninth degree are readily programmed on the problem board. SPECIFICATIONS STABILIZED AMPLIFIERS (Model 3103) (Measurements made at problem board) DC gain greater than 10 million. Offset of a unity inverter less than 0.2 mv per day. INITIAL CONDITIONS 5 integrators are associated with initial condition sup- plies. Two other amplifiers may be used as integrators Drift of a unity integrator less than 0.5 mv per second. Phase shift of a unity inverter less than 0.5° at 1 KC. Output range of +100 volts @ 4 ma load current. (Note: Unstabilized amplifiers (Model 3104) exhibit a DC gain in excess of 20,000 and an inverter offset of 20 mv per day; other specifications are as above.) REFERENCE VOLTAGE Positive and negative source available at problem board for additive constants. METER Direct ranges of +100V, +30V, +10V, and +3 volt, full scale. Null comparison using internal reference volt- SIZE with zero initial conditions. OPERATIONAL MODES Reset, Compute, and Hold. POWER REQUIREMENTS 115 or 230 volts (+10%), 50 to 60 cps, single phase. inches deep. WEIGHT age and precision reference potentiometer measures any voltage within +100 volt range to 0.25% and per- mits setting or measuring coefficient potentiometers to Net weight, approximately 28 pounds. approximately 40 pounds. PRICE RANGE Basic computer 514 inches high x 19 inches wide x 12 Shipping weight, BURLINGAME ASSOCIATES New York City Area: 510 South Fulton Avenue Mount Vernon, N. Y. 10550 Phone: (914) 664-7530 Boston Area: 7 Wellington Street Waltham, Mass. 02100 Phone: (617) 894-1955 Syracuse, N. Y. 13211 106 Pickard Building East Molloy Road Phone: (315) 454-2408 Washington, D.C. 20014 8218 Wisconsin Avenue Phone: (202) 654-6400 Philadelphia Area: 222 Long Lane Upper Darby, Pa. 19082 Phone: (215) 528-6080 E. G. HOLMES & ASSOCIATES Atlanta Area: 3667 Clairmont Road, N.E. Chamblee, Georgia 30005 Phone: (404) 451-6161 Greensboro, N. C. 27401 430 W. Gaston Street Phone: (919) 272-0855 Orlando, Florida 32800 316% South Bumby Street Phone: (305) 241-2128 Huntsville, Alabama 35803 4862 Governor's Drive, West Phone: (205) 837-6900 Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 216 - 42nd Street Phone: (601) 864-8434 CANADA INSTRONICS, LTD. P. O. Box 100 Stittsville, Ontario Phone: (613) 828-5115 SY STERLING COMPANY Detroit Area: 21250 - 1042 Mile Road Southfield, Michigan 48075 Phone: (313) 442-5656 Cleveland, Ohio 44128 5827 Mayfield Road Phone: (216) 442-8080 Dayton, Ohio 45439 3300 S. Dixie Drive Phone: (513) 298-7573 Pittsburgh, Pa. 15227 4232 Brownsville Road Phone: (412) 884-5515 CARTER ELECTRONICS Chicago, Illinois 60636 7203 South Western Avenue Phone: (312) 776-1601 Indianapolis, Indiana 46224 6333 Hollister Drive Phone: (317) 293-0696 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55431 2401 West 66th Street Phone: (612) 869-3261 SY STERLING COMPANY St. Louis Area: 7849 N. Lindbergh Blvd. Hazelwood, Missouri 63042 Phone: (314) 837-1221 ARNOLD BARNES COMPANY Dallas Area: 740 South Sherman Street Richardson, Texas 75081 Phone: (214) 235-4541 Houston, Texas 77027 3230 Mercer Street Phone: (713) 622-3620 San Antonio, Texas 78213 7007 Blanco Road Phone: (512) 342-7311 Oklahoma City Area: 3510 Mockingbird Lane Midwest City, Oklahoma 73110 Phone: (405) 737-4556 0.25%. $1850 f.o.b. Concord, California. SYSTRON-DONNER ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVES Your nearby Systron-Donner Engineering Sales Rep will be glad to provide you with more information on the lication of S-D i and systems. For your convenience, his name and address are listed below. NORTH and CENTRAL ATLANTIC SOUTH ATLANTIC MIDWEST SOUTH WEST PLS ASSOCIATES Denver Area: 7895 E. Prentice Ave. Englewood, Colorado 80110 Phone: (303) 771-0140 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87112 9611 Acoma Road, S.E. Phone: (505) 298-5589 WARD-DAVIS ASSOCIATES Los Angeles Area: 770 South Arroyo Parkway Pasadena, California 91105 Phone: (213) 684-2840 San Francisco Area: 3921 East Bayshore Palo Alto, California 94303 Phone: (415) 968-7116 San Diego, California 92110 3492 Pickett Street Phone: (714) 297-4619 RUSH S. DRAKE ASSOCIATES Seattle, Washington 98108 6133 Maynard Avenue, South Phone: (206) 725-2700 7 4 1 SYSTRON SS>> DONNER = 888 GALINDO STREET +» CONCORD, CALIFORNIA Se ee ae oe eee Phone: (415) 682-6161 + TWX 415-687-3206 ee | SD/USA/7-66 ® 3M PRINTED IN U.S.A, —7 This is how you use it FOR DATA REDUCTION AND CONTROL-— By simply removing a few screws from the top surface of the basic 3500, the problem board and potentiom- eter strips can be mounted in an instrumentation cab- inet as illustrated. The complete computer with 10 stabilized amplifiers then uses only 1714 inches of panel space. Using drift stabilized amplifiers, precision computing components, and ten turn coefficient potentiometers, the 3500 meets all requirements for analog data handling systems with precision and versatility. All integrators may be controlled to function in the Com- Other areas of application include: (@) SIGNAL GENERATION. The 3500’s oper- ational amplifiers are easily programmed to generate sinusoidal, cosinusoidal, triangular, ramp, and square waveforms with shape and frequency precisely controlled through the ten turn potentiometers. (e@) PREAMPLIFICATION. The low noise, low it drift, and wide bandwidth characteristics of the 3500 computer amplifiers permit preamplification 2 pute, Reset, and Hold modes of operation either at the of low level signals directly at the source. By inter- panel or through remotely located contact closures. connecting two amplifiers at the problem board to Thus, the 3500 may be left unattended and automat- function as an unloading circuit, signal amplification — ically controlled by external timing devices with input impedances in excess of 1000 megohms : is obtained. Equally compact and versatile non-linear accessories — 3500 i extend the data handling capabilities to include multi- (e) eS oS a ee ee ee simply programmed to function as a conven- plication and function generation. For the first time, analog signal conditioning or data processing can be accomplished with precision by in- cluding an off-the-shelf analog computer right into the instrumentation cabinetry. The versatile problem board permits the computer to be programmed on the spot to suit the particular requirements on hand. tional 3 mode controller with independent adjustment of proportional, reset, and rate control. More complex requirements for non-linear or sampled data control- lers, and transport delay compensation, may be in- cluded with appropriate accessories. Process engineers are afforded the opportunity of studying and synthe- sizing optimum controller characteristics by inserting the computer into the control loop. Two rack-mounted Model 3500 computers provide precision data reduction or computer-control with versatile at-the-site programming. es OO000 Basie Installation @ SELECTION A porns solution of protee of average complexity wit | CHOICE OF economy, based on 1% resis- tors. 36 patch cords, 25 resis- 1— Model 3500 j 5 aoe : Potentiometer 1—Plug-in @ SELECTION B versatile assortment base Analog Computer Strip A ile a d with 5 ) SOO Bisa oestrus) tee . re ’ , Model 3103 bees ara Selection capacitors (0.1% polystyrene). Bist Aaeie ‘ (plug-in resistors, SELECTION C ual Amp lers OR AND > capacitors, and patch nities of settee oobi 4 (10 chopper stabilized 1—Model 3571 cords); choice of ity. 60 patch. cords, 25 resis- } amplifiers); all power ee iS Component Selection eee (ogy and Ts capacitors — supplies, metering, Potentiometer A, B, C, or D (0.1% polystyrene). aS control circuitry Strip SELECTION D = A versatile assortment of pre- a bs (8 ten turn cision components. 75 patch - ~ cords, 35 resistors (0.1%), 15 = potentiometers) high-ohm resistors (1%), and ene a 13 capacitors (0.1% polysty- Poe ee rene). ] Sit, | |e \ie= : } ACCESSORIES Model 3530 Problem Board Two Model 3530 Problem Boards may be associated with a single 3500 simultaneously by simply plugging associated interconnecting cables into the mating con- nectors on the 3500 front panel. When so connected, half of the 3500’s ten amplifiers are controlled and programmed from each problem board without inter- ference. This permits two independent student groups to share the 3500 without mutual interference. A supply of more than two Model 3530 problem boards - permits students to set up and store the programming away from the basic computtr between classes. = — DONNER. OD 20C 4 U.S.A,