[time-nuts] HP 5360A History?

John Ackermann N8UR jra at febo.com
Wed Apr 13 19:55:49 EDT 2016


Don't recall if the IC-22S had diodes.  I was definitely thinking of  the Drake UV-3, and one of the early external synthesizers (RP? GLB?).

Anyway, this is drifting off topic... shifting back to T&F mode.

> On Apr 13, 2016, at 5:47 PM, Dave Brown <tractorb at ihug.co.nz> wrote:
> 
> Here's a good example of diode programming - the answerback unit from a G E Terminet printer. The plastic cover over the diode array was removed for the photo.  The 'tool' for shifting diodes is also shown.
> http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tractorb/AB%20unit%20GE%20Terminet.jpg
> John- you are possibly thinking of the Icom IC- 22S.(among others!)
> DaveB, NZ
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ackermann N8UR" <jra at febo.com>
> To: "Tom Van Baak" <tvb at leapsecond.com>; "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" <time-nuts at febo.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2016 8:44 AM
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] HP 5360A History?
> 
> 
>> Thanks, Tom (and others)!  That's fascinating.
>> 
>> I was interested in the mention of diode programming systems.  It's a little off topic, but I encountered a few of those in the 1970s amateur radio world.  A couple of the early synthesized (as opposed to fixed-frequency-crystal) controlled ham radios had memory channels that were "programmed" in BCD digits by installing or removing 1N914 diodes, often in a row of DIP sockets.
>> 
>> Another early design was in the first synthesized "police radio" scanner by Regency.  It used aluminum combs that looked like, well, combs.  You broke off the tines as instructed for a particular frequency and then inserted the comb into a socket.  The presence or absence of the tine signified 1 or 0.
>> 
>> ----
>>> On 4/13/2016 3:57 PM, Tom Van Baak wrote:
>>> John,
>>> 
>>> I agree with Paul, an absolutely amazing instrument. The early models have nixie display, later ones plasma. 11 digits! In 1969! It was the first hp instrument that was capable enough to compute stability statistics. In real-time! Like Paul I have a couple, along with various the accessories. Built like a tank, even the keyboard.
>>> 
>>> You'll find mention of the counter in old technical articles, sometimes including the programs people would write for automated statistics. I've always thought the 5360 was uniquely at the cross-roads between hp as an instrument company and hp as a computer company (not to mention hp as a printer ink company). You can see the DNA of each of these in the 5360 & its accessories.
>>> 
>>> You were probably reading this major 5360A Computing Counter issue:
>>> 
>>> http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1969-05.pdf
>>> 
>>> Here's all about the 5375A keyboard:
>>> 
>>> http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1970-03.pdf
>>> 
>>> And this is where the diode and punch card interface is shown, as well as ADEV from 1 us to 1 s (see page 4, fig 4).
>>> 
>>> http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1970-12.pdf
>>> 
>>> More on ADEV on the 5360:
>>> 
>>> http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1971-11.pdf
>>> 
>>> Select high-res page scans from my own hardcopy HPJ collection are here:
>>> 
>>> http://www.leapsecond.com/hpj/
>>> 
>>> For example, the 79-step ADEV program is here:
>>> 
>>> http://www.leapsecond.com/hpj/v22n4/v22n4p10.jpg
>>> 
>>> Finally, do not miss HP AN116 "Precision Frequency Measurements":
>>> 
>>> http://www.hpmemoryproject.org/an/pdf/an_116.pdf
>>> 
>>> /tvb
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "John Ackermann N8UR" <jra at febo.com>
>>> To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 9:38 AM
>>> Subject: [time-nuts] HP 5360A History?
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> I was browsing through the HP Journal archives and came across the May,
>>>> 1969 issue, dedicated to the new 5360A Computing Counter -- "An
>>>> Electronic Counter for the 1970s!"
>>>> 
>>>> I don't recall hearing much about these in time-nuts lore.  I can guess
>>>> from the Journal articles that it was a beast to keep running and was
>>>> very expensive (500 ICs and a 10A 5V power supply).
>>>> 
>>>> Is anyone here familiar with the story of this product?
>>>> 
>>>> John
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
>>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
>>> and follow the instructions there.
>> _______________________________________________
>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
>> and follow the instructions there.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.



More information about the time-nuts mailing list