On Sat, 13 Feb 1999, Doug wrote:
> On Sat, 13 Feb 1999 Jgzabol_at_aol.com wrote:
>
> > To my knowledge the blinking lights go back to the UNIVAC 1, 1951.
>
> Hmm, click on the picture of Simon (1950) on my home page, and you'll
> clearly see its toggles and lights:
> http://www.blinkenlights.com/
>
> It is possible that Berkeley got the idea from working on the Univac (in
> the late 40's, when it was being designed by EMCC). I suspect that the
> earlier relay machines also used lights to help debug faulty relays, but
> I'm really looking for when lights were first used for output and switches
> used for input, similar to the way a bunch of the mini front panels
> worked. (It may be that Simon was the first -- I dunno.)
I have a copy of the May '48 issue of Radio Craft.. it has a
picture of the IBM SSEC on the cover, and more specifically the
Operator's Console, which sports *many* neon blinkenlichts, *lots*
o' switches, and is in front of glass-enclosed panels behind which
are all those 12SN7 dual triode valves, in what appear to be plug-in
modules.. I have to search back thru the history texts to verify that.
Cheerz
John
Received on Sat Feb 13 1999 - 12:03:01 GMT