Analog Computers

Manual / Guide · 1968

EAI 680 Analog Computer: Hybrid Computation Laboratory Users Manual

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A concise 14-page users manual produced by the Carnegie-Mellon University Hybrid Computation Laboratory for the EAI 680 analog computer, dated September 1968. Covers the full workflow from problem preparation (problem statement, block diagram, scaling, computer diagram, static check) through patching and analog computer operation, with cautions and hints for safe use. Includes blank assignment sheets for potentiometers, amplifiers, logic components, and nonlinear components used in the CMU lab.

Manufacturer
EAI
System
EAI 680
Year
1968
Type
Manual / Guide
Language
English
Learning track
machine reference
Pages
14
  • EAI 680
  • EAI
  • analog computer operation
  • hybrid computation
  • problem preparation
  • patching

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EAI 680 Analog Computer: Hybrid Computation Laboratory Users Manual

Carnegre{lel lon Unlverstty C O M P U T A T I OC NE N T E R Hybrid Computation Laboratory U S E R SM A N U A L [ ' II a Ir I H I I l I 1.' ANALOG EAt 6 80 USER MANUAI OPEMTION EAI 680 Operational Characteristics Carnegie-l4e11on Univers i ty Hybrid Cornputation l-aboratory Seplember, l9 68 ?AGE I O TABLE OF CONTENTS Division 1 . 0 Prob lern Preparation l.i Problem Statement 1.2 Block Diagran 1.3 Scaling 1.4 Courputer Diagram 1.5 Static Check 2 . 0 Fatehing ' l n Analog Compuler Operation 3.1 Conpleted Preparation 3.2 Start-Up 4 ; 0 Caulions and Hints .4.1 Cautions 4. Z fllnCS 3 ) 5 3 5 I 'I I 2 2 PAGE 2 INDEX OI' FIGURES Figure I Caption Potentioneter Assignment Sheet Amplif ier Assignment Sheet L o g i c A s s i g n r n c n ES h e e t Nonlinear Component Assignment Sheet o 7 8 q PAGE 3 1.0 PROBLEMPREPARATIONS preparation Time spent in procedures 1y sirnplify debugging meaningful results. preparation a n d i u i 1 . 1 .h o p e f u l l y L"< .I 'I . prior and will to produce mor:e complete and Thc folLoi'iing procedure serves as a guide to problem elininate should attenpt some of the problems encountered on Eo scate che problem and objectives With the problem defined the mathenatical relations l) pre- can be trans- Ehe analog computer as follows: forrned to equations suiLable for Express the problem as ordinary diFferenLiaI equations, transfer and/or algebraic functions equations. 2) Define the values for coefficienls 3) Note parameters to be valid. 4) Deterrnine the estimated ranges of the variables. and. initial conditions. BLOCKDIAGRAM At this point a preliminary should be sirnple, ignoring 1.3 great- PROBLEMSTATEI'GNT cisely. 1.2 help comFuter running r"ilI dLraru6 The operalor a to actual block diagram can be drawn, scaling and actual values. l) determine 2) if 3) isolate the parameEers Eo be varied, 4) sinrpllfy by eliminating type su[[icient and number of daEa is components available It This diagram can b e u s e d t o : needed, Eo solve Lhe problem, redundant and operations or components. SCALING Scaling the problern variables by several different to machine variables can be accomplished m e t j h o d s . T h e r r l l a n d b o o ko f A n a l o g C o m p u t a t i o n r ' , r e f e r r e d PAGE 1r to in the advantages of mind regardless of l) to inlroduction the Amnlifiar 'I.0 this each and a number of the scaling gives user manual, exanples. A few points scaling, to keep in rnethod employed are: advanlage of orrtDuts should take full Lo ninirnize machine units tr'ro methods of the effecE of the range 0.1 Eo auiplifier inherent nolae, 2) Potenioueter . shouLd be avoided 3) Amplif .ier gains less seltings than 0.1 Lose a digit accuracy and possible. if grearer than 20 increase the eIfecL of ampli[ier noise. 4) T'he oroblem device. oulput within the band\,tidth Specifications are given in the should be balanced, should be time scaled of the device individual manuals . The resulting scaled lationships, and written expliciLly checked to be used as a guide for the same r e - to patching. COMPINERDIAGRAM 1.4 computer diagran can no\t be drawn from the scaled equations. A detailed It equations should include anplifier other information pertinent 680 patch board included gains, polarity, to patching ],ab is listed and running. A picture of the EAI in the back of the Reference Handbook uray simplify chosing the components to be used. brid componentnurnbers, and all The equipment available in the S-iSTElfDESCRIPTIONsection d a r d s y n b ol s a n d p a t c h i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s at the CMUHy- of this rnanual. are given in Appendix I of Stan- Ehe 680 K e r e r e n c e H a n dD c o l ( . The potenfiomctcr (Fig. 1) and amplifier are available to simplify bookkeeping. (I'ig. 2) assignment sheets Assignnient sheeLs for the logic PAGE 5 (fig. 3) and the nonlinear components (fig. 4) are also available. FurLher inforrnation and conventions used on assignmenL sheets are given in Appendix II I.5 rhe 680 Reference Handbook. of STATIC CI{ECK A static chcck can prevenl needless frustration the computer run. 'I \ {lhonlr nr to IL will: f nh i n 2) Detect bad analog components, and 3) Find programming errors such as improper polarity, The 680 provides a StaLic Test (ST) mode permitting minimun of efforL performed prior if and patching changes. patch panel provides computer reference to provide outputs integrator and other a static etc. test with a A Test Reference available only during ST parameters for at the mode and is used checking purposes. T h e H Y S A Tp r o g r a m d e s c r i b e d i n t h e h y b r i d H Y S A Ts e c t i o n o f t h i s m a n ual facilitates using the PDP-9 to perform Ehe staEic check, PAGE 6 FIGURE'I CMU HYBRID COMPUTATION LABORATORY €AI 680 POTENTIOMETER ASSIGNMENiSHEET (POO-P58} PROBLEM POT EPARAMETER XPRESSION USA6E+I CHECK RUN POT SEl.TIN( JETTING 30 a 3l 32 4 34 5 . o b 36 7 37 I 9 ? o t0 l l l2 l3 r4 40 4l 42 43 44 45 46 7 47 o 48 I 49 20 2l 5l 22 52 25 55 t b E 4 z6 58 57 o PARA[4ETE EXPRESSIOI' CHECK R U N SETTING SETTINC PAGE 7 FIGURB 2 o CMU HYISI:IID COi\,lPU-tATION LABCIRATORY - A58) EAI 68O AMPLIFIERASSIGN[4ENT st-tEET (AOO PROBLEI,4 AIIP USE o 2 CHEC}( vnSYJf,SOERIVATIVE #[ifpnAl\4FUST voW,tA" otHfi'tue f,,'tt?K 28 30 3l 32 33 34 o 7 o 6 36 37 9 J(J lo cv t l 40 l2 4l t3 t4 43 to 44 45 .to t8 47 t q 48 49 20 2l za 23 25 <o 2 7 o 5l 55 56 5B PAGE 8 FIGURE 3 o LABORATORY CMU HYBRIDCOMPUTATION SHEET LOGIC ASSIGN$'ENT EAI 680 usacerl PRoBLEM- OUTPUT r r ENABLErlr OA I A t-, o I B OUTPUT ENABLErt r OUTPUT ENAELE 2A 2B 2C 2D t c I D OD OATE 4A o 5u 4B 5B ?n 4C R/' 3D 4D 5D OUTPUT\ f , q I E OUTPUTb A I L OUTPUT GATEOUTPUTb A t r . OUTPUT GATEOUTPUT llr 2D I A 2A OD OA z6 vlJ I B 2E IE zl 2C IF OF tc oc 3D 3E 5ts 4D 4A 4B 4E DIFF SETTING FUNCTION qtr PB oo oo o ol ol I o2 o2 2 40 40 4 l 42 42 COUNTER FUNCTION TW U/D INTERVAL FUNCTION 3 FUNCTION 4 5 4 l A o cu 4F 3C MONC FUNCTION 5A 5B B )L | | \i) PAGE 9 FIGURE lr LABORATOI?Y CMU HYBRID COMPUTi"\TION ASSIGNMENT SHIET EAI 68O NONLINEARCOMPONEhIT (MULTIPLIERS, DFG'S,LIMITERS,AND HAND SET POTS) PROBLEh{-USAGET .in Nrn CHECK RUN PARAMEIER EXPRESSION STTINGSITTING 22 Z T CHECK SE'I'TINGS RUNSETTINGS LIMITERAMP t-IMITIED VARIABLE *F t l 2 l 3l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l B I o l rol t t l CHECK VDFG USE OUTPUTVARIABLE CHECK ,/at_tJE VDFGU J C - OUTPUTVARIABLE VAIUE a. 'f c 1 42 47 6 Z b / 72 77 MULTU S EMULTUSEf\4ULTUSEiJULTUSE r u r \ l TYPEJ S E IB z ? I ?.3 JtJ l 3 28 da TYPEUSEFOFGTYPEUSE 4B 32 37 62 5B .+z o , PAGE 10 2.0 PATC}IING The EAI 680 patch boards will the scheduled time to permit patch board indicate availability. l) off-J,ine patching. at rhe hybrid lab before The Laped sections of the t h a E c o m p o n e n L sa r e m i s s i n g d u e t o m a i n t e n a n c e o r n o n - ?atch directly as they have been patched. 'partner be available recheck for errors. Gheck bottLe from the conputer diagram, marking ouL lines hrhen patching is conplete, A few points t o r e m e r n b e ra r e : pJ.ugs for proper function recheck or have a of the component ( s e e A p - Pendlx l*). 2) Outputs of D/A switches musL be patched to a sunming function an anplifier 3) a Pot. inputs tray 4) o are normally give a gain of ten connected to amplifier (see Chapter 13.3*-). output in the same (see Chapter 8.1*) . Handset pots Lettered as Q on the patch board are not easiLy distinguished 5) and normally of from normal seivo set pots (see Chapter 8.2*-). Never patch a pot directly *EAI 680 Reference Handbook into a multipi.ier or function generator. PAGE 3.0 'I '] ANAIOGCOMPUTER OPEI{ATION u f g a l | r z a L r o r r J! s^ tLr -t^r e tk. ^c- y. t o o b t a i n i n g g o o d r e s u l t s o n t h e a n i l l o g c o m - puter. After thorough preparation and a static approach to the problem should begin. planned running 3.I check, a carefully The following pLanned is an outline for a procedure. COTIPI,ETED PREPAMTION Before running a problem on Ehe 680, the user should have: 'l) 3.2 the original equation of the problem, 2) ihe preliminary 3) scaled table and equalions, 4) detailed 5) potentiometer, 6) a schedule of operations indicating 7) problem Lo9 to record all circuit block diagram, diagran, amplifier, logic, and non-linear operating actions and results assignment sheecs, pLan, and rvhile running. S T A R TU P l) 2) Inserl patch panel into 680 patch bay and press engage button. . Set a1l poLenLiometers using servo pot system (see Chapter lr, Reference Handbook). 3) Set aLl limiters 4) Perform static and (or) diode funcrion check calculated outputs and integrator . AfLer Ehc staric previously, measuring all c l r e c k i s s u c c e s s f u l1 y c o m p l e t e d , a t e s t s o l u t i o n o r a c l y future patching changes are to be made whjle on line, in division amplifier derivaLives. namic check should be recorded for comparison vilh If generaEors, 4 of this wri_te-up. test runs. read the cautions PAGE 12 o 4 . 0 CAUTIONSAND HINTS 4.'l CAUTIONS 1) PaLching amplifier outpuL to another amplifier overload and result in arnplificr j.e,, input to output and inpuL to refer-ence. Patch frorn cold Eo hot; 3) Patching computer re-[erence direcLly ' 4) into shorE rvill - - i- n a d v e r t a n t <i n^o cause damegc. 2) rlanoar.nr< output will an a function relay is weld the relay contacts together, of amplifiers reduce the life Prolonged overloads and should thus be avoided. 5) A potentioneter or until thal Ehe clear fails to set properly wil"l" drive continously (cL) ,button is pushed. damage to the servo motor and/or 4.2 If allowed to drive servo power supply will result. HINTS 1) Overloading of all 2) The digital . - t^ puter I/0 is on. will 3) amplifiers indicates volLmeter (DWI) will svitch In this (located not convert if behind ttre logic the digital component display case, a pushbutton to lhe left prefixed door) and belorq the DVM by a Q, are not clearly patch panel and nay inadvertantly ^t. A D/A switch must be pai:ched to a suruning junction 5) Patching a pot into a multiplier due to Eheir non-Linear The indicato:: input marked on the be used as a servo pot. 4) 6) com- .give converL conrnands to Lhe D\tl as long as iL is depressed. The 6 handset pots, , patch panel is not engaged. or function of an amplifier. generator causes errors inpedance, in the Q4 potentioneter 680 console is selecled by the ?DP-9. position lights rvl-reneverthe