Wang Laboratories Model 370 Programming Calculator
Mathematics; Science; Engineering; Financial Services.
A rectangular shaped (304.4 Length X 165.1Width X 355.6 Height mm) device. This frame is made of metal that is painted everywhere except the stainless steel bottom. The front of the calculator contains a panel and display board. The panel holds 56 plastic keys of different shapes (Key Shape 1: 17.5 X 9.5 X 17.5 mm & Key Shape 2: 38.1 X 9.5 X 17.5 mm) and colors (black, gray, white, and blue) and 12 small white switches. The display board is a clear plastic sheet with a 14-digit display of nixie tubes behind it. On top there are multiple openings, likely for ventilation. On the back near the bottom is a black plastic knob, a switch for power, 2 slots for inputting cords, and 2 cords that go out.
Functional Description:
The Wang Model 370 Programmer is a primitive calculator that was capable of being programmed for adding loops, logical tests, jumps, and subroutine calls. This turned the calculator into a small computer.
On the keyboard are many different commands for programming and many basic calculator operations (such as add, subtract, multiply, divide, etc.). The 370 Programmer calculates operations and displays them on through the clear plastic screen via lighting up different nixie tubes shaped into numbers.
The 370 was capable of programming and reading code. It could use the programming keys on the keyboard to create a code. It could attach to a card reader that would read punch out sheets and translate the card into code for the 370 to use. Both methods could then store the code on the 370 to be used later.
Gideon Hoekstra, Donovan Doran, Erik Madson, Nick Renke
1967-1968
English
Picket Model 1000 Slide Rule
Mathematics
<span style="text-decoration:underline;"><br /><span>Physical Description:</span></span> The Pickett 1000 slide rule is made of three rectangular bars of aluminum alloy coated in plastic with grooved slides. Two bars are connected at the end with braces that are mounted to the flat side of the bars and the third bar is free to slide between them, held in place by slide tension springs. The two outer bars are called stators and the inner bar is referred to as the slide. The slide rule also has a courser made of two flat lenses held together by aluminum above and below the upper and lower stators. Each bar of the Pickett 1000 slide rule has at least one scale on it. The front side of the slide rule has the DF scale on the upper stator CF, CIF, CI and C scales on the slide and D and L scales on the lower stator. The back side of the slide rule has an A scale in the top stator B, T, ST, and S scales on the slide and K and D scales on the lower stator.<br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><br />Functional Description:</span> <span>Slide rules work on a system of logarithms. In order to do multiplication the slide rule adds two logarithms and takes the antilog to determine the answer. Because the slide rule uses logarithmic scales, the operation is simplified. If the user wanted to multiply two numbers together they would move one of the indices on the C scale to the first number that they wish to multiply on the D scale .They would then move the cursor to the second number in the multiplication on the C scale and look at the corresponding number on the D scale. So, if you wanted to multiply 2 and 4 you would move the left index of the C scale to the 2 on the D scale, move the cursor to the 4 on the C scale and see that the answer Is 8. To do division the inverse is done. To find the square and square root the A or B scale and the D scale are used. Locate the number of the square root you want to find using the cursor, when found the corresponding number on the D scale is the answer. To find the square the inverse is found. cube and cube root K scale and the D scale are used. To find the cube root take the number and find it on the K scale read the corresponding number on the D scale. To find the cube the inverse is performed. Scales available on the slide C and D used for multiplication and Division, CF and DF used for multiplication and division when the C and D scales run out. The CI and CIF scales are the inverse of the C scale and CF scale respectively. The S T slides are used for sine and tangent of greater than 5.7 degrees while the ST slide is used for degrees less than 5.7 degrees. The A and B scales are used in the calculation of squares and square roots. The L scale is used for the Log base 10 of a number.</span>.<br /><span><span><br /></span></span>
Trevor Cretney, Adam Kausch, Matthew Luebke, and Adam Miller
International Slide Rule Museum. ISRM is the world's largest free digital repository of all things concerning slide rules and other math artifacts. There are over 7000 Images or PDF's in the ISRM Galleries">. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Scales.htm>.
Konshak, Mike. Pickett Chronology. JPG.
Hartung, Maurice L. How to use the Ortho-phase duplex slide rule. Pickett & Eckel, 1948. PDF.
1957
English
physical object
United States