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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment. |
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24th Feb 2023, 3:47 pm | #1 |
Heptode
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1st Apollo Flight Computer
A retired TV engineer pal of mine is fascinated by 1st moon landing and states that although the flight computer was very basic, the memory parts were woven into the fabric of the capsule.
Is this true ? Rog Last edited by Roger Ramjet; 24th Feb 2023 at 3:53 pm. Reason: change word |
24th Feb 2023, 3:53 pm | #2 |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
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24th Feb 2023, 4:05 pm | #3 |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
There was a series called Moon Machines (6 part ISTR).
Well worth a watch if it reappears One dealt with the Nav Computer. Cheers Mike T
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24th Feb 2023, 4:34 pm | #4 |
Nonode
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
There is a whole series of fascinating YouTube videos by 'CuriousMarc', beginning with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSahAoOLdU&t=15s on getting an Apollo Guidance Computer restored and operating. He has also done a whole series on the S-band Comms System. Well worth watching. andy |
24th Feb 2023, 5:28 pm | #5 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
B
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Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch. Last edited by Bazz4CQJ; 24th Feb 2023 at 5:42 pm. |
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24th Feb 2023, 5:32 pm | #6 |
Triode
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Light Years Ahead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1J2RMorJXM Computer for Apollo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBhPsyYCiM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndvmFlg1WmE John.
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Last edited by tinkers3; 24th Feb 2023 at 5:39 pm. |
24th Feb 2023, 6:19 pm | #7 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
The computer had to take in data from the landing radar and/or the rendezvous radar and it was controlling the rocket engines and also steering the hi-gain dish antenna. There was a 5-way mode control switch to set up various combinations for various parts of the mission and it has been generally agreed that the switch was in the wrong position during the descent (how could that happen - there's speculation). Also, the inputs from the radars had been synchronised for frequency and amplitude but phase had been over-looked (i.e. design omission) and made the computer do more work. But there is also the issue that the position of the Apollo spacecraft during its first orbit around the moon had been determined with a significant error, which meant that right from the start of descent, the spacecraft was further along the ground track than calculated. The recognition of the ground technician Steve Bales as the one man who said "continue" misses out the fact the Bales himself said he depended on input from colleagues. I think that even today, some of the many aspects which contributed to the problem are the subject of some "uncertainty" (see Flight Director Gene Kranz's autobiography). The thing that's striking, is that just a few months later, the Apollo12 mission made a pin-point landing with no input from the crew, as was the case with the following missions. For Apollo12 onwards, an improved method of determining the spacecraft position (prior to descent) was used. B
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Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch. |
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24th Feb 2023, 7:05 pm | #8 |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
The computer was allocated too many tasks and simply ran out of resources. It handled this emergency correctly, generating an alarm and discarding low priority tasks. Good design and programming by Raytheon.
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24th Feb 2023, 7:21 pm | #9 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
As the Capcom said, "You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue". B
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Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch. |
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24th Feb 2023, 7:36 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
One of this forum members was involved in the development of the Apollo computers. IIRC He was "Wirefull" John? from the SW of England, I have not heard from him for many years and fear the worst. I can not find any trace of Him in the members list so presume has been deleted.
John.
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24th Feb 2023, 7:41 pm | #11 |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
No member is ever deleted from the forum unless they specifically request it. Members who haven't visited in a long time are given the status 'Retired' unless the mods receive different info.
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24th Feb 2023, 7:45 pm | #12 |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Wireful3 maybe the member your thinking of John?
Cheers Mike T
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24th Feb 2023, 8:44 pm | #13 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
Hi Mike, I think you are right, but looking through the members list of "W", all seven pages I can not see him listed. John.
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24th Feb 2023, 9:14 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Indeed. It goes straight from Winston 1 to the first Wireless John. I assume this means that Wireful3 has been marked as no longer active (and thus only visible to moderators).
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24th Feb 2023, 9:33 pm | #15 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
Cheers, John.
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My favourite text message "I'll be there in five minutes, if not read again" |
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24th Feb 2023, 10:47 pm | #16 | |
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
They don't write software like this anymore:
https://news.mit.edu/2016/scene-at-m...ollo-code-0817 Nor do they have Little Old Ladies knitting the binary. (It was familiarly known as LOL memory). https://righto.com/agc.pdf There's a couple of videos of the Ladies "knitting" the core rope available on youtube IIRC. The cross assembler "YUL" ran on a Honeywell 1800 computer. Quote:
Everytime I attempt to get my head around a machine with program counters that run forwards & backward I laugh. It's the only way to stay sane. Last edited by DrStrangelove; 24th Feb 2023 at 11:03 pm. |
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24th Feb 2023, 11:29 pm | #17 |
Nonode
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
I went to the Washington Air & Space museum a few years ago & had a very good guided tour.
One of the highlights was the Apollo 11 capsule, where the guide mentioned the computer problems that were encountered & how Neil Armstrong coped with them. Luckily formerly being a test pilot helped him with dealing with temperamental equipment. Armstrong had to improvise to deal with a broken power breaker, using a pen barrel to push the contacts together.
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25th Feb 2023, 3:14 am | #18 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
Armstrong was very lucky to escape from an accident when a lunar module simulator ("The Flying Bedspread") he was flying crashed; it was probably less than 100ft above the ground when he ejected and came down on a 'chute. The simulator hit the ground and burned fiercely. About 1min in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUJDbj9Vp5w B
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Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch. |
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25th Feb 2023, 3:30 pm | #19 | ||
Nonode
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Re: 1st Apollo Flight Computer
Quote:
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