Digirad

The Digital Controller and Data Processing (Digirad) target computer was developed by the Economic and Systems Technology Research Group (GRKCS) of the Central Statistical Office of Hungary for the central computer production control and information systems of large companies.

The target computer consisted of hierarchically structured functional units and could be connected to the central computer via interfaces consisting of a multiplexer and a specially designed buffer set.

Category:

Target computer

Technology:

Low component density IC package

Origin:

domestic

Creation:

Objective: external data collection and pre-processing, in large enterprise systems consisting of multiple business units and using batch technology

Developer:

Central Statistical Office Economic and Systems Engineering Research Group

Designer:

Pál Németh - project manager
József Csendes - lead designer
Hardware designers: János Belus, Dezső Fodor, Gabriella Ivánka, Oszkár Konczér
External experts:
Otto Banhegyi
József Drasny - and
Gusztáv Grosics and Károly Lajtai (Telephone Factory)

Manufacturer:

Not produced

Use

Operating time:

June-October 1968, for program development purposes

Working quantity:

Operating locations:

GRKCS site (MAFC Sports Complex)

Structure

Central unit

Word-organized machine: 26/50 bpW, or 8-10 decimal digits (dit)/word

control unit: no
main memory: ~16 kW, with basic words of 8-10 bits in length, which also included 1 sign bit and 1 parity bit
calculator: floating-point binary and floating-point decimal operations
channel: multiplexer that allowed the connection of up to 50 external devices from a special set, with interfaces selected to suit the application

Periphery

backup storage: 200-500 kW
external devices: according to user requirements
- punch card reader/punch
- business tools
- dispatcher tools

Operation

Serial decimal and alphanumeric operations:

binary addition and subtraction
decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication, division

Operation speed: ~ 1000 basic operations/s

Program set

General programs

The development of the programs has not been completed.

Custom programs

n.a.

Historical curiosities

The reduced configuration of the DIGIRAD system was publicly presented at the Computing Technology '68 exhibition (Esztergom, 1968).

The development was stopped before completion due to changes in industrial policy (license purchase, launch of the ESZR program) and the termination of the independent KSH GRKCS.

Resources

Pál Németh: Digirad system. Hardware (Information Electronics, 1968/4. issue, pages 267-273.)

Created: 2021.03.26. 20:14
Last modified: 2021.04.14. 16:45

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