Retirees of UNISYS and Lockheed Martin MS2
Twin Cities Information Technology Pioneers
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18-bit Computers 
1. Introduction
This page focuses on the 18 bit Navy computers that were eventually replaced by 16 bit computers in the 80's.  The first unit (CUT) isn't illustrated on the genealogy chart, i.e. the he 1218 brass board was called the Computer Unit Tester, whose logic design was created using circuit card types from the CP-642B in order to effect more efficient testing of NTDS peripheral equipments.  An innovation of this unit was the Input/Output channels.  They could be configured to operate in a normal 18 bit length or an odd/even pair could be ganged into a 36 bit I/O channel. [lab]

 On this page, scroll to:

  1. Introduction [left]
  2. Computer Family [next]
  3. 18 bit descriptions [below]

 

2. Computer Family

The Atlas to 1101 and USQ-17 to 490 were 'military to commercial' ISA transitions.  The 18 bit machines were 'commercial to military' ISA transitiion.  The series was  the Computer Unit Tester, 418, 1218 (CP-789), AN/UYK-5 Moonbeam, 1219B-CP-848/UYK , 1219C!, CP-914, ILAAS, 1819, and the AN/UYK-11(V)

3. Computer Descriptions 
There were about 950 computers delivered with the basic 18 bit architecture - not counting any commercial 418 series computers. The the basic Instruction Set Architecture for this series came from the Computer Unit Tester, a laboratory unit initially assembled using printed circuit cards from the CP-642A.  Manufacturing test engineers need to be able to test the interfaces of peripheral devices with a variety of word lengths; the 1100 series 36 bit machines down to the 6 bit 1232.  The CUT characteristics were 18 bit instruction, 4 microsecond 16k word core memory, eight duplexed I/O channels - Type A per DS4772(-15v) with a rate of 62.5 Kwords per second.  The unit cabinet took 25.5 cu. ft, weighed 900 lbs, and consumed 1000 watts.
3.1 The 1218 (CP-789) became the core of the Navy's on board Management Information System to keep track of all the logistics such as ammunition, foodstuffs, etc.  A variation with more memory was designated the AN/UYK-5 (Moonbeam) that used special software to provide on ship logistic management. [lab]
1218 Characteristics:
18 bit word size, memory capacity from 4k words to 32k words with a 4 microsecond cycle time.  Data size was either 18 or 36 bits [i.e. dual word]  There were 98 instructions with a basic add time of 8 microseconds.  A maximum of 8 I/O channels with -15V interface were available. 
AN/UYK-5  A version of the 1218 was sold to the USMC for their 'Landing Approach System-3', the first delivery was Oct 23, 1965. 
3.2 The 1219B (CP-848) became the base computer for Tarter, Talos, and Terrier missile launching from ship installations.  These units required a motor generator for power.  [lab]
 
1219B Characteristics:
18 bit word size, memory capacity from 32k words to 65k words with a 2 microsecond cycle time.  Data size was either 18 or 36 bits [i.e. dual word]  There were 102 instructions with a basic add time of 2 microseconds.  A maximum of 16 I/O channels with -15V or -3v interfaces available in four channel groups. 

1219C

As the first CP-890 was in initial debug and test, a small team put together a proposal to use the card and cabinet packaging style with a 1 microsecond memory to develop a next generation 18 bit computer, tenatively to be identified as the UNIVAC type 1236 (1219C).  The target market was the Sea Sparrow, to be bid exclusively with Sperry to Navord.  The characteristics were to be either 15.1 or 11.6 cu. ft, 900 or 550 lbs, 2330 or 925 watts depending up the 131k memory or 32k memory capacity.  Lyle Franklin of Marketing, Ernie Lantto of Engineering, and Curt Christensen of Program Management were the principals of this proposal.  Raytheon won that competition, as part of the debriefing, Lyle Franklin told NAVORD: 'Perhaps I'll come back with a 16-bit computer proposal.'  A prophecy which came true a year later when the 1616/UYK-15 was proposed for the ITT Gillfilian 'Fog Cutter' application. [Item written by lowell with inputs from Lyle Franklin and Curt Christensen.]       

3.3 1818/ILAAS was an airborne version of the 1219 using mechanical technologies from the CP-823 30 bit computer.  The characteristics were a 2 microsecond memory in 4k to 32k words.  This unit had only 27 instructions with 3 index registers mapped onto core addresses.  It also had just 9 interrupts and 1 Real time clock.  It had an Assembler and Utility Package.  [lab] 
3.3 The CP-914, 1819 was another airborne versions of the 1219 - using Alex Trumble Relay chassis mechanical packaging.  These units had a 2 microsecond memory, three index registers and a real time clock.  Two of these units were sold to Sperry Flight Systems, the first delivered July 2nd of 1973. [lab]

3.5 The AN/UYK-11 was/is the Minute Man missile launch computer.  These were mounted in radiation hardened operations rooms and connected to missiles.  These machines ran continuously running test programs to assure the readiness of the missiles for launch.  Because of their design and benign environment, some of these units operated for over 5 years seven days a week, 24 hours per day without experiencing a hardware failure.  This computer model had a unique red/black separation Input/Output section design to separate classified targeting information from status reporting channels.  This unit used the same basic 18-bit instruction set, however it was mapped onto a 36 bit hardware structure. It also used a plated wire memory because there was a radiation hardening requirement that core memory and mated film memory couldn't meet.  There is more about plated wire in the Engineering, Memory section. [lab]

VIP Page 53 updated 19 March, 2008