A compatible airborne multiprocessor

Abstract

The control of large military forces is creating the need for large data-processing systems located in transport aircraft and in other situations where tight quarters and hostile environments call for the design features found in airborne systems. In these applications the configuration of the computer and its peripheral equipment strongly resembles what is found in a typical commercial data-processing system, with some additional requirements for reliability. In particular, the functional programs are complex and extensive, and the availability of a complete package of support software, including compilers and utility routines as well as the resident executive, is likely to be of critical importance. Because of its cost, so complete a software package cannot reasonably be developed specifically to answer a particular military need; it must be captured from an existing software system. The only source of complete data-management software packages is commercial data-processing; and thus it makes practical sense for a large, militarized data-processing computer to be strictly compatible with an existing commercial product. As a bonus, the commercial computer can then be used as a support computer for compilation and program checkout. An example of a program in which an airborne computer is supported by an existing ground-based commercial computer is found in the Strategic Air Command's Post Attack Command and Control System---Airborne Data Automation. In this system the airborne computer is the RCA/USAF Variable Instruction Computer and the ground support computer is the IBM 7090.