MIDAS: how it works and how it's worked

Abstract

The possibility of using a digital computer to obtain check solutions for the analog was recognized by many people at the dawn of our 15 year old history. Unfortunately several problems existed then, mainly at the digital end, which made this impracticable. Digital computers of that day were terribly slow, of small capacity and painfully primitive in their programming methods. It was usually the case when a digital check solution was sought for an incoming analog problem, that it was several months after the problem had been solved on the analog computer and the results turned over to the customer before the digital check solution made its appearance. The fact that the two solutions hardly ever agreed was another deterrent to the employment of this system.