26 Jul
2005
26 Jul
'05
8:06 a.m.
On Mon, 25 Jul 2005, Brent Hilpert wrote:
But there's not a lot of reason other than a
computer system for circuit
boards that large to be hanging around an oil refinery. Sure enough, the
cabinet had a little "FOXBORO" logo up in one corner. Looking around a little
more turned up a very large floor-standing video console with "FOX-1" in
addition to the "FOXBORO" logo on it, a GE termi-net printer/terminal, and a
sub-room packed with racks of what appear to be the I/O interface/drive
equipment (where all the wires from the sensor/control points around the
refinery terminate and are interfaced to the processor).
Wow, totally cool! This is so Indiana Jones!
I don't know a lot about Foxboro, I believe they
were a spin-off or
startup company in the 60s that were early entrants into the (then small
and state-of-the-art) area of computer-based real-time process-control
for large industrial plants. They are one of those names you don't run
across much unless you run in those circles.
Foxboro actually used to OEM DEC equipment. One of their first products
(if not the first?) was the PCP-88, a re-badged PDP-8.
My friend finally dragged me out and we continued on
our run into the forest
with a little dip in the lake on the way home.
So what are you going to do about the Foxboro equipment? It'd be a shame
if it eventually go demolished with the building. Then again, it'd be
neat to think it'll still be there 50 years from now ;)
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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