Early Microprocessors in Industrial Microcomputers

[Commodore64Killer]

On 03/09/2016 11:49 AM, Jon Elson wrote:
> On 03/09/2016 09:28 AM, william degnan wrote:
>> Not a lot is said about early use of microprocessors in industrial
>> microcomputers.  Everything you read about is so home computing 
>> oriented,
>> but I believe actual sales would have been greater in the industrial 
>> space
>> 1974-77.
>>
>> I compiled a quick thread on my site about the earliest use of
>> microprocessors in industrial microcomputers on my web site with 
>> links to a
>> related article from EDN Microprocessor Design Series Volume II and 
>> scans
>> of Process Computer Systems product brochures.  PCS was a pioneer in
>> industrial micro-computing.
>>
>> If anyone has info to share / correct please let me know and I will 
>> add to
>> the thread.
>>
>> http://vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=631
>>
> Allen-Bradley had a 16-bit mini they called the 7300 Industrial 
> Processor.  They sold a lot of them in their 7320 (and 7340, 7360) CNC 
> machine tool controls.  (I have one here.)  See :
> http://pico-systems.com/images/S_AB7320D.jpg
>
> The row of red LEDs at the bottom of the pic is the front panel of the 
> 7300 CPU.  They had an industrial control bus that allowed you to 
> connect a wide variety of interface boards, like encoder counters, 
> DACs, digital inputs and outputs, etc.  It used battery-backed DRAM, 
> and was made around 1978.
>
> Jon
>
I used to work at a glass plant back in the late 90's like 98-99 and 
they used an Apple II to cut out as many peaces and or shapes out of 4X8 
piece of glass it was a cool program they would just tell the Apple II, 
how many peaces they needed what shapes oval, Square, Rectangle ETC. . 
.  it would calculate it out and cut as much of the order it could with 
each slab of glass and add as many that could mathematically fit in the 
8X4 sheet!