Speed Co(ID:8454/)

Autocode in use at GM Allison developed independantly for the IBM 701 by Ramshaw at United Aircraft. Certainly mentioned by several people as sparate to Speedcode, and given the importance of Ramshaw for the Speedcode project, may have been a continuation of earlier work

according to the 1961 BRL report at GM "Two interpretive systems are used, Speed Co and ACOM. Speed Co is 3-address while ACOM is 2-address. Both provide for floating point arithmetic, transcendental functions, In-Out operations, B-boxes, and tracing all of which aid in coding and checkout."


Places Hardware:
Related languages
SPEEDCODING => Speed Co   Adaptation of
References:
  • Horner, J. T. "High Speed Computation of Engine Performance" view details Extract: EASE
    A third class of problems will be scheduled also for the 650. These will be the smaller engineering problems of the type now handled on the CPCs as described previously. At this time a system is being prepared for the 650 Computer which is supposed to make programming on the computer easy for engineers. In fact, we call it the EASE System (Engineering Automatic System of Solving Equations).
    The EASE System actually consists of a method of symbolic coding in
    which a compiling system and elementary generators are used to prepare a program in the 650 language. The engineer, however, need not be aware of all the detail which is used to prepare the actual computer program, instead, he breaks down his equations into a sequence of logical computing steps. The EASE System then assigns computer locations for all instructions and data and generates the appropriate computer instructions. Soon after this system is developed
    and checked (within the next month) we expect to have all smaller
    engineering problems programmed by this system. It is anticipated that these procedures will cause a large drop in present CPC loading. As an example of an EASE problem, consider the following equation:

    Y = A + BCosZ * e X
    The EASE solution to this equation is entered on an EASE program sheet as shown in FIGURE 1.

          in Armour Research Foundation Second Annual Computer Applications Symposium 1955 view details
  • Weik, Martin H. "A Third Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems" Rpt 1115, BRL, Maryland, 1961 view details External link: Online copy at Computer History Museum Extract: LARC details
    Univac LARC is designed for large-scale business data processing as well as scientific computing. This includes any problems requiring large amounts of input/output and extremely fast computing, such as data retrieval, linear programming, language translation, atomic codes, equipment design, largescale customer accounting and billing, etc.

        University of California
        Lawrence Radiation Laboratory
        Located at Livermore, California, system is used for the
        solution of differential equations.
    [?]
    Outstanding features are ultra high computing speeds and the input-output control completely independent of computing. Due to the Univac LARC's unusual design features, it is possible to adapt any source of input/output to the Univac LARC. It combines the advantages of Solid State components, modular construction, overlapping operations, automatic error correction and a very fast and a very large memory system.
    [?]
    Outstanding features include a two computer system (arithmetic, input-output processor); decimal fixed or floating point with provisions for double
    precision for double precision arithmetic; single bit error detection of information in transmission and arithmetic operation; and balanced ratio of high speed auxiliary storage with core storage.
    Unique system advantages include a two computer system, which allows versatility and flexibility for handling input-output equipment, and program interrupt on programmer contingency and machine error, which allows greater ease in programming.
          in Armour Research Foundation Second Annual Computer Applications Symposium 1955 view details
  • Ryckman George F. "The IBM 701 Computer at the General Motors Research Laboratories" pp210-212 view details Extract: SPEEDCODE and ACOM at GM Allison
    Most applications however, were programmed in SPEEDCODE or ACOM — two programming systems that transformed the single-address fixed-point arithmetic machine into a streamlined three-address floating-point system, SPEEDCODE was authored by Walter A. Ramshaw and his people at the United Aircraft Corporation. ACOM was written by Jack Horner and others at the Allison Division of GM. Both of these systems used subroutines to perform the floating-point arithmetic, which in turn slowed the 701 from its basic speed of 15,000 single-address fixed-point instructions per second to about 150 three-address floating-point instructions per second.
          in Annals of the History of Computing, 05(2) April-June 1983 IEEE (IBM 701 Issue) view details