Talk:Systems Engineering Laboratories

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When we look at history and record "SEL's first computers, such as the 810A, the 8500, and the 8600...", where is the 840A and the 840MP? I spent many hours on the factory floor (Plant 2 on Federal Highway) checking them out as they were assembled.

Ah, the good old days...

Bill Dehlinger SEL@BillDehlinger.com

SEL Computers
The SEL 840 was used in the Lockheed C-5A Simulators where there was 1 at Dover, 2 at Altus and 2 at Travis Air Force Bases. Originally made by Curtis-Wright, maintenance and updating was taken over by Lockheed-Georgia Co. in Marietta, GA during the 1970's. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.179.95.95 (talk) 00:27, 31 March 2015 (UTC)

Twin SEL computers with large disk subsystems were installed in bldg 23 at Goddard Space Flight Center in the early 1980s to develop the first Hubble Space Telescope Data Capture Facility. The SELs were selected because of their high bandwidth I/O busses to support the high volume and high rate HST data to be received from the NASA ground network. Two identical systems were installed so that one could be a hot backup for the other. Twin Custom VME-bus front end channels were developed to capture and initially unwrap the telemetry data from transport protocol levels at the high rates necessary to feed the SEL. Design documents should be available from NASA archives. --Wherbert (talk) 00:32, 26 June 2016 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wherbert (talk • contribs) 10:33, 28 April 2015 (UTC)

I worked for the North Thames Gas Board, which later, became part of British Gas. I worked as an analyst-programmer in the engineering directorates Computer Applications Group based in Staines. When I started, the group had an SEL 32/77 under MPX-32, this had 4 ADS terminal ports and 16 ALIM ports, 4 cards with 4 ports each. I think ALIM was an acronym for "Asynchronous Line Interface Module". The computer ran MPX-32, and we programmed in Fortran, initially 66, later a slightly enhanced 77. A few years later, we installed an additional 16 port Serial Communications Processor card, I think, (not sure), the older ADS ports were removed. All the serial ports were run as 4800 baud. Some years later again, we installed a second machine, a 32/27 also running MPX-32. Neither of these machines are mentioned in the article.

Adrian Worley. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Adrianxw (talk • contribs) 10:50, 1 May 2022 (UTC)


 * I worked at plant one (special products division), plant two (special products division), plant seven (special products division) and advanced development (software engineer) from 1980 to 1988. I set up the testing area in the Malborne plant before it went online and I was part of "The Breakfast Club" which was the massive layoff in advanced development in 1988. Good times! Dlehr2002 (talk) 16:31, 19 August 2022 (UTC)