What happened to the CP-823/U after Project A-NEW?

8/10/2011

The CP-823/U was extensively tested in and out of the aircraft from 1965-1968. After the U.S. Navy was finished with the CP-823/U (Univac 1830) and Project A-NEW MOD III, the computing system was donated to the Drexel Institute of Technology, name changed to Drexel University in 1970. I have a few documents from Drexel in 1970-1973: The work order to rewire the room used to house the Univac 1830, the generator manual, daily logs of operation of the 1830, an Operator's Manual written by Drexel students and a list of students operating the CP-823/U.
The fact that the Univac 1830 was in operation at one of the country's premier research technical schools explains the high hours of usage shown on the control panel, (assuming the hours clock was operational).
This could have been the beginning of Drexel's Electrical Engineering lab expanding into a Computer Science lab. These days, it's easy to forget that these early computers were based on electrical currents and magnetic fields.

4 Comments

Steven G.

8/15/2011 11:50:01 pm

This computing system is a find of utmost importance to the history of early Digital Computers and Naval Avionics. The Navy and the Naval History Museum would be foolish if they did not try to obtain this for their museum. The fact that you have the cables and all of that documentation and blueprints gives hope that someday it will live again.

Imagine a static display of the BuNo 148883 (or clone) as the Naval Air Development Center test plane with this original prototype computer for the P-3C Orion in it. For that matter, any museum, including Drexel University, should be working to obtain the Univac 1830.

Thank you for allowing me to comment,
Steve G.

Rob

8/17/2011 01:14:52 am

Awesome site!
What a treat to see this early monolithic silicon engine in it's entirety! I was at DIT (Drexel Institute of Technology) in the late 1960's. Competition was fierce at times with MIT, and I see you have a Multidata minicomputer that they used and probably helped develop. I'll check with some of my Alumni about the Drexel computer labs and get back to you.
Regards, Rob

Ron Handy link

1/26/2013 01:49:06 pm

For those interested, the TACCO Display used in the A-NEW Mod i aircraft was sent to MIT after the system was decommissioned in ~1964.....RH

Todd link

2/22/2013 04:40:53 am

And just to be clear, the display Ron's talking about was from the A-NEW MOD I, while this website mainly features the prototype CP-823/U, Univac 1830 used in the MOD III development.

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What happened to the CP-823/U after Project A-NEW?

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