IBM 740
Encyclopedia
The IBM 740 CRT Recorder was announced in 1954 and used with the IBM 701
, IBM 704
, and IBM 709
computer
s to draw vector graphics
images on 35 mm
photographic film
(i.e. microfilm). The 740 film recorder
contained digital to analog converters and a 7 inch, high precision, electrostatic CRT
. The raster size was 1024 by 1024, but only 256 resolved spots could be displayed on an axis line. The CRT used a short persistence
P11 phosphor
. Film was stored in a magazine that could hold up to 100 feet and could be advanced under computer control. ASA
200 speed film
was recommended.
The IBM 780 CRT Display was a monitor that could be attached to the 740 and mirror to an operator what was being drawn on 740's CRT. The 780 had a 21 inch CRT with a long persistence (2 second, nominal) P7 phosphor.
IBM 701
The IBM 701, known as the Defense Calculator while in development, was announced to the public on April 29, 1952, and was IBM’s first commercial scientific computer...
, IBM 704
IBM 704
The IBM 704, the first mass-produced computer with floating point arithmetic hardware, was introduced by IBM in 1954. The 704 was significantly improved over the IBM 701 in terms of architecture as well as implementations which were not compatible with its predecessor.Changes from the 701 included...
, and IBM 709
IBM 709
The IBM 709 was an early computer system introduced by IBM in August, 1958. It was an improved version of the IBM 704 and the second member of the IBM 700/7000 series of scientific computers....
computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s to draw vector graphics
Vector graphics
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...
images on 35 mm
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
photographic film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
(i.e. microfilm). The 740 film recorder
Film recorder
A Film Recorder is a graphical output device for transferring digital images to photographic film.All film recorders typically work in the same manner. The image is fed from a host computer as a raster stream over a digital interface...
contained digital to analog converters and a 7 inch, high precision, electrostatic CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
. The raster size was 1024 by 1024, but only 256 resolved spots could be displayed on an axis line. The CRT used a short persistence
Persistence
Persistence may refer to:* Image persistence, in LCD monitors* Multidrug tolerance, a dormant, persistent state of a bacterial population* Persistence , the characteristic of data that outlives the execution of the program that created it...
P11 phosphor
Phosphor
A phosphor, most generally, is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence. Somewhat confusingly, this includes both phosphorescent materials, which show a slow decay in brightness , and fluorescent materials, where the emission decay takes place over tens of nanoseconds...
. Film was stored in a magazine that could hold up to 100 feet and could be advanced under computer control. ASA
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
200 speed film
Film speed
Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system....
was recommended.
The IBM 780 CRT Display was a monitor that could be attached to the 740 and mirror to an operator what was being drawn on 740's CRT. The 780 had a 21 inch CRT with a long persistence (2 second, nominal) P7 phosphor.