Decus Proceedings

Summary:

This document is the proceedings from the Fall 1967 Symposium of the Digital Equipment Computer Users' Society (DECUS), themed "Computers in the Laboratory." The volume contains a collection of papers and presentations detailing the application of small computers—primarily the PDP-8, PDP-9, and PDP-7—in laboratory settings.

Key topics and research areas covered include:

• Data Acquisition and Analysis: Several papers discuss utilizing computers for real-time data collection and analysis, including gas chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and air pollution monitoring.
• System Development and Interfacing: Multiple presentations detail technical implementations of data links between small laboratory computers and larger mainframes (like the CDC 6600), as well as custom interface design for laboratory instrumentation.
• Software and Programming: The volume highlights advances in software for laboratory use, including text-handling systems (LUCIFER for LINC-8), operating systems for disc-tape configurations (DOS/8), and adaptations of FORTRAN for laboratory data processing and numerical analysis.
• Specialized Research Applications: Contributions cover diverse scientific experiments, ranging from bubble chamber photograph processing and speech research to nuclear energy dosimetry and the simulation of Poisson-distributed events.

The proceedings also include a preface by the DECUS Executive Secretary, a symposium program schedule, an author/speaker index, and a comprehensive list of attendees.