Decus Proceedings

Summary

This document contains the proceedings from the Fall 1965 symposium of the Digital Equipment Computer Users Society (DECUS), held on November 29, 1965, at Stanford University. The symposium focused on the presentation of papers regarding various applications and utilities for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) computers (including the PDP-1, PDP-4, PDP-5, PDP-6, PDP-7, and PDP-8).

Key topics and presentations included:

• Computer-Assisted Simulation and Control: Papers covered "GRASP" for PDP-1 simulation, direct digital control for particle accelerators using the PDP-5, and hybrid computer software trends.
• Data Acquisition and Analysis: Presentations detailed the use of PDP-4 computers for spiral reader data acquisition, and PDP-7 systems for nuclear physics data reduction.
• Specialized Research Applications: The document includes the application of the LINC computer in operant conditioning and a message-switching system for research on human behavior using the PDP-5.
• System Development and Programming: Papers discussed the development of the "A.L.I.C.S." assembly language for the PDP-5/8, as well as new developments in the DECAL compiler.
• Time-Sharing and Management: Technical sessions focused on time-sharing the PDP-6, plant-wide computer capabilities using the PDP-5, and data acquisition systems for submarine weapon evaluation using the PDP-8.

The document serves as a record of the technical exchange between DEC users, documenting hardware configurations, software algorithms, and experimental methodologies relevant to the computing landscape of 1965.