LINC Brochure May6

This document describes the LINC (Laboratory Instrument Computer), a small, general-purpose digital computer specifically designed for biomedical research.

Key points from the document:

• Origin & Manufacturer: Developed with grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at MIT and Washington University. It is now manufactured and sold by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), ensuring compatibility with earlier versions.
• Design Philosophy: LINC was "designed with the laboratory in mind," featuring a modular construction where operator modules (Console, Terminal, Display, LINC Tape) can be physically separated up to 30 feet from the main electronics cabinet. Its design emphasizes ease of use for researchers, with simplified programming, front-mounted controls, and a built-in oscilloscope.
• Basic Specifications: It's a 12-bit computer with 2048 words of 8-microsecond memory, 48 instructions (including high-speed multiply and magnetic tape operations), 16 analog and 4 digital input channels, and various analog and digital output channels. Data is stored on LINC magnetic tape.
• Capabilities & Advantages: LINC integrates several laboratory functions, including data recording, analog-to-digital conversion, experiment monitoring, control, and analysis. It can generate stimuli, process and display data in real-time, and store results. Its compact size, flexibility, and versatility allow researchers to directly interact with experiments, detect trends, and adjust experiments as they progress, presenting complex data in understandable forms not always possible with conventional equipment.
• Applications: The document highlights its use in various biomedical laboratories for tasks such as arterial shock wave measurements, in-phase triggering of stimuli from EEG alpha waves, resolving decaying exponentials, processing single-unit nervous system data, and averaging electrophysiological responses.