AN/UYK-8
| Industry | Computer hardware, Military electronics |
|---|---|
| Products | AN/UYK-8 computer system |
The AN/UYK-8 was a computer system developed by UNIVAC intended to succeed the CP-808, which is the Marine Corps' air-cooled version of the AN/USQ-20, within the Beach Relay Link-11 communications framework. This system was specifically integrated into the AN/TYQ-3 unit housed inside an AN/TYA-20 shelter.
Following the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the designation "AN/UYK-8" identifies it as the eighth electronic device designed by the Army-Navy for general-purpose data processing. This naming convention has since become the standard for all Department of Defense electronic equipment.
Development
In April 1967, UNIVAC received a contract from the US Navy to design, develop, test, and supply the AN/UYK-8 microelectronic computer tailored for use with the AN/TYA-20. This contract came after previous agreements from June 1966 and April 1967 concerning related computing systems, including the CP-901.
Technical
The AN/UYK-8 operated with 30-bit word lengths and utilized an instruction set compatible with those of the AN/USQ-17 and AN/USQ-20 computers employed in the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS). It incorporated first-generation integrated circuits, which allowed its physical size to be reduced to approximately one-fourth that of the AN/USQ-20. Unlike its predecessor's single processor, it featured dual processors.
Instructions consisted of 30-bit words structured into fields that defined function codes, jump conditions, partial word operations, selections for index registers and S registers, along with a 13-bit memory address. This structure provided an 18-bit effective address space capable of addressing up to 262,144 words.
Data was represented using full 30-bit words for numerical values, while each word could also store five alphanumeric characters encoded in 6 bits each.
The main memory capacity was increased to 256K words of magnetic core memory.
Processor registers comprised:
- A single 30-bit Accumulator (A) register used for arithmetic operations
- A contiguous 30-bit Q register, which together with A formed a combined 60-bit register utilized in multiplication and division
- Seven index (B) registers, each 30 bits in length
See also
- List of military electronics of the United States
- List of UNIVAC products
- History of computing hardware
- Joint Electronics Type Designation System