Argon-12 Computer

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1. Airborne Argon-12С computer
2. Chief designer: A. T. Eryomin, M.Sc.
3. Designing organization: Research Institute of Electronic Machines (NIEM) of the USSR Ministry of Radio Engineering (since 1986 - Research Institute NII Argon).
   

   Argon-12C Computer

4. Manufacturer: NIEM pilot production.
5. Completion of development: 1968.
6. Beginning of production: there was no full-scale production.
7. Field of application: control system of the landing module of Almaz spacecraft.
8. Description (structure, architecture including peripherals): single-address computer with parallel processing. The structure and architecture of the machine were specially developed to minimize the instruction set. Information is processed in real time. Input-output operations are controlled by software or by interruptions.

   Representation of numbers - fixed point. Word and command length - 16 bits, number of commands - 15.

   Addressing: direct and indirect.

   Speed: addition - 15 ms, multiplication - 170 ms.

   RAM capacity - 128 17-bit words, ROM capacity - 4,096 17-bit words.

   Interrupt system: 4 sources.

   Types of check: software, test, hardware.

9. Element base: Tropa-1 hybrid ICs.
10. Design: the computer consists of three units mechanically and electrically combined into a monoblock device - exchange and computing unit, ROM unit and relay unit. The printed circuit boards in all units are assembled in a book-like package and interconnected by rubber "spine" with flexible wires. Cooling is carried out by heat abstracting to the housing and by using a built-in fan.
11. Technology: unified multilayer printed circuit boards made by pairwise pressing.
12. Software: standard programs, test programs.
13. Specifications: the computer operates normally in the zero-gravity state, in the nitrogen-oxygen medium and at the radiation of 0.06 R/day.

    Range of operating temperatures - from 0 to + 40°С.

    Ambient pressure - 760 mm Hg.

    Vibratory load - up to 12 g (in the frequency range from 1 to 2,000 Hz).

    Impact load - up to 6 g.

    Power consumption - 36 W.

    Dimensions - 366 x 366 x 272 mm.

    Weight - 20 kg.

    MTBF - 300 h.