Argon-15 Computer

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1. Airborne Argon-15 computer.
2. Chief designers: S. P. Solovyov, A. A. Pereshivkin.

   Development engineers: A. I. Savina, V. I. Antonov, N. N. Yefimov, Yu. Kh. Kleyman, A. A. Kriksin, Yu. R. Lemzal, A. Ya. Tyurin, V. V. Churilin.

3. Designing organization: Research Institute of Computer Engineering (NICEVT) of the USSR Ministry of Radio Engineering (since 1986 - Research Institute NII Argon).
   

   Argon-15 Computer

4. Manufacturer: 50 Years of the USSR Computer Factory, Kishinyov.
5. Completion of development: 1972.
6. Beginning of production: 1974.
7. Termination of production: 1982.
8. Field of application: airborne and mobile ground-based military systems.
9. Total output of machines: over 500.
10. Description: single-address computer with parallel processing. Structure and architecture of the machine are specialized and optimized for control tasks. Instruction set includes commands for sine, cosine and square root calculations. Data exchange with external subscribers takes place through I/O channels.

    Representation of numbers - fixed point.

    Word length - 16 bits (word), 32 bits (double word); instruction length - 19 bits. Number of instructions - 71.

    Speed: addition - 5, sine, cosine and square root calculations - from 16 to 30.

    RAM capacity - 4 Kbytes, ROM capacity - 64 Kbytes, PROM capacity - 256 bytes.

    Interrupt system - 4 levels. Number of I/O channels - 2.

    Data rate: input - 200 Kbps, output - 400 Kbps.

11. Element base: 133 family ICs.
12. Design: the computer contains a computing unit, two RAM modules, four ROM modules, a PROM module and a power supply unit. All of them are mechanically combined by common frame and electrically connected by cables thus acting as an entity.

    The printed circuit boards of all units except power supply are assembled in a book-like package and interconnected by a special rubber "spine" with flexible wires.

    Cooling is carried out by forced ventilation system.

13. Technology: unified multilayer double-sided printed circuit boards produced by laminating.
14. Software: a standard program set; automated ASP-15 programming system with autocode, its description and manual; set of tests.
15. Specifications:

    Volume - 120 q. dm.

    Weight - 60 kg.

    Power consumption - 250 W.

    MTBF - 500 h.

16. Special features: base-line airborne computer in conformance with military standards for airborne and mobile ground-based systems using high-reliability printed circuit boards produced by laminating.