Average Response Computer - Revision history

Larsbrinkhoff: Fix URLs.

2025-11-05T08:21:28Z

Fix URLs.

Jnc: Explain name more clearly

2025-11-05T07:53:58Z

Explain name more clearly

Jnc: Alterate name 'ARC-1'

2025-11-04T19:29:16Z

Alterate name 'ARC-1'

Jnc: Important predecessor to the LINC

2025-11-04T18:23:31Z

Important predecessor to the LINC

New page

The '''Average Response Computer''' was not actually a [[computer]] (as implied by the name), but a [[digital]] [[transistor]] data recording/analysis device. It took a number of data samples, provided by an [[analog-to-digital converter]], and summed and averaged them (hence the 'computer'), to remove the [[noise]]. It was built at [[Lincoln Laboratory]] in 1958. Its importance was as a predecessor to the [[LINC]] (see the tale in the Clark history, below).

==Further reading==

* W. A. Clark, R. M. Brown, M. H. Goldstein, C. E. Molnar, D. F. O'Brien, H.E. Zieman, "The Average Response Computer (ARC): A Digital Device for Computing Averages and Amplitude and Time Histograms of Electrophysiological Responses", ''IRE Trans. Biomed. Electronics'', 1961
* W. A. Clark, Section B, "Average Response Computer (ARC-1)", in [https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/52163/RLE_QPR_049_XIV.pdf?sequence=1 Communications Biophysics Quarterly Progress Report, No. 49], [[Research Laboratory of Electronics]], April, 1958 - includes a description, block diagram and sample data

==External links==

* Wesley A. Clark, [https://www.digibarn.com/stories/linc/documents/LINC-Personal-Workstation/LINC-Personal-Workstation.pdf The LINC Was Early and Small], [[Association for Computing Machinery|ACM]], ''Proceedings of the ACM Conference on the History of Personal Workstations'', 1986, pp. 133-155 - covers the ARC on pp. 136-137
* John C. Conley, [https://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp1/memos/M-1086_Apr60.pdf Average Response Computer Program (ARC)], 1960 - program to implement the functionality of the ARC on a [[PDP-1]]

[[Category: Test Equipment]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:53, 5 November 2025
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−	The '''Average Response Computer''' (sometimes referred to as the '''ARC-1''') was not actually a [[computer]] (as implied by the name), but a [[digital]] [[transistor]] data recording/analysis device. It took a number of data samples, provided by an [[analog-to-digital converter]], and summed and averaged them (hence the 'computer'), to remove the [[noise]]. It was built at [[Lincoln Laboratory]] in 1958. Its importance was as a predecessor to the [[LINC]] (see the tale in the Clark history, below).	+	The '''Average Response Computer''' (sometimes referred to as the '''ARC-1''') was not actually a [[computer]] (as implied by the name), but a [[digital]] [[transistor]] data recording/analysis device. It took a number of data samples, provided by an [[analog-to-digital converter]], and summed and averaged them (hence the 'computer', since 'computing' is being done), to remove the [[noise]]. It was built at [[Lincoln Laboratory]] in 1958. Its importance was as a predecessor to the [[LINC]] (see the tale in the Clark history, below).

	==Further reading==		==Further reading==

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:29, 4 November 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	The '''Average Response Computer''' was not actually a [[computer]] (as implied by the name), but a [[digital]] [[transistor]] data recording/analysis device. It took a number of data samples, provided by an [[analog-to-digital converter]], and summed and averaged them (hence the 'computer'), to remove the [[noise]]. It was built at [[Lincoln Laboratory]] in 1958. Its importance was as a predecessor to the [[LINC]] (see the tale in the Clark history, below).	+	The '''Average Response Computer''' (sometimes referred to as the '''ARC-1''') was not actually a [[computer]] (as implied by the name), but a [[digital]] [[transistor]] data recording/analysis device. It took a number of data samples, provided by an [[analog-to-digital converter]], and summed and averaged them (hence the 'computer'), to remove the [[noise]]. It was built at [[Lincoln Laboratory]] in 1958. Its importance was as a predecessor to the [[LINC]] (see the tale in the Clark history, below).

	==Further reading==		==Further reading==

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 * W. A. Clark, R. M. Brown, M. H. Goldstein, C. E. Molnar, D. F. O'Brien, H.E. Zieman, "The Average Response Computer (ARC): A Digital Device for Computing Averages and Amplitude and Time Histograms of Electrophysiological Responses", ''IRE Trans. Biomed. Electronics'', 1961
-* W. A. Clark, Section B, "Average Response Computer (ARC-1)", in [https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/52163/RLE_QPR_049_XIV.pdf?sequence=1 Communications Biophysics Quarterly Progress Report, No. 49], [[Research Laboratory of Electronics]], April, 1958 - includes a description, block diagram and sample data
+* W. A. Clark, Section B, "Average Response Computer (ARC-1)", in [https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/52163/RLE_QPR_049_XIV.pdf Communications Biophysics Quarterly Progress Report, No. 49], [[Research Laboratory of Electronics]], April, 1958 - includes a description, block diagram and sample data
 ==External links==
 * Wesley A. Clark, [https://www.digibarn.com/stories/linc/documents/LINC-Personal-Workstation/LINC-Personal-Workstation.pdf The LINC Was Early and Small], [[Association for Computing Machinery|ACM]], ''Proceedings of the ACM Conference on the History of Personal Workstations'', 1986, pp. 133-155 - covers the ARC on pp. 136-137
-* John C. Conley, [https://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp1/memos/M-1086_Apr60.pdf Average Response Computer Program (ARC)], 1960  - program to implement the functionality of the ARC on a [[PDP-1]]
+* John C. Conley, [https://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp1/memos/M-1086_Apr60.pdf Average Response Computer Program (ARC)], 1960  - program to implement the functionality of the ARC on a [[PDP-1]]
 [[Category: Test Equipment]]