A Process Control System for Hewlett-Packard Series 21XX Computers

摘要

The Vision Research Division of the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, needed a computer system to control psychophysical experiments that would remove the need for in-depth knowledge of complex computer languages by investigators. It was required that this system utilize a Hewlett-Packard 2100 series computer. The State Diagram System (SDS) was developed to solve this problem. SDS is a tool that can be used by investigators in designing and running psychophysical experiments on Hewlett-packard's HP-2100 series computers. SDS, as presently designed, is capable of running only those experiments that use discrete inputs and outputs. The system offers the investigator a high level language with which he is already familiar or can easily learn, thus removing the burden of solving these types of problems using more complex computer languages. Written in FORTRAN IV language SDS is an interactive system that does not require assembling or compiling of its programs. The system accepts source language statements from either the system console or disc files and allows the program to be run immediately upon completion of this input process. While SDS does not solve all of the problems encountered in computerizing psychological experiments, its modular design should ease such future modifications as dealing with continuous variables, calling external programs, and controlling multiple experiments. (Author)