NORD-2B¶
A simplified, cheaper NORD-1. Many went to CERN.
| Introduced | 1970 [?] |
| Type | Base machine |
| Word length | 16-bit |
| Needs a host? | No, runs on its own |
| Replaced | - |
| Replaced by | NORD-20 (1971-72) |
| Survivors | Serial 05, Telemuseum (accession 8019) |
The short version¶
Little is documented about this machine. It was a stripped-down and less costly version of the NORD-1 with the same general specification but less memory. A substantial number went to CERN, and others to Norwegian sites - including one at Norway's National Centre for Epilepsy, where it processed live EEG signals to detect epileptic seizures automatically. That was pioneering work for 1970.
Specification¶
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| CPU | As NORD-1, simplified |
| Memory | 4K to 16K words of core |
| Address space | 64K words |
| Control store | None - hardwired |
| Multi-machine | Two NORD-2Bs could talk over a data channel and share one I/O system |
What was new¶
- Cost, rather than capability - this was the NORD-1 made affordable.
- Used in a 1970 packet-switching network built with Siemens for the Norwegian Air Force Supply Service.
Sources¶
- Primary: none held. A NORD-2B Hardware Manual (Dec 1970) and I/O System manual (March 1971) exist in the Tingo collection - see ../OCR-WANTED.md
- Secondary: ndwiki NORD-2B
Full context: MACHINE-TIMELINE.md.