Interdata

Interdata, Inc., was a computer company, founded in 1966¹ by a former Electronic Associates engineer, Daniel Sinnott, and was based in Oceanport, New Jersey. The company produced a line of 16- and 32-bit minicomputers that were loosely based on the IBM 360 instruction set architecture but at a cheaper price. In 1974, it produced one of the first 32-bit minicomputers, the Interdata 7/32. The company then used the parallel processing approach, which uses more than one computer processor simultaneously to perform work on a problem. This helped in making real-time computing a reality. Some real-time applications Interdata computers were used for included: Core Protection Calculator, used in some later Combustion Engineering designed nuclear power plants; lottery systems manufactured by GTech; the NexRad weather radar system. Many companies used them for internal high speed laboratory data capture, such as United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut wind tunnel, General Electric R&D in Schenectady, New York, and Perkin-Elmer in Connecticut (which later acquired Interdata). The 16-bit computers had several operating systems, such as the Basic Operating System (BOSS), Disk Operating System (DOS), Real Time Operating System (RTOS), and OS/16. The 32-bit computers had OS/32. The assembly language could generate series independent object code.…

Interdata, Inc., was a computer company, founded in 1966 by a former Electronic Associates engineer, Daniel Sinnott, and was based in Oceanport, New Jersey. The company produced a line of 16- and 32-bit minicomputers that were loosely based on the IBM 360 instruction set architecture but at a cheaper price. In 1974, it produced one of the first 32-bit minicomputers, the Interdata 7/32. The company then used the parallel processing approach, which uses more than one computer processor simultaneously to perform work on a problem. This helped in making real-time computing a reality. Some real-time applications Interdata computers were used for included: Core Protection Calculator, used in some later Combustion Engineering designed nuclear power plants; lottery systems manufactured by GTech; the NexRad weather radar system. Many companies used them for internal high speed laboratory data capture, such as United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut wind tunnel, General Electric R&D in Schenectady, New York, and Perkin-Elmer in Connecticut (which later acquired Interdata). The 16-bit computers had several operating systems, such as the Basic Operating System (BOSS), Disk Operating System (DOS), Real Time Operating System (RTOS), and OS/16. The 32-bit computers had OS/32. The assembly language could generate series independent object code. Later, as with Gould, SEL, Modcomp and other real time competitors, they offered a 32-bit time sharing system called MTM (Multi Terminal Monitor). ==Acquisitions== In 1973, Interdata was purchased by Perkin-Elmer Corporation, a Connecticut-based producer of scientific instruments for $63.6 million. Interdata was already making $19 million in annual sales but this merger made Perkin-Elmer's annual sales rise to over $200 million. Interdata then became the basis for Perkin-Elmer's Data Systems Group. In 1985, the computing division of Perkin-Elmer was spun off as Concurrent Computer Corporation. ==List of products== Interdata Model 1 – 1970 Interdata Model 3 – 1967 Interdata 4 (autoload, floating point) Interdata 5 (list processing, microcoded automatic I/O channel) Interdata 70 (1971), 74 (1973), 80 (1971), 85 (Writable Control Store, 1973) Interdata 50, 55 (Communications systems) Interdata 5/16, 6/16, 7/16 (1974) Interdata 8/16, 8/16e (double precision floating point, extended memory) Interdata RD-800 and RD-850 – 1975 Interdata 7/32 – 1974 Interdata 8/32 – 1975 Perkin-Elmer 3205, 3210, 3220, 3230, 3240, 3250, 3280 A simulator is available: https://simh.trailing-edge.com/interdata.html ==References== ==External links== interdata.org.uk – Site detailing the restoration of an Interdata Model 74 computer Model-70 User's Manual. computinghistory.org.uk

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