Nate Edwards
Encyclopedia
Nathen P. Edwards is a former IBM
hardware architect, retired in 1997. He did his military service from 1942 to 1946, as a LTJG, Deck, USNR, Pacific, Chief Radio Technician, followed by Stanford University
, where he gained an MS
EE
in 1949.
He worked for IBM
from 1949 to 1990, as a Staff Member, Thomas J. Watson Research Center
, with the position of Senior Engineer for the last 20 years of this period. He published, sometimes with other authors, 22 technical papers, 14 patents and patent publications - see below.
Between 1949 and 1953, his activities included design and construction of the prototype of the first electronic memory for the IBM 701
computer, and managing digital electronic design for the working prototype of the highly successful AN/FSQ-7 (SAGE
project. The SAGE system was a nation-wide network of computer centers linked to radar inputs and operated by military personnel using graphic and numeric display terminals whose operators directly controlled the air defense fighter activities in real time.
This was followed by a period working for IBM Data Processing Division as Director of Standards for the company-wide transition from vacuum tube technologies to transistor circuits introduced in IBM's 1400
and 7090
computer product line. There he was responsible for planning the new circuit standards and financial controls which moved design of circuits and packaging of IBM products from each individual product group to a company-wide standards activity such that manufacture could be changed from manual assembly to fully automatic assembly and test of digital circuit assemblies. This contributed to the financial success of the IBM 1400 and 7000 series of transistorized computer products.
He then spent two periods of 2 years each, (1960's, 1980's) consulting for the Institute for Defense Analyses
(on loan from IBM), Recommendations were made which changed the IS support of the War Room activities in The Pentagon
and studies made provided technology projections for future National Military Command System and World-Wide Military Command Systems.
Nate then became IBM Director of Interdivisional Technical Liaison, in which position he established a number of IBM internal professional groups and conferences.
This was followed by 2 years as Manager, Custom & Defense Systems, IBM World Trade, where he concentrated on directing IBM’s efforts relating to the NATO Air Defense information system (NADGE
).
During the 1960's, and 1970's Nate's emphasis was on technical planning and assisting in writing Corporate Strategies, while performing studies of image processing, gallium arsenide circuit performance, and representing IBM Research in the GUIDE Applications Development group (AS-201) (GUIDE is no longer in existence, but was a user group similar to SHARE
. A major report was prepared as a result of the GUIDE studies relating to the potential for use of specification techniques in preparation of computer applications.
Around 1977, he adopted the term configurable modularity
, coined by Raoul de Campo of IBM Research
to mean the ability to reuse independent components by changing their interconnections, but not their internals, and developed this concept in several papers. He describes this as a characteristic of all systems that can be said to be "engineered", and this is one of the key concepts in the technology now referred to as Flow-Based Programming
.
Since retirement, Nate established, with E. C. Lamb, ELI Research and Engineering, Inc. Campbell Stubbs has a 10% interest in ELI R&E, and a patent owned by it (see below). They have concentrated on the design and patenting of an assembly-line-based data processing architecture which has potential performance in the high Teraflop range, using off-the-shelf hardware, while being simple to program and extremely resistant to hackers and other mischief. Systems can be built which produce results which can be certified to conform to specification, as is standard practice in physical manufacturing systems. This work has resulted in granting of U.S. Patent #5,742,823 (see below), issued in the U.S. and Mexico in 1998, and Canada in 1999. Patents are currently being issued in Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, France and Germany.
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
hardware architect, retired in 1997. He did his military service from 1942 to 1946, as a LTJG, Deck, USNR, Pacific, Chief Radio Technician, followed by Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he gained an MS
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
EE
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
in 1949.
He worked for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
from 1949 to 1990, as a Staff Member, Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Thomas J. Watson Research Center
The Thomas J. Watson Research Center is the headquarters for the IBM Research Division.The center is on three sites, with the main laboratory in Yorktown Heights, New York, 38 miles north of New York City, a building in Hawthorne, New York, and offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.- Overview :The...
, with the position of Senior Engineer for the last 20 years of this period. He published, sometimes with other authors, 22 technical papers, 14 patents and patent publications - see below.
Between 1949 and 1953, his activities included design and construction of the prototype of the first electronic memory for the IBM 701
IBM 701
The IBM 701, known as the Defense Calculator while in development, was announced to the public on April 29, 1952, and was IBM’s first commercial scientific computer...
computer, and managing digital electronic design for the working prototype of the highly successful AN/FSQ-7 (SAGE
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
project. The SAGE system was a nation-wide network of computer centers linked to radar inputs and operated by military personnel using graphic and numeric display terminals whose operators directly controlled the air defense fighter activities in real time.
This was followed by a period working for IBM Data Processing Division as Director of Standards for the company-wide transition from vacuum tube technologies to transistor circuits introduced in IBM's 1400
IBM 1400 series
The IBM 1400 series were second generation mid-range business decimal computers that IBM sold in the early 1960s. They could be operated as an independent system, in conjunction with IBM punched card equipment, or as auxiliary equipment to other computer systems.1400-series machines stored...
and 7090
IBM 7090
The IBM 7090 was a second-generation transistorized version of the earlier IBM 709 vacuum tube mainframe computers and was designed for "large-scale scientific and technological applications". The 7090 was the third member of the IBM 700/7000 series scientific computers. The first 7090 installation...
computer product line. There he was responsible for planning the new circuit standards and financial controls which moved design of circuits and packaging of IBM products from each individual product group to a company-wide standards activity such that manufacture could be changed from manual assembly to fully automatic assembly and test of digital circuit assemblies. This contributed to the financial success of the IBM 1400 and 7000 series of transistorized computer products.
He then spent two periods of 2 years each, (1960's, 1980's) consulting for the Institute for Defense Analyses
Institute for Defense Analyses
The Institute for Defense Analyses is a non-profit corporation that administers three federally funded research and development centers to assist the United States government in addressing important national security issues, particularly those requiring scientific and technical expertise...
(on loan from IBM), Recommendations were made which changed the IS support of the War Room activities in The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and studies made provided technology projections for future National Military Command System and World-Wide Military Command Systems.
Nate then became IBM Director of Interdivisional Technical Liaison, in which position he established a number of IBM internal professional groups and conferences.
This was followed by 2 years as Manager, Custom & Defense Systems, IBM World Trade, where he concentrated on directing IBM’s efforts relating to the NATO Air Defense information system (NADGE
Integrated NATO Air Defense System
Integrated NATO Air Defense System or INADS was the NATO response to the Russian development of long range bombers in the 1950s. The need to maintain a credible deterrence when early warning and intercept times were massively reduced led to the development of an improved air defense ...
).
During the 1960's, and 1970's Nate's emphasis was on technical planning and assisting in writing Corporate Strategies, while performing studies of image processing, gallium arsenide circuit performance, and representing IBM Research in the GUIDE Applications Development group (AS-201) (GUIDE is no longer in existence, but was a user group similar to SHARE
SHARE (computing)
SHARE Inc. is a volunteer-run user group for IBM mainframe computers that was founded in 1955 by Los Angeles-area IBM 701 users. It evolved into a forum for exchanging technical information about programming languages, operating systems, database systems, and user experiences for enterprise users...
. A major report was prepared as a result of the GUIDE studies relating to the potential for use of specification techniques in preparation of computer applications.
Around 1977, he adopted the term configurable modularity
Configurable modularity
Configurable modularity is a term coined by Raoul de Campo of IBM Research and later expanded on by Nate Edwards of the same organization, denoting the ability to reuse independent components by changing their interconnections, but not their internals. In Edwards' view this characterizes all...
, coined by Raoul de Campo of IBM Research
IBM Research
IBM Research, a division of IBM, is a research and advanced development organization and currently consists of eight locations throughout the world and hundreds of projects....
to mean the ability to reuse independent components by changing their interconnections, but not their internals, and developed this concept in several papers. He describes this as a characteristic of all systems that can be said to be "engineered", and this is one of the key concepts in the technology now referred to as Flow-Based Programming
Flow-based programming
In computer science, flow-based programming is a programming paradigm that defines applications as networks of "black box" processes, which exchange data across predefined connections by message passing, where the connections are specified externally to the processes...
.
Since retirement, Nate established, with E. C. Lamb, ELI Research and Engineering, Inc. Campbell Stubbs has a 10% interest in ELI R&E, and a patent owned by it (see below). They have concentrated on the design and patenting of an assembly-line-based data processing architecture which has potential performance in the high Teraflop range, using off-the-shelf hardware, while being simple to program and extremely resistant to hackers and other mischief. Systems can be built which produce results which can be certified to conform to specification, as is standard practice in physical manufacturing systems. This work has resulted in granting of U.S. Patent #5,742,823 (see below), issued in the U.S. and Mexico in 1998, and Canada in 1999. Patents are currently being issued in Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, France and Germany.
Publications
- U.S. Patent #3,626,384 (1971-12-07) J. B. Davis, N. P. Edwards, H.H. Herd, "Method for Representing Measured Data Values by Coefficient Values".
- U.S. Patent #4,239,983 (1980-12-16) N.P. Edwards et al., "Non-destructive charge transfer device differencing circuit".
- U.S. Patent #4,885,627 (1989-12-05) N.P. Edwards, "Method and structure for reducing resistance in integrated circuits".
- U.S. Patent #5,742,823 (1998-04-21) N.P. Edwards et al., "Total object processing system and method with assembly line features and certification of results".