Abstract:
A hybrid analog-digital computer apparatus, particularly applicable in controlling complex servomechanisms such as aircraft flight control actuation and display systems, comprising a time shared or multiplexed operational amplifier adapted to receive analog signals from control system inputs and command sources through a large plurality of solid state switching devices at controllable gain levels and to supply outputs through a plurality of similar output switching devices to a plurality of analog storage devices, such as simple capacitors, the charges on the capacitors being fed back to the amplifier input in predetermined controlled manners for performing various control functions; the computer outputs being the resultant charges on one or more of said capacitors and being supplied to the actuation and/or display devices. Through predetermined control of the input and output switches, one or more input signals are selected and various computational operations thereon are performed as required for proper system control. The signals to be selected and the computations to be performed are under the control of a programmed digital memory, the sequential word and word bit outputs of which determine the sequence and orders respectively of switch operations and the signal gains required. The digital format of the program output and the high-speed operation of the solid-state switches provide extremely rapid sequencing of desired computations while the data always remains in analog form thereby retaining the precise resolution of analog computers while providing the high-speed capability of digital computers. Since all the computations are determined by the programmed memory, the computer is adaptable to control systems of widely different characteristics and complexity merely by the addition or deletion of switches and storage capacitors and by inserting the proper program into the memory. Hence, in terms of aircraft automatic flight control, a truly ''''universal'''' flight control system.