Generation of alpha-numeric flight data on bright displays

The paper is concerned with the development of an alpha-numeric generator, the purpose of which is to place aircraft identity, altitude and control information alongside primary or secondary radar returns on scan-converted television displays. The heart of the equipment is the data convertor, which is interfaced to a general-purpose computer and is capable of generating and storing up to ten different situation display pictures. Characters are formed in 5×7 matrixes of dots on the screen. The character pattern and position, as defined by the coded computer word, are stored in magnetic memory and read out at a television rate to produce a bright and flicker-free display. The alpha-numeric generator provides co-ordinate conversion for adapting to the off-centring and range scale of each scan convertor. Velocity vectors representing a future position are generated by the system in response to a request message from the controller to the computer. A functional control panel is provided for each display position, whereby the controller may operate and communicate with the system. A model of the alpha-numeric generator is to be delivered to the Federal Aviation Agency in the early part of 1964.