00100	                             MEMORANDUM
00200	                             9 June 1970
00300	
00400	TO:       A. I. Project Staff
00500	
00600	FROM:     L. Earnest
00700	
00800	SUBJECT:  System Projects
00900	
01000	This memo summarizes current and proposed System projects that  I  am
01100	aware  of.   Several  new  people  will  join us this summer, so I am
01200	soliciting projects that  would  be  both  generally  beneficial  and
01300	suitable for learning.
01400	
01500	1.  Hardware
01600	
01700	    1.1  Current Hardware Projects
01800	
01900		Hand-eye -- done this month?  (Paul, Zingheim)
02000		    new arm
02100		    overhead lighting
02200		    turntable
02300	
02400		III photo hood -- done this year?  (Panofsky)
02500	
02600		DD Displays -- September?
02700		    Generator -- not yet accepted  (Panofsky)
02800		    32 channel disc -- due May, probably September.
02900		    keyboards -- ordered, due September
03000		    monitors -- 2 ordered, due this month.
03100			        25 more to be ordered (6 week delivery).
03200		    cables mostly in, power supplies to be built
03300			(Gleason, Bridge)
03400		    keyboard scanner -- to be designed & built
03500			(Poole, Panofsky)
03600		    video switches & mixers -- to be done (Gleason)
03700		    video synthesizer -- to be done (?)
03800	
03900		IMLAC -- 2 here (poor shape), another and console soon
04000		    TTY input connection, 2000 baud -- to be done (Gleason)
04100		    remote data links -- later
04200	
04300		IMP
04400		    phone equipment -- late this month (Telco)
04500		    computer -- early July  (BBN)
04600		    interface -- soon? (Sproull, ?)
04700	
04800		131K core memory
04900		    RFP -- issued 5 June, due 29 June
05000		    interface -- to be done (?)
05100	
05200	
     

00100	    1.2  Proposed Hardware Projects
00200	
00300		mouse & tablet interfaces  (? & Kay)
00400	
00500		Memory Mapper
00600		    would eliminate shuffling, offer many segments,
00700		    Tenex compatability ?
00800	
00900		Son of Foonly
01000		    6 times as fast as PDP-10?
01100	
01200	
01300	2.  Software
01400	
01500	    2.1 Current Software Projects
01600	
01700		SAVE-CONT & GET-CONT -- someday  (Moorer)
01800	
01900		new Dectape service -- ? (Moorer, Helliwell)
02000	
02100		scheduler mod (Moorer)
02200		    service level = load level - k*core,  where k=0.2
02300		    actual service in WHO (Helliwell)
02400	
02500		new HELP -- command summaries to be added (everyone)
02600	
02700		monitor statistics (naked swap time, shuffle time, etc.)
02800		    -- (Moorer)
02900	
03000		computer reservations and accounting -- (Helliwell)
03100	
03200		background processes -- (Barstow)
03300	
03400		file system improvements (faster retrieval, sorted MFD)
03500		    -- (McGuire)
03600	
03700		SAIL export edition -- (Sproull)
03800	
03900		LISP-SOS-RPG crossties -- (Diffie)
04000	
04100		new Loader -- (Petit, Sproull)
04200	
04300		new editor -- (Savitzky)
04400	
04500		new formatted file processor -- (Earnest)
04600	
04700		IMLAC assembler, text package -- (Newey)
04800	
04900		ARPA Net interface -- (?)
05000	
05100		Data Disc display service -- (Poole)
05200	
05300		new keyboard service -- (Poole)
05400	
05500	
05600	    2.2  Proposed Programs
05700	
05740		SAIL macro improvement & code optimization  (Helliwell)
05760	
05800		graphics language & processors (output to displays, plotter,
05900		    printer, and microfilm)
06000	
06100		graphics editor (keyboard, mouse, or tablet controlled)
06200	
06300		schematic & wire list compiler
06400	
06500		document compiler (crossreferences, foonotes, diagrams, etc.)
06600		    -- (Swinehart + ?)
06700	
06800		spelling checker
06900	
07000		Tenex in a year?
07100	
07200	
07300	3.  Documentation
07400	
07500	    3.1  Current Documentation Efforts
07600	
07700		Facility Manual  (Panofsky)
07800	
07900		Disk Auditor (McGuire)
08000	
08100		File Maintenance (Earnest)
08200	
08300		Monitor Manual revision -- September? (Moorer)
08400	
08500	
08600	    3.2  Proposed Documents
08700	
08800		Cusp Guide (Helliwell)
08900	
09000		Loader (Petit)
09100	
09200		Audio System (Gucker)
09300	
09400		Music Compiler (Chowning)
09500	
09600		Sail Implementation (Sproull)