The Datatron, also known as the Electrodata 205, Burroughs or Bendix was the first electronic computer at CRNL. Arriving in 1957, it served until 1964 when it was “disposed of.” It was later located in the storage facility of a retired AECL employee who collects used scientific equipment. The mainframe of the computer unfortunately resided outdoors and has deteriorated badly. The Control Console was, however, housed indoors and has survived in reasonable shape.
The control desk measures 1.52 m by 0.76 m and sits 0.76 m above the floor. The main display unit measures 86 cm by 22 cm and contains more than 180 indicator bulbs (in five registers). The relatively small input “keyboard”, connected to the console with a multi-strand cable, measures 15 cm by 17 cm. Viewed front the front, the right-hand rectangular opening housed the paper-tape reader (see artifact 2018-216). The corresponding left-hand opening may have once housed the paper-tape punch unit.
At the rear of the console below the surface of the desktop, two large, hinged panels contain a series of electronic components including a number of mercury-wetted relays. Several versions of this control module were made famous by their usage in a large number of science fiction and space-related movies where their arrays of blinking lights were an audience-impressing feature.
