Work Sends Me to Chicago to learn HP Basic
Airflex bought a computer controlled coordinate measuring machine that automatically measured points on objects in cartesian space. As I recall, it was made by Ferranti. The programs to run the machine were coded in Hewlett Packard’s Basic programming language.
For whatever reason, the head of our department, John S., decided that I would be the best one to learn basic and write individual programs for verifying the dimensions of each of the products that we produced in our shop. It would also fall to me to teach my fellow inspectors how to use the machine manually and then to program it.
It was a two-week class at the Hewlett Packard Learning Center in Chicago. Once I returned, I was promoted to a supervisory position over the coordinate measuring machine (CMM). It was my responsibility to write programs for the machine and train the other three inspectors in our department on the machine.
To be Continued
–LE
CynOp 
7 responses to “Anne – Part 9 – Work Sends Me to Chicago to Learn HP Basic – Memoir Continued”
Sounds interesting, Liam. Did you enjoy the new job?
Love the painting. ❤️😊
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I did, but it only lasted a couple of years, as you’ll see in the next few installments. The first thing I did when I got back to work was write a simple word processor for my HP work computer since the company refused to buy one for the machine. They claimed there was no need, that I didn’t need one. In those days, I didn’t have a computer of my own, couldn’t afford one…; -)
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My first computer was a hand-me-down from my son, a Tandy from RadioShack. I hardly knew what to do with it, but soon figured it out. Its operating system was MS-DOS…and used 5 1/2” floppy disks. Those were the days. 😁
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I remember them well, though I never had a Tandy… I even had to learn DOS in one of my ‘upcoming jobs’…; -)
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Thanks, Kat… I’m pleased you like my painting abstractions…; -)
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I alway do, and your photos as well, even though I don’t often mention them. 😊
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Thanks, Kat… Again, I’m pleased you like them…; -)
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