Reverse engineering circuitry in a Spacelab computer from 1980

3 hours ago

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay, with a pressurized lab for experiments and unpressurized pallets for space-exposed instruments.
The Spacelab computer was the Mitra 125 MS, a French 16-bit minicomputer built without a microprocessor, using TTL chips like the 74181 ALU for processing.
The ALU system used eight 54S181 chips to form a 32-bit adder, spread across three boards with multiplexers, registers, and carry-lookahead chips for flexibility and speed.
The computer was originally a European project but was later replaced by IBM AP-101SL computers in 1991 due to performance needs and political factors.
The French computer industry, led by companies like CII and Bull under Plan Calcul, struggled against American dominance, with Bull facing multiple takeovers and nationalizations.

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