GTE Automatic Electric (Canada), Ltd

June 2008 Reunion

Presentation by Bob Duthie

Former Director of R&D 1963-75

How R&D Began

Queen’s

Engineering

1962

R&T Dec 1962

• AE is investigating certain promising new

fields which indicate possibilities for new

products or services

• Program will be accelerated with research

scientists from C.I.M. Consultants Ltd

• CIM President Dr. C. L. Emery will act as

director of research

• Emery was a math and mining prof at

Queen’s

• National Research Council grant

Industrial Research

• Laser had just been invented

• Emery was experimenting

with photoelastic plastic in

mines to measure stress –

• Use this plastic with lasers to

carry telephone signals

• Research light and all forms

of energy

• If we are going to do

research we need a library

Emery Had Other Ventures – Emrex Mining

• Bacterial leaching

• Drill holes in mine tailings

• Pour bugs in the holes

• Bugs chew the copper from the rock

• Collect the pure copper

• Lab tour in Kingston

I bought 400 shares @ 12.5¢

Emrex Mining

Emrex Provided an Education

• Assets of the company were travel expenses and shares

in other Emery worthless ventures

• Financial statement auditors were shareholders

• Don’t invest in businesses you know nothing about

• R& D should focus on developing products

• Idea #1: Punch press double header detector

• MIT Course in Photoelasticity

What product should we develop?

• Power supply for the 90-B-20

• Small CDO (Community Dial Office)

• Bob Thomas and I sent to Northlake for 6 months

• Northlake advice

– Choose the components

– Design an architecture

– Use stored program computer control

• Design of the computer began

63 Murray St

SEAX Lab Model

“It should look as expensive as it is!”

E.R.O’K

Can we assign more

people to this effort in

an effort to speed it up

. . . pursue this to the

limit before we

consider another type

of xbar.

CRH

It works!

September 17, 1965

Dear Carm

I hope the machine works as well for you this morning as

it did for me yesterday! I was completely unprepared for

the demonstration I participated in. To progress from the

room full of parts we saw last May to dialing a completed

call (albeit with a little help) is truly remarkable.

C.F. Ffolliott

The A.E. Inspiration

Our eyes have seen the glories of the C-1 EAX

The old two motion switches are like millstones round

our necks,

The Modar Switch they tell us,

Is the next best thing to sex,

We just keep working on.

Chorus: Sung with hand over heart

Glory, Glory Automatic,

Glory, Glory Automatic,

Glory, Glory Automatic,

We’ll just keep working on Author Unknown

MX Switch

PL-2

Custom MOSFET Integrated Circuits

• Build the Register circuit on a single chip

• Enormous cost reduction potential

• First chip cost $100,000

• Second chip would cost $15

Farewell Luncheon July 8, 1975

The past 10 years at Brockville I am sure will be

remembered as one of the most exciting decades in the

history of the company. Conversion of the product line

from not only SxS to common control, but electronic

stored program systems as well.

I am proud that I was able to participate in this

experience!

First General News Release Announcing C-1 EAX

August 15, 1968

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