Title :
The Age of Vacuum Tubes: Merging with Digital Computing [Historical]
Author :
Guarnieri, Massimo
Author_Institution :
Dipt. di Ing. Elettr., Univ. of Padova, Padova, Italy
Abstract :
Wartime efforts aimed at developing superior technologies provided a major boost to vacuum tube development during and after World War II (WWII). The demand for tubes capable of generating microwaves for radar led to the development of the improved cavity-type magnetron in 1940 by John Randall (1905-1984) and Henry Boot (1917-1983) at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. This device was instrumental in ensuring the Allied Forces strategic superiority [1], [2]. After the war, such radar systems allowed far safer air and sea transportation and opened the way to new fields of scientific research.
Keywords :
digital computers; radar; vacuum tubes; Henry Boot; John Randall; United Kingdom; WWII; World War II; allied force strategic superiority; digital computing; microwave radar system; safer air; sea transportation; vacuum tube development; Electron tubes; History; Microwave devices; Radar; Transportation;
Journal_Title :
Industrial Electronics Magazine, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MIE.2012.2207830
