An Integrated Circuit Control System for the Pewee Reactor

A control system utilizing digital and linear integrated circuits is described which was developed for low-power testing of Pewee 1, a reactor of the Rover program. The control system, while rather simple in concept, requires over 900 integrated circuits for its implementation. The control-rod actuators use geared-down electric stepping motors which permit precise positioning of the control rods within 0.01 deg. The system is versatile and easy to operate, which minimizes the time and effort required to execute experiments, as was proven during low-power testing of Pewee 1 during May and June, 1968.