Wang 360SE electronic calculator system
Date: 1970
Inventory Number: 2001-1-0033a
Classification: Electronic Calculator
Subject:
Maker: Wang Laboratories, Inc. (1951 - 1992)
User: Harvard College Observatory (founded 1839)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
City of Use:
Dimensions:
11.5 × 26 × 20.6 cm (4 1/2 × 10 1/4 × 8 1/8 in.)
Accessories: cloth instrument cover lined with tissue paper; black power cord; accompanied by central electronic unit (2001-1-003b); two page hand-written note from Peter L. Smith, Research associate, Harvard College Observatory, regarding the donation of the calculator, dated 10 December, 2001 (original and copy in instrument file); photocopy of operation instructions from the bottom panel of calculator unit (in instrument file); printed document on the history of the Wang 360SE by Rick Bensene (in instrument file); printed document on the history of the Want 360SE from Geocity (in instrument file); printed document on the Orbiting Solar Observatories (in instrument file)
DescriptionThe WANG 300 series of calculators consists of a central electronics package and a keyboard/display unit. This is the keyboard/display unit for a 360K/362K model WANG calculator. The unit is encased in an off-white plastic shell. The back end of the unit is raised and houses the display screen. The display screen is dark red, and visible behind it are eleven Nixie Tubes that create each displayed number.
Beneath the display screen, on the top panel of the calculator is the instrument's keyboard. The keyboard consists of thirty-seven keys and four white two-state switches. There is a standard number pad printed on beige keys in the center of the board, a pad of grey operations keys (mostly mathematical) on the left side of the board, and a pad of grey and beige special operations and program storage keys on the right side of the board. The white knobs are situated in pairs along the top row of the board. They are called "special switches" in the calculator instructions. Three of them are used for instructing the calculator to accumulate values immediately after another key is pressed.
There is a white instruction card attached to the bottom panel of the calculator. It provides the instructions for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and reciprocals. There are also instructions for using the special operations keys, and the storage registers on the right hand side of the keyboard. There are also four round black rubber feet, one in each corner of the bottom panel of the calculator.
A long black cord emerges from the back bottom edge of the calculator. It is connected to a second black cord; the two are attached by male and female metal jacks. The elongated cord is equipped with another jack at the end for attachment to the central electronics package (2001-1-0033b). A beige, specially contoured fabric instrument cover lined with white tissue paper slides on to the top of the calculator for storage.
Beneath the display screen, on the top panel of the calculator is the instrument's keyboard. The keyboard consists of thirty-seven keys and four white two-state switches. There is a standard number pad printed on beige keys in the center of the board, a pad of grey operations keys (mostly mathematical) on the left side of the board, and a pad of grey and beige special operations and program storage keys on the right side of the board. The white knobs are situated in pairs along the top row of the board. They are called "special switches" in the calculator instructions. Three of them are used for instructing the calculator to accumulate values immediately after another key is pressed.
There is a white instruction card attached to the bottom panel of the calculator. It provides the instructions for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and reciprocals. There are also instructions for using the special operations keys, and the storage registers on the right hand side of the keyboard. There are also four round black rubber feet, one in each corner of the bottom panel of the calculator.
A long black cord emerges from the back bottom edge of the calculator. It is connected to a second black cord; the two are attached by male and female metal jacks. The elongated cord is equipped with another jack at the end for attachment to the central electronics package (2001-1-0033b). A beige, specially contoured fabric instrument cover lined with white tissue paper slides on to the top of the calculator for storage.
Signedprinted in black on cloth instrument cover: WANG ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR
in silver on black plaque on front panel of calculator: WANG
printed in black on the bottom of the keyboard panel: ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR WANG LABORATORIES INC. TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A.
printed in black on silver label on bottom of calculator: WANG LABORATORIES, INC. / ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR / MODEL 360K/362K / SERIAL: No 609394 / TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A.
printed in black on white label on bottom panel of calculator: WANG / LABORATORIES INC. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR 300, 310, 320, & 360 KEYBOARDS
in silver on black plaque on front panel of calculator: WANG
printed in black on the bottom of the keyboard panel: ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR WANG LABORATORIES INC. TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A.
printed in black on silver label on bottom of calculator: WANG LABORATORIES, INC. / ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR / MODEL 360K/362K / SERIAL: No 609394 / TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A.
printed in black on white label on bottom panel of calculator: WANG / LABORATORIES INC. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR 300, 310, 320, & 360 KEYBOARDS
Inscribedprinted in purple on a white label on bottom panel of calculator: WILI / Q^13C / SEP 21 1970
FunctionThis unit serves as both the input and output interface between users and the WANG calculator. Users perform standard arithmetic and more complex mathematical operations and store simple operations using the keyboard on the top panel. The calculator outputs its numerical results through the Nixie Tube display screen. A discussion of the tubes, their development and operation is available here.
This particular WANG electronic calculator was used by the Harvard College Observatory. The calculator was specifically used to run experiments on the Orbiting Solar Observatories designed to study the Sun.
A discussion of the WANG 300 model calculators, including photographs of the internal mechanisms, is available here and another here.
This particular WANG electronic calculator was used by the Harvard College Observatory. The calculator was specifically used to run experiments on the Orbiting Solar Observatories designed to study the Sun.
A discussion of the WANG 300 model calculators, including photographs of the internal mechanisms, is available here and another here.
Historical AttributesThis calculator system was purchased by the Solar Satellite Project at the Harvard College Observatory, which was responsible for experiments run on OSO's (Orbiting Solar Observatories) numbers 4 and 6 from 1965 to 1971. These projects culminated in Skylab. The Orbiting Solar Observatories were the earliest set of satellites designed to study the Sun. They arose from even earlier sounding rockets flights that showed the importance of getting above the Earth's atmosphere to observe the Sun.
ProvenanceFrom Peter L. Smith, Ph.D., Harvard College Observatory, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 20138 in December 2001.
