Electronics, Computers and Telephone Switching
A Book of Technological History
Published on 12. June 1990
Book
Hardback
612 pages
978-0-444-88042-0 (ISBN)
Description
The purpose of this book lies outside the usual framework of studies devoted to technology in a given branch of industry. Its main objective is to show how, in only two decades, the highly specialized telephone switching industry was completely transformed and how it revolutionized its manufacturing processes and its products, a phenomenon largely unknown to the public. The change was so drastic that it has been compared to the metamorphosis of the insect which progresses from the caterpillar phase to that of the butterfly.
The second aim of the book is to show how the change occurred within the context of the major electronic revolution of recent decades, following the inventions of the transistor and integrated circuits.
The purpose of this book lies outside the usual framework of studies devoted to technology in a given branch of industry. Its main objective is to show how, in only two decades, the highly specialized telephone switching industry was completely transformed and how it revolutionized its manufacturing processes and its products, a phenomenon largely unknown to the public. The change was so drastic that it has been compared to the metamorphosis of the insect which progresses from the caterpillar phase to that of the butterfly.
The second aim of the book is to show how the change occurred within the context of the major electronic revolution of recent decades, following the inventions of the transistor and integrated circuits.
The second aim of the book is to show how the change occurred within the context of the major electronic revolution of recent decades, following the inventions of the transistor and integrated circuits.
The purpose of this book lies outside the usual framework of studies devoted to technology in a given branch of industry. Its main objective is to show how, in only two decades, the highly specialized telephone switching industry was completely transformed and how it revolutionized its manufacturing processes and its products, a phenomenon largely unknown to the public. The change was so drastic that it has been compared to the metamorphosis of the insect which progresses from the caterpillar phase to that of the butterfly.
The second aim of the book is to show how the change occurred within the context of the major electronic revolution of recent decades, following the inventions of the transistor and integrated circuits.
Reviews / Votes
The text is well supplied with footnotes and special references with boxes containing simplified technical explanations so that the reader may either skim for pleasure or read for detailed instruction. Separate indexes list personalities, companies and institutions, main switching systems, and subject items... the authors have done a splendid job in recounting the history of this period in telephone history.CIPS Reviews
J.J. Muller
This is quite a remarkable book. Every engineer interested in telecommunications and wishing to go beyond the fairly limited field of his now so specialized professional activity should read this book since it will give him an overview of the innumerable inventions, innovations, theories and experiments and transfers of technology which have raised his field to the level he now knows... Its often didactical character should also make it a favourite piece of reading among engineers embarking on a career in telecommunications... This very readable book is warmly recommended.
Bulletin de l'lREST
The book contains some very interesting and original material and will provide the technological historian with a considerable degree of interesting data.
The Computer Law and Security Report
P.B. Frame
...a detached and balanced interpretation of events... It is an important book in the literature on telephone switching systems and deserves to be widely read. It provides access to a wide bibliography on the systems and technology described and can be confidently used as a ready source for reference to a period of immense technological change.
British Telecommunciation Engineering
A very important and readily accessible technical history by a French and American expert, respectively... illustrations, boxed features, diagrams and useful notes make this a fascinating book to read - not at all dry nor too technical. Highly recommended.
Communication Booknotes
...not only of interest to `old-timers' in the field, but can also assist the younger engineer to deepen his grasp of the state of the art by the light thrown on the background to these developments.
NTZ - Germany
Certainly it is a reference book, but it is written in such a comfortable style, with so many interesting (and informative) sidebars, that its reading is not laborious. An oh what a wealth of information! ...a fantastic book.
Telephone Engineering and Management
...of interest to every serious student of development communications... The authors have kept the non-technical reader in mind by providing boxes summarizing significant points and by inserting lighter anecdotes.
Communication Research Trends
The text is well supplied with footnotes and special references with boxes containing simplified technical explanations so that the reader may either skim for pleasure or read for detailed instruction. Separate indexes list personalities, companies and institutions, main switching systems, and subject items... the authors have done a splendid job in recounting the history of this period in telephone history.
CIPS Reviews
J.J. Muller
This is quite a remarkable book. Every engineer interested in telecommunications and wishing to go beyond the fairly limited field of his now so specialized professional activity should read this book since it will give him an overview of the innumerable inventions, innovations, theories and experiments and transfers of technology which have raised his field to the level he now knows... Its often didactical character should also make it a favourite piece of reading among engineers embarking on a career in telecommunications... This very readable book is warmly recommended.
Bulletin de l'lREST
The book contains some very interesting and original material and will provide the technological historian with a considerable degree of interesting data.
The Computer Law and Security Report
P.B. Frame
...a detached and balanced interpretation of events... It is an important book in the literature on telephone switching systems and deserves to be widely read. It provides access to a wide bibliography on the systems and technology described and can be confidently used as a ready source for reference to a period of immense technological change.
British Telecommunciation Engineering
A very important and readily accessible technical history by a French and American expert, respectively... illustrations, boxed features, diagrams and useful notes make this a fascinating book to read - not at all dry nor too technical. Highly recommended.
Communication Booknotes
...not only of interest to `old-timers' in the field, but can also assist the younger engineer to deepen his grasp of the state of the art by the light thrown on the background to these developments.
NTZ - Germany
Certainly it is a reference book, but it is written in such a comfortable style, with so many interesting (and informative) sidebars, that its reading is not laborious. An oh what a wealth of information! ...a fantastic book.
Telephone Engineering and Management
...of interest to every serious student of development communications... The authors have kept the non-technical reader in mind by providing boxes summarizing significant points and by inserting lighter anecdotes.
Communication Research Trends
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Elsevier Science & Technology
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
ISBN-13
978-0-444-88042-0 (9780444880420)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Introduction. Reading the Book - Its Structure. History and Technology: Some Basic Comments Concerning the Cases of Electronics and Telecommunications Developments. Language Issues. The Roots of Electronic Switching (1935-1950). Electronics and the Switching Technology. A Philosophical View of the Studies on Electronic Switching after World War II. 1945-1955 Research into Electronics for Telephone Switching. The 1955-1960 Period. The Beginning of the Computer Industry. In the History of Mankind, the Fascinating Long March until the 1930's to Develop Computing Devices. First Computer Development in the 1940's. A Brief Summary of the Computer Industry Development from the 1950's. A History of Software. Semiconductor Researches. Semiconductors. Researches on Semiconductors in the Bell Laboratories. The Spread of Transistor Technology until the 1960's. After the Preliminary Research, the Development of the Post 1965 SPC Systems. AT&T/Western Electric Developments. The Breakthrough of the SPC Technology Outside of AT&T. GTE. Canada (SP1, TOPS, C1-EAX). Japan (D10, D20, D30). UK (TXE2,3,4,4A). W. Germany (KAMA, ESK, EWS). France (from Aristote to E10). ITT (Metaconta; Systems 10 and 11). L.M. Ericsson (AKE, ARE, begin AXE). Philips (PRX). The Success of the SPC Concept for the Design of Switching Exchanges. A Chronology as Traced by Successive ISS's. Typology/Analysis of SPC 1st Generation. Software for SPC Exchanges. Software for SPC Exchanges. The Importance of the Software: Beginnings of the Use of High Level Languages (CHILL, C Language, SDL, MML, etc.). In the 1970's, the Digital Revolution. Birth, Beginnings of a New Industry: the Integrated Circuits - Solid State Components. Digitalization in Telecommunications. Time Division Digital Switching. The Appearance of New (Digital) Services at the End of the 1970's (`Telematics'). Towards the Full Digitalization of the Network (Beginnings of ISDN). A Typology of 1st Generation Digital Switching Systems Available at the Beginning of the 1980's. The Second Generation Digital Switches. Distributed Control and Distributed Switching. Extending Time Division Switching. Second Generation Time Division Systems. Signaling in the Electronic Era. International Developments in Telephone Signaling (1960-1984). Subscriber Line Signaling. A Geoeconomic Overview of the Environment for Switching: a Comparison of 1960 and 1985 Situations. The Worldwide Telephone Development between 1960 and 1985. Structures of Telephone Operating Agencies in 1960 and 1985. Structures of the Switch Manufacturing Industry in 1960 and 1985.