ECG/LAB: A MERGER OF TWO SYSTEMS ON A MINI‐MIDI COMPUTER COMPLEX

Two major computerized systems, ECG and Clinical Chemistry, have been meshed on an 1BM‐1800/System/7 tandem combination. The System/7 computer serves as (1) an analog‐to‐digital device acquiring both ECG data from 3‐channel data acquisition carts over telephone lines, and laboratory data from autoanalyzers over direct cabling; and (2) a communications concentrator controlling a network of interactive video display units and printers in both the Clinical Chemistry and the ECG Laboratories via asynchronous and synchronous multiplexers. An operating system has been written for the System/7 which handles all I/O from external devices and communicates to the 1BM‐1800 over a direct memory access channel at the rate of 105 words per second. The meshing of the systems has a synergistic effect which makes the system extremely powerful at an economic price level.