George A. Philbrick and Polyphemus—The First Electronic Training Simulator

Abstract

In 1937-1938 George A. Philbrick developed what he called an “Automatic Control Analyzer. “ The analyzer was an electronic analog computer, hard-wired to carry out a computation, or simulation, of a typical process-control loop. The analyzer consisted of several vacuum-tube amplifier stages interconnected to simulate a three-term PID controller operating on a four-lag process, with a number of switches and potentiometers provided for easy variations in the circuit configurations and parameter values. The whole assembly was battery operated and mounted in a standard rack. It contained a built-in oscilloscope: a Dumont 5-inch oscillograph, Type 208, which was one of the early CRT devices on the industrial market. Philbrick named the single-screen analog computer ' 'Polyphemus,'' after the one-eyed Cyclops who, according to Greek mythology, was blinded by Odysseus. © 1982 AFIPS