[GuentherParticipant]

End of 1967 Braun decided to develop teaching systems with digital blocks, like the Ausbausystem 3 (requires Grundsystem – 8000 /Ausbausystem 1 – 8100 / Ausbausystem – 8200, or Labor I – 8400 instead) and System 300 as a stand-alone unit (DTL), developed by Joachim Schubert. Problems occured, e.g. the flip flops didn’t flip or flop in the right way – so Braun AG looked for engineers with more knowledge and know-how. Mr. Max Gürth was one of these external “helpers”…

Boolean Algebra came with the teaching system 1200 (Demonstration version: 3201). Parallel the Demonstration System 1300 (MECL, planned: 1301 = Counters, Registers) was developed by Horst Bluem and could be seen since 1968 on exhibitions, offered 1970 in a reduced version. The special look were the red embossed symbols on the covers (photos and more details are in topic “Demonstration Systems”).

Mr. Gürth worked in the evening and on weekends on more Lectron Systems, like a Teaching System (DTL based, extensions to the existing one) with 9 sections / chapters and more than 117 experiments. Here are the known blocks and their schematic:

A decoding experiment:

The Flip flop with negative edge action (described on page 190/191 of the Ausbau 3 manual):

…or this Boolean expression:

The next project was a TTL Introduction System with a NAND function block: 4 chapters, more than 30 experiments. To sad that his manuscripts only contained drawings as an idea – but together with Mr. Gerd Kopperschmidt I could “activate” more than 22 experiments, build the required blocks and a kind of manual. Some other logic blocks I included so that it is a quite complete set:

The AND experiment:

The next project of Max Gürth was a TTL Teaching System  with 7 chapters and more than 64 experiments. Here is an overview of some of the used blocks built by him:

Some samples:

After closing down the Lectron business by Braun AG Mr. Guerth gave this blocks to Mr. Edzard Timmer – were I found these at my visit and – thanks to Mrs. Timmer – could take all with me (for the M.P. museum).

In that year Mr. Hartmut Birett was active, too. He had contacts to Hellmut Deller, and one of his letters to Mr. Birett contained these photos:

Mr. Birett worked on his Function Models System (Biologische Funktionsmodelle), first with DTL, then with TTL logic. His set contains a couple of new blocks:

Mr. Timmer had new plans, not only Cybernetics I & II, even Digital Logic (Cybernetics III) and Counting/Coding (Cybernetics IV) , but the guidelines of the ministries of culture, the costs and development didn’t  come together…

Mr. Kopperschmidt got active with Lectron, GmbH since 1999, and 2002 he made the CMOS Logic possible in the “new” Lectron world – thank you, Mr. Kopperschmidt!

G.

• This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael.
• This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael.
• This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael.

[LectronFanModerator]

Hello Guenther,

WOW ! This is impressive !

I didn’t know there were so many digital blocks produced !

This is a great overview and detailed pictures of it.

This is what makes Lectron.info worth visiting each day.

Each day a new surprise.

Thank you so much for the information.

Greetings,

Frank

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael. Reason: Changed font and size styling for easier reading

[GuentherParticipant]

I forgot this nice set of blocks made by Max Guerth – also found at Mr. Timmer’s cellar:

Conclusion: the nearly thousand b/w photos and scripts made by Max Guerth in those years were given to us. It was a hard job to select the documentated experiments, too dark / not sharp / double photos and to merge these with the handwritten concept, drawings and index per theme / system.

At the end all this – reduced – documentation found place here:

(Photo: M.P.)

All known Lectron systems can be found on http://www.radiomuseum.org (home page / simple search: “Lectron” + GO) even these ones.

Enjoy!

G.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael. Reason: Changed font and size styling for easier reading

[MichaelKeymaster]

The BCD decoder was first seen in Mr. Cahn von Seelen’s office back in 2014 or so before I was able to find Mr. Timmer’s contact information in a letter that he had written to Mr. Manfred Walter and which was in the Lectron, GmbH archives that I had photographed initially and then scanned during a subsequent visit. 

Fortunately, Mr. Timmer had not moved from his home since the 1970’s and with the phone number that I had found, Günther was able to contact the Timmer residence and set up a visit.

[LectronFanModerator]

Oooh ! A Nixie tube !

There are still projects around this display on Youtube.

Great stuff and documentation  Guenther .

Greetings

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Michael. Reason: Changed font and size styling for easier reading

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