Prof. Heinrich Herbstreith

After graduating in Communications Engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe (KIT today) I began my research in IAC (Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics), headed by Prof. Beckurts, who was later murdered by the RAF. He founded the working group under the IDT physicist Dr. Krüger later dean of the faculty of computer science of the University of Karlsruhe. The group consisted of eight graduates of physics, communications engineering and mathematicians, all of whom had already knowledge in programming. The first project was to develop an automation system using computer science systems in hardware and software. The name was CALAS (computer assisted Laboratory Autotomation System). We developed hardware components for data acquisition and graphical output (screens) as well as the real-time software (Real Time Operating System), the data acquisition and storage as well as the graphical output of the neutron spectra. The target computer TR86 Telefunken from Konstanz was chosen. It was a process computer with real-time interface for the connection of data acquisition devices with 64kb memory, hard disks, magnetic tapes, punched card input and output, as well as graphic screens. The system was put into operation after two years for eight experiments and after one year it ran smoothly.