Image and descriptive information courtesy of Tom Ellis
Image and descriptive information courtesy of Tom Ellis
This photograph, from the June 1969 Long Lines magazine, shows the FTS display on the left, the MAD (Machine and Analysis Display) board in the center, and the A&A (Alert & Alarm) board at the extreme right. The FTS display was similar in purpose and appearance to the public long-distance network status display at AT&T's Bedminster, NJ National Network Operations Center, because both networks used a hierarchical arrangement of switching centers.
Note the Honeywell DDP-516 computer in the background between the MAD and the A&A board. The SAS (Status Assembly System) provided the input data from the switching machines to the computer.
The Staff Supervisors keeping an eye on service are, from left, Connie Bailer using the TTY, an input device to the computer, Jim Parsons providing voice command and control actions via a 60 Button Call Director, and Dave Warnick making a notation on the graph data provided on the MAD Board pen recorder.
The switching center names visible at the top of the indicator columns on the FTS display are:
Updated on July 25, 2004 at 21:18 by Albert LaFrance