This problem is intended to be an introduction to the design of a software system which translates PDP-8 assembly language source into it's machine-readable object code. This assembler runs on the IBM 360/50. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the basic PDP-8 assembly language. For the description and use of this assembler the reader is referred to the PAL-III SYMBOLIC ASSEMBLER PROGRAMMING MANUAL from DEC (order number DIGITAL 8-3-5, Digital Equipment Corporation: Maynard, Massachusetts, 1965.). The Second problem of the study concerns the design of a simulator for the PDP-8 computer.

The objective of this work is to help the faculty, staffs and students of NTSU to use the CalComp plotting facility very easily. Therefore, this work is written in such a step by step and self-explanatory way to help the reader to understand and grasp the essential technique of the computer plotting. Each subroutine illustrated in this work has been run and checked by our NTSU computer-CalComp plotting facility; the results of sample programs and illustrated graphs are believed to be very useful to understand each individual subroutine. Basically, software packages are stored in the magnetic disk of the IBM 360 computer as the standard graphic subroutines. These subroutines were written in FORTRAN IV. The user can write the driving program to call these subroutines and also inputs the desire data to the computer for computation. The results of computation will be outputed and stored in the magnetic tape.

PILOT (Programmed Inquiry, Learning or Teaching) is a simple, conversational language developed in 1969 by John A. Starkweather at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. Originally designed for computer assisted instructional needs, PILOT also has been effectively used as an introductory computer language. The PILOT system developed for the Apple II microcomputer consists of two programs, PILOT EDITOR and PILOT DRIVER, which are written in Applesoft and which use the Apple II disk operating system. The PILOT system was designed to facilitate easy authoring and execution of programs written in an extended version of the PILOT language. Due to the memory requirements of the programs and the Apple II disk operating system, the PILOT system described here should be executed on a machine with at least 32k bytes of random access memory.

The author's primary goal is to begin research leading ot the attainment of a low cost computer/music system which will allow the composer to write polyphonic music of up to eight voices into a computer through a terminal, and have the music played back by means of computer synthesized sound or by means of a conventional synthesizer controlled by a computer via digital-to-analog converters. The goal system will allow the composer to retreat and hear his product objectively as the painter steps back to review his canvas.