Ray tracing on a mini-computer

Abstract

It would appear that most people engaged in solving problems in ray- tracing, use programs written for large computers. These machines commonly have large memory si~es, fast cycle times and large word length . This paper describes how SACLANT CEN has provided a ray- tracing capability on a mini-computer . Let us firstly define what we mean by a mini- computer. It is typically a machine with a memory si~e of between lK and 32K words , each word being of between 12 and 18 bits in length. Cycle times of between 1 u s and 2 u s are the norm of this type of computer. Standard peripherals are a system teletype, photo-reader and paper tape punch . Extra peripherals can be added easily by using plug- in card interfaces; memory expansion is often available so that a user can build up a system to his own requirements