Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement Subsystem, 1979-1985

Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Speech memory board from System X Automatic Announcement Subsystem, developed by the Post Office, British, 1979-1985.

System X was British Telecom's first digital switching exchange for telephones. It was thought up by the Advisory Group on System Definitions, an alliance involving the Post Office and industry groups, set up in 1968. The system itself was designed in collaboration between GEC, Plessey and STC - the three major suppliers to the Post Office. The first System X exchange came into service on July 1 1980 at London's Baynard House. It was called the 'great white hope' for British manufacturers, with the intention of worldwide sales, but unfortunately development took too long, and manufacturers looked elsewhere. Nevertheless System X became standard in Britain and remained in widespread use well into the 21st century.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1985-603
Materials:
plastic (unidentified), metal (unknown) and copper alloy
Measurements:
overall: 20 mm x 286 mm x 345 mm, .75 kg
type:
computer memory
credit:
Donated by the British Telecom Research Laboratories