Keyboard Builders' Digest / Keyboard Spotting
SKALA computer system
The Soviet SKALA was the process computer for the RBMK Nuclear Reactor at Chernobyl NPP.
Published December 10, 2021
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The dev team of the Chernobyl Liquidators Simulator shared some photos about the SKALA, the process computer for the RBMK Nuclear Reactor at Chernobyl NPP.
As you already know we love to work on our in-game environment on the basis of factually existing historical equipment. In case of computer systems in Chernobyl we also consulted the photographs and our artists who had the chance to see those kind of computer systems in person. We have made research into a system called система контроля аппарата Ленинградской Атомной that we can translate into English as Control System of the Devices of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (often shortened to "SCALA" or SKALA). And we have tried our best to incorporate that into our game. (source)
The SKALA (СКАЛА) used magnetic core memory, magnetic tape data storage and also punched tape that was used for loading software.
It monitored and recorded reactor conditions and control board inputs; and displayed all of the relevant information to operators.
It was wired to accept 7200 analog signals and 6500 digital signals, made recommendations for operators, but was unable to directly control the reactor (source).
Published on Fri 10th Dec 2021. Featured in KBD #56 (source).
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