Plessey - Alan Clarke Research Centre - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Bazz4CQJ · 26th Sep 2013, 2:11 pm

Ahh....my first workplace, back in the day when they were at the forefront in some technologies.

I've just found out that the site is now "Caswell Business Park" http://caswellpark.co.uk/the-park/occupiers/index.html. It is owned by a US electronics company called Oclaro, who run what is left of the Plessey business (manufacturing InP diodes), but they now have various tenant businesses on the site. One or two are hi-tech, but some are distinctly not. Where's my Prozac

?

murphymad · 26th Sep 2013, 4:31 pm

Ah...

Spent many happy hours on the Caswell Calma GDS systems and Vax Computers.

Usually over weekends when no one was about (due to the type of work).
We were unable to "secure" any of the Calma GDS systems at Swindon.
Back in those days, the display units were Tektronix storage displays and you could watch an IC being drawn in front of your very eyes. It did make you very careful what and how you displayed the part of the chip you were working on as you could sit for some time at re-draw before you were able to continue work. ACK/NAK and flashing lights...
The caswell GDS1 system was better than ours in Swindon and had colour CRT displays.
It also had more memory.
I remeber the days when we had to do "sort on tape" where a magnetic tape drive wqas used instead of disk storage. A very slow process...

Always a nice place to visit.
In fact I could say I was one of the few people who spent overnight stays in the offices...

A lot of the design staff came to work at Plessey in Swindon.

Mike...

ParcGwyn · 26th Sep 2013, 5:48 pm

Have two vary good friends that worked worked at Caswell in the 1980s both speak well of the establishment.

Dave

GW7ONS

AndyWright · 12th Oct 2013, 7:55 pm

My first job was at Caswell in the silicon division. I started in 1989 designing circuits for EEPROM. Left in 1991 when the silicon division moved to Plessey in Plymouth.

26th Sep 2013, 2:11 pm	#1
Bazz4CQJ Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 4,935	Plessey - Alan Clarke Research Centre Ahh....my first workplace, back in the day when they were at the forefront in some technologies. I've just found out that the site is now "Caswell Business Park" http://caswellpark.co.uk/the-park/occupiers/index.html. It is owned by a US electronics company called Oclaro, who run what is left of the Plessey business (manufacturing InP diodes), but they now have various tenant businesses on the site. One or two are hi-tech, but some are distinctly not. Where's my Prozac ?

26th Sep 2013, 4:31 pm	#2
murphymad Heptode Join Date: May 2003 Location: Devizes, Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 650	Re: Plessey - Alan Clarke Research Centre Ah... Spent many happy hours on the Caswell Calma GDS systems and Vax Computers. Usually over weekends when no one was about (due to the type of work). We were unable to "secure" any of the Calma GDS systems at Swindon. Back in those days, the display units were Tektronix storage displays and you could watch an IC being drawn in front of your very eyes. It did make you very careful what and how you displayed the part of the chip you were working on as you could sit for some time at re-draw before you were able to continue work. ACK/NAK and flashing lights... The caswell GDS1 system was better than ours in Swindon and had colour CRT displays. It also had more memory. I remeber the days when we had to do "sort on tape" where a magnetic tape drive wqas used instead of disk storage. A very slow process... Always a nice place to visit. In fact I could say I was one of the few people who spent overnight stays in the offices... A lot of the design staff came to work at Plessey in Swindon. Mike... __________________ Mike Barker.

26th Sep 2013, 5:48 pm	#3
ParcGwyn Hexode Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK. Posts: 358	Re: Plessey - Alan Clarke Research Centre Have two vary good friends that worked worked at Caswell in the 1980s both speak well of the establishment. Dave GW7ONS

12th Oct 2013, 7:55 pm	#4
AndyWright Tetrode Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK. Posts: 92	Re: Plessey - Alan Clarke Research Centre My first job was at Caswell in the silicon division. I started in 1989 designing circuits for EEPROM. Left in 1991 when the silicon division moved to Plessey in Plymouth.