Available online
Description
The programme explores basic modelling procedures in the context of a telephone system from design of domestic receivers to international networks.
The programme explores basic modelling procedures in the context of a telephone system from design of domestic receivers to international networks.
| Module code and title: | T100, The man-made world: a foundation course |
|---|---|
| Item code: | T100; 02; 1976 |
| First transmission date: | 08-02-1976 |
| Published: | 1976 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:22:54 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Colin Robinson |
| Contributors: | Nigel Cross; Chris Pinches |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Hardware designers; Modelling; Predicting needs; Software designers; Statistical models; Telephone use |
| Footage description: | Film shots of a telephone user in a telephone booth having great difficulty in making a call. No commentary. Nigel Cross, standing next to a phone booth, explains that unless the user has learned the telephone's requirements, then its use is very difficult. He goes on to list some of the things, such as international calls, weather forecasts, etc., which a telephone can do if the subscriber knows how to use it. With the aid of animated diagrams, Graham Weaver briefly explains how the technologist goes about modelling his system. Chris Pinches goes on to model the physical processes which transmit sound down the telephone. He models sound waves in the air with a Kundt's tube and then shows that a loudspeaker can also be used to generate an electrical signal current. Graham Weaver and Chris Pinches explains why a telephone does not need to have hi-fi quality to be a useful instrument. Nigel Cross discusses another problem facing the designer of a telephone system - how to take into account the peripherals such as directories, dialing code books, etc. which are needed before the phone can be used. Chris Pinches explains, briefly, why an all number telephone code was adopted internationally for the telephone system. Nigel Cross and Graham Weaver discuss the assumptions designers make about what people want from their telephones and the difficulty of knowing what people want. Shots of some early telephones and of some very up to date models. Commentary by Nigol Cross explains how telephone design has changed over the years. Nigel Cross goes on with his discussion of the difficulty of designing telephones and telenhone systems which meet peoples needs. Chris Pinches points out some developments such as conference calls, which go some way towards meeting peoples needs. Chris Pinches shows how modelling the way people use telephones can be of help when designing links between telephone users and between telephone exchanges. With the aid of animated graphs, Graham Weaver shows how the telephone system copes with periods of peak demand. Again, with the aid of animations, he contrasts this to the methods used by the electricity supply industry to meet peak demand. Nigel Cross briefly lists some of the other large systems which interact with the telephone system. As a final example of the difficulty facing the designer, Graham Weaver points out some of the extraordinarily complex set of relevant properties of systems which go beyond those which can reasonably be modelled. Weaver goes on to summarise the programme. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/72041 |
| Production number: | 00525_5195 |
| Videofinder number: | 2146 |
| Available to public: | no |
