DEUCE, the production version of Pilot ACE- 1955
Deuce Computer (Photo courtesy of NPL)
Deuce (Digital Electronic Universal Computing Engine) was the production version of Pilot ACE, developed by the English Electric Co Ltd. The first DEUCE computer was installed at the RAE in May 1955. It ran its first main job on 13th June 1955.
Like the Pilot ACE, DEUCE used mercury delay lines backed by a magnetic drum for storage, punched cards for input, and operated at the comparatively fast digit rate of 1 megacycle. Physically the machine looked quite different from Pilot ACE consisting of a single large cabinet and a control desk. The logical design was a little changes although the opportunity was taken to make the electronics more robust where possible and the machine used rather more valves than that of Pilot Ace. Altogether 33 Deuces were built.
