# Cape Cod System

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The **Cape Cod System** was a computer system designed to simulate an [air defense](/source/Air_defense) system covering southern [New England](/source/New_England). It was named after [Cape Cod](/source/Cape_Cod), the location of many of the radars.

## History

The Cape Cod System was designed to demonstrate a computerized [air defense](/source/Air_defense) system, covering southern [New England](/source/New_England). Signals from three long range (AN/FPS-3) radars, eleven gap-filler radars, and three height-finding radars were converted from analog to digital format and transmitted over [telephone lines](/source/Telephone_line) to the [Whirlwind I](/source/Whirlwind_(computer)) computer in [Cambridge, Massachusetts](/source/Cambridge,_Massachusetts). The first tests of the Cape Cod System, beginning in September 1953, used only simulated data, but later tests used [U.S. Air Force](/source/U.S._Air_Force) [B-47 Stratojet](/source/B-47_Stratojet) bombers, as stand-ins for Soviet bombers, and real interceptors scrambled from four Air Force bases.

The Cape Cod System verified that the new core-based machine was fast enough for use in [SAGE](/source/Semi_Automatic_Ground_Environment), and an industrial effort was started in order to mass-produce the [AN/FSQ-7](/source/AN/FSQ-7) computers for this role. [RCA](/source/RCA_Corporation) was a front-runner, but [IBM](/source/International_Business_Machines) was eventually selected instead. They started production in 1957, along with a massive construction project to erect the buildings, power and communications network needed to feed the SAGE systems with data.

## External links

- [The SAGE Air Defense System](http://www.ll.mit.edu/about/History/SAGEairdefensesystem.html)
- [Building information](https://web.archive.org/web/20131220213958/http://www.computerbytesman.com/truro-birthplace-of-computer-networking/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cape Cod System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_System) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_System?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.