In recent years there has been a pronounced emphasis to develop alphanumeric display systems for document creation, filing, and text editing applications. This paper describes the design of a raster scan Display Processor which was specifically implemented to produce full page images ( 8½ in × 11 in or 11 in × 8½ in) which emulate typewriter output. A dual data path architecture is presented in which a Character Generator produces video images of text data, while a FAX Generator generates bit map video images corresponding to graphic forms used in the office. The design approach chosen provides degrees of functional richness that are not commonly present in current systems. Furthermore, the modular approach allows for a choice of whether or not to include forms overlay capability based on application requirements.

A real-time two-dimensional hybrid processor consisting of a coherent optical system, an optical/digital interface, and a PDP-11/15 control minicomputer is described. The input electrical-to-optical transducer is an electron-beam addressed potassium dideuterium phosphate (KD2PO4) light valve. The requirements and hardware for the output optical-to-digital interface, which is constructed from modular computer building blocks, are presented. Initial experimental results demonstrating the operation of this hybrid processor in phased array radar data processing, synthetic aperture image correlation, and text correlation are included. The applications chosen emphasize the role of the interface in the analysis of data from an optical processor and possible extensions to the digital feedback control of an optical processor.