Dial calipers and a counting probe were interfaced to a Hewlett–Packard 9845 minicomputer. Data input into computer memory can be output on the computer display screen or the computer printer, or stored on tape. A comparison of automatic and manual dial calipers showed that measuring, recording, and magnetic tape storage of data was twice as fast with the automatic system; measurements made on a hard object were less precise with manual as with the automatic calipers; but 95% of the repeated automatic measurements on the same object were within ±0.2 mm. Intercaliper differences between the four calipers studied exceed 0.1 mm with the same operater. Other sources of variation such as pressure of caliper jaws on measured parts, inter-caliper differences, and inter-scientist technique, probably exceed the error introduced by automation. Automatic measuring avoids mis-writing, -reading, and -keying the values into the computer. We conclude that automatic measurement offers benefits to museum taxonomy, other sciences, and industries. Interfaces are now commercially available for programmable pocket calculators as well as computers. Battery power supplies make these portable.Key words: measurements, counts, calipers, computer, calculator, measuring board, fish
Design of equi-interference lines in CDMA mobile systems