Foreword

Mr. Microwave-Frequency & Time-Automatic Measurements-Computer
VP MCG -- Richard W. Anderson

The 1960s were years of business breakout for Hewlett Packard, acquisitions, divisionalization, globalization, moves out of Palo Alto, dramatic new measurement technologies to advance the visionary projects of the nation, Men on the Moon, semi-conductors, communications, computers and much more.

If you bought a microwave spectrum analyzer of the time, you got a two-conversion super-heterodyne WWII design, a hand-crank Klystron first local oscillator and a sweeping second conversion stage with 100 MHz sweep width. What you bought and DIDN'T want, was the screen full of signal images-spaced by 2x the second stage at 240 MHz. These confusing images responded to all the harmonics of the Klystron stage. You bought a lot of frustration.

HP's brilliant solution in 1964, was the HP 8551, with a 2000 MHz sweep width, a calibrated dynamic range of 60 dB, and a 10-times reduction of those frustrating image signals. Even priced at $9500, it became the go-to diagnostic tool for modern microwave designers and system engineers. With his 1963 Stanford Masters degree, Dick was on the RF team of the 8551. The business recession of the 1962 - 1964 years had plateaued our revenues at $24 million. I was Marketing Manager, and had forecast 20 units per month (about $3 M). Imagine our delight when this one product soon reached $8 million per year.

Dick's promotion to Project Manager led to the 1967 introduction of the HP 8410 Microwave Network Analyzer, arguably the most significant product line of the Microwave Division of that decade. It exploited a new dual channel receiver for measuring amplitude and phase of microwave signals, using a new sampling diode technology, giving very usable test signals to 18 GHz. For microwave component design, it was a game changer, with the HP tutorials on Scattering Parameter analysis. It may have been R&D Manager Paul Ely who coined the phrase, "Stamp out Slotted Lines," which advanced from a time-consuming and frustration point by point data taking with hand produced Smith Charts. The 8410 put its measured Smith Chart right on the CRT display, as if by magic. Dick Anderson was on his HP way.

Riding on two massively-successful product developments, and his leadership of the 8410, Dick advanced in management quickly. In 1969, Al Bagley at the Frequency & Time Division came looking for his R&D Lab manager, to reorganize the resources of a crucially important product line of counters and data measurements to exploit the developing digital technologies of the time. This led to unique Fourier Analyzers and Cesium time standards and dimensional laser lines which refreshed that division's marketing face.

Next it was Dave Packard calling in 1971, after his return from Deputy Secretary of US DOD, he asked Dick to manage the Automatic Measurement Division. Spawned from the Dymec Division, it had been a lonely post, with a diverse product line and customer roster to try the souls of about 5 previous managers. It was HIGH-LEVEL, top-management selling at its best, million dollar contracts, supporting test programs of major aerospace and industrial customers and military contractors. This required major innovation in Customer Satisfaction. AMD was formed to leverage programmable instrument products into complete computerized measurement systems, one-off designs, built to specification and specialized requirements of large systems companies. These refrigerator sized test systems wove together powerful individual instruments with creative testing software and the latest instrumentation computers like the HP 2116A technology.

As we exploited that vast market, customer expectations were exceptional, HP would contract to provide an All-Up-Around measurement facility which could be installed in a customer production line and immediately begin to deliver test efficiency and accuracy. Compared to HP's history of individual lab bench instrument products, this corporate responsibility grew HP's reputation for system-wide capability, which was becoming huge business over in the Cupertino operations of the HP computer group.

Then in 1974, Computer Group Manager Paul Ely called. He brought Dick over to lead the complex arena of the Data Systems Division, mini-computers growing out of the 2116A. HP had started in computer technology in 1967 to stun the engineering world with the desktop engineering 9100A, and followed in 1972 with the bombshell pocket version, the HP-35. The key competitor was DEC who was well entrenched with the exploding mini-computer business, from academic training to industrial markets. The 2116A transitioned into smaller more powerful mini's. HP exploited our mini's successfully with the 2000A systems of Time-Share, running with GE's BASIC programming language.

By 1980, Dick got promoted again to lead the GSY division, which took on the audacious vision of challenging the Giant of Computing, IBM with a new technology RISC (reduced instruction set) and the model 3000A, a mid-sized powerhouse. There were massive technology problems to overcome, but Dick did it. That product line accomplished the impossible, what the "Seven Dwarfs" companies like Univac and Sperry, etc, failed to accomplish, to attack the Giant of the Industry, IBM. With IBM's dominance of Central Computing, both in technology and domineering marketing, the outcome was not obvious. The HP 3000 delivered the promise of truly distributed computing.

I was watching from other jobs at HP, at one point HP annual sales were around $500 million and IBM was $10 B. Then when HP got to $5 B, IBM was $40 B. Then HP was $20 and IBM $63. I may not recall these numbers exactly, but it was clear that HP's growth line was starting well behind, but catching up with a certainty that boggled the mind. But HP finally caught up in about 2005, at the $90 B point. Of course, our revenues were huge from the inkjet and laserjet printers, and HP personal computers and lab workstations contributed.

Dick Anderson was in the middle of this revolution with his skilled leadership. But one business incident sets him apart from most HP personnel. While a few in HP upper management were known outside the company; Barney Oliver, the 180 IQ genius of HP Labs, Bill and Dave, of course. Anderson became another technical media "star" at the point where semiconductor suppliers were building DRAMS (Dynamic Random Access Memories) for modern computer processors. Pioneered by US semiconductor leaders, demand had escalated global production to countries like Japan and Korea. HP was always on the lookout to qualify new suppliers everywhere. Since we sold our products into all countries, our Component Engineering Teams worked to equalize the balance of trade by sourcing qualified producers overseas.

So Dick showed up at the EIA Conference, on Mar 24, 1980, with a folder of overhead slides, to present some shocking data to this Trade Association. HP had run a comprehensive quality test on over 300,000 DRAMS from suppliers in the US and Japan. His conclusive data showed that Japan products met incoming specs up to 5 times better than the US. But more worrisome, Japan was up to 10 times more reliable measured in field failures. The business press exploded, and Dick's picture appeared across our technology magazines. It spoke to HP's obsession to build quality and reliability.

There was also a backstory to this PR event. One major reason that Japan DRAM manufacturers were able to build in such unheardof quality was that our Japanese HP/Yokogawa Division had pioneered in semi-conductor parameter testing. Companies like Hitachi were the first to install these testers into the middle of their production lines, to control the many material processes which were critical. We have attached a separate Editor's Note, written by HP author Chuck House which reviews the story.

In 1983, Dick came back to HP headquarters in Palo Alto, to assume leadership of the Microwave Communications Group. Along with that assignment came a new title, Vice President. This Group's divisions were scattered, Palo Alto, Santa Rosa, Spokane, Colorado, Scotland, Japan. This lineup was a powerhouse in industry but aerospace funding was weakening, so he urged his people to investigate opportunities in cellular and satellite communications, packet switching networks, network television, global positioning networks, fiber optic communications, surveillance systems, wireless interconnection, and rapidly emerging technologies.

The business analysis also pointed to closing the Palo Alto fabrication division, a holdover from the 1950, with several thousand employees. These decisions remain the most stressful, in respect of The HP WAY of dealing with long-term employees. Much of the production facility was sold to local suppliers, who also agreed to transfer employees. Serious efforts also were made to find transfer jobs in other HP operations.

Half of Dick's Memoir is devoted to his family and his non-HP activities. Of course he served on industry boards and volunteer groups. He returned to his rural roots with purchases of several ranches, and now lives and retires on a Utah ranch. His family heritage has expanded greatly and he proudly recounts all of their lives.

There are nuggets of unexpected revelations, for example, early on he emailed Dick Hackborn at the time of hiring of Carly Fiorina, that Dick Anderson showed clear doubt at the hiring decision. You will also learn of his causes and political leanings.

Dick's life story is a fascinating read. It spans enjoyable events of his growing up years, his family and his contributions to education benefactions at his alma mater, Utah State with the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Engineering Building are just the most notable. His life revolves around his Mormon Church and his love for ranching and the land. Sadly there were terrible times with family tragedies that try men's souls. But his spirit shows through as a singularly impressive family man, who persevered and can look back at great accomplishments. Of all our 40 HPMemoirs published here, I can say that Dick's story ranks with the top of lives well lived.

We have segmented his 200 page book into two stories. They are also downloadable.

John Minck