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Ronald Hugh Barker

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Ronald Hugh Barker
FIEE FIMechE FInstP CEng
Barker in 2008
Born(1915-10-28)28 October 1915
Dublin, Ireland
Died7 October 2015(2015-10-07) (aged 99)
Bournemouth, England
Resting placeVerwood cemetery, Dorset, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Hull BSc 1938 University of London PhD 1954
Known forBarker code
AwardsIEE Heaviside Premium (1953) FIET(1960) FIMechE 1974) Fellow of the Institute of Physics(1962) Chartered Engineer (UK)(1966)
Scientific career
FieldsRadar Telemetry Encryption and Electrical Engineering
Institutions
Thesis The Servo Problem Involved in the Transmission of Angular Data by Pulse Code Modulation  (1954)

Ronald Hugh Barker FIEE (28 October 1915 – 7 October 2015)[1] was an Irish physicist and pioneer in his field of digital technology. Inventor of Barker code a method for synchronising digital communication to avoid corruption of the data received.

Barker's ground breaking contributions to digital technology have had a lasting influence on the design of digital communication systems and error-correcting codes. Barker codes continue to play a vital role in modern signal processing and communication technologies, demonstrating the enduring relevance of this mid-20th-century discovery in today’s highly interconnected world. The method has been studied and researched worldwide and is commonly used in most data transmissions today. His invention continues to be a fundamental tool in various modern technologies. Examples of applications include radar, mobile phone technology, telemetry, digital speech, ultrasound imaging and testing, GPS, Wi-Fi, radio frequency identification, barcodes, tracking, stock control and vehicle guidance.


Early life

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Ronald Hugh Barker was born in Dublin in 1915,[2] to English parents. His early education years were disrupted by his father's frequent periods of unemployment and moves between Dublin and England to find work as an artist [3] and stained glass window designer.[4] He was apprenticed to Hy. Jas. Salisbury a well known stained glass artist,[5] who can be found in Kelly's directory for 1912 as an Artist in stained glass, 50 Alma Road, St Albans.

Barker (pictured in the back row, second from the left), with his upper school rugby team

His father and family often stayed in meagre lodgings because his father's work was poorly paid and difficult to find. For much of the time, Barker (known since his childhood as Roy) lived at 17, Thomas Street, Heath and Reach with his grandfather, John Taylor and mother Linda Taylor.[6] At age 13 Barker was interviewed by Mr Fredrick Fairbrother, the headmaster of a new school, The Cedars (now known as Cedars Upper School) in Leighton Buzzard. After sitting for an entrance examination, he was admitted to the school. His father died soon after of pneumonia in Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland when Barker was aged 14. Despite the difficulties he excelled at school. His mother, a school teacher,[7] assisted in his education and taught him to play the piano and church organ at the Wesleyan Chapel, Birds Hill, Heath. After passing his Matriculation exam he won a scholarship to University College Hull and earned a 1st Class Honours degree in physics at the University of London in 1938.[2] As a result of being raised in a poor household, Roy throughout his life, preferred to construct his own gadgets, often from scrap materials using his own ingenuity. While at school Barker became interested in electronics. He built crystal radio sets and basic three vacuum tube radios using home made components such as rectifiers, transformers and loudspeakers. His first job coincided with the start of the World War 2. Scientists were declared to be a reserved occupation, which meant that he was not eligible for conscription thereby allowing him to pursue electronic research in his career.

Early career

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Warnham Court, Horsham, c. 1942

Barker joined Standard Telephones and Cables (STC), North Woolwich, London in 1938 to work in their thermionic valve department, designing dental X-ray tubes and equipment.[8] After a bombing raid over Woolwich in 1941, Roy resigned from STC, as he felt that his work on X-ray tubes [9] did not contribute to the war effort and returned to Heath and Reach where he met his future wife to be Wendy Emily Hunt [6] who was visiting one of her brothers billeted at Stockgrove Country Park near-by.

Barker then took up a new post as a temporary experimental officer at the Signals Experimental Establishment (SEE) for the Ministry of Supply. He initially worked at Woolwich Common, but the work soon moved to a temporary location at Warnham Court, near Horsham, England. Soon afterwards the establishment was moved to a safer site at at Somerford which had been vacated by the Air Defence Research and Development Establishment to become the Signals Research and Development Establishment (SRDE)[10][11] There, he assisted with the electronics design of Wireless Set No. 19, a standard wireless set used in various armoured vehicles and tanks in World War II. He also contributed to the design of portable two way radio sets for jungle use.[12][13]

In summer 1943, research staff were moved to Steamer Point, Christchurch, Dorset.[10] Barker was promoted to a Principal Scientific Officer becoming responsible for devising, developing and producing the first British telemetry system for guided weapons. In 1944 the UK guided weapons program came into being, for which Barker conducted telemetry research.[2] Weapons testing initially occurred at Ynyslas,[14] before a special guided weapons range was built at the Royal Aerospace Establishment (RAE) in Aberporth.[15] The first experimental system was named LOPGAP, an acronym of Liquid Oxygen Propelled Guided Anti-aircraft Projectile.[16] Soon after WWII had finished he was selected to report in on telemetry equipment used in development of the German A4 rocket at Peenemunde. The report was code named Messina is dated November 9th 1945.[17]

Fleet Air Arm Anson with the first British LOPGAP guided missile at Somerford Airfield, Christchurch, 29 May 1945. In place of the warhead, the missile includes telemetry testing equipment.
Telemetry trials at Ynyslas, Wales, 1945

In 1946, Barker attended the first International Telemetering Symposium at Princeton University, New Jersey when he read a paper describing his guidance system.[18] The report states "The proceedings are an interesting account of early telemetering work. Of the 37 papers presented, three summarised telemetering work in England. Examples of nearly all possible systems of modulation and multiplexing were reported".[19]

Barker also worked on aerial design to improve telemetry, writing two articles on the subject, one published in Wireless Engineer in November 1948.[20] and another on Multiple reflections between two receiving antennae published by the IEE.[21]

Barker joined the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) as a corporate member in 1945.[22] He remained a member until he died, a total period of 70 years.

Post-war career

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At the end of the war, Barker was appointed as a senior scientific officer to research speech cryptography, which involved work on early computers and digital transmission.[23] Barker used a technique by which speech waveforms were encoded digitally – similar to contemporary methods for encoding music – and then scrambled the stream of binary digits by multiplying it by a second stream produced synchronously in a pseudorandom number generator. During his time at SRDE, Barker led a team of 12 scientists. In 1948 he published an application for a patent which converted linear and angular movement into digital data. In this paper he states: "The invention is described throughout almost the entire specification in relation to data presented in the form of the angular position of a rotatable shaft but it will be appreciated that the methods and apparatus described are equally applicable to the measurement and recording of the position of a member capable of movement in a linear manner and consequently for a member capable of any conceivable movement". It was one of the first developments towards automation and robotics. The device is widely known as an rotary encoder. The patent granted is "Improvements in or relating to apparatus for the representation of data in a binary digital form".[24]

By 1952 his work on digital electronics had been extended to weapons controls,[25] servo systems and communication by pulse-code modulation,[26] for which Barker used the z-transform method for analysis, closely analogous to the Laplace transform.[27] Z transformations produce a discrete time signal having values for only discrete points in time. The need of discrete time signals arose due to the technological advancements in digital computers. In the appendix is the first list of transforms to be published.[28] For this work he won the Oliver Heaviside Premium award, given by the IEE for the best mathematical paper.[29]

Barker invented the Barker code, a well known method for synchronising digital communication systems, which he described in a paper entitled "Group Synchronisation of Binary Digital Systems".[30] The method was initially researched at the Signals Research and Development Establishment (SRDE) just after World War II, and was intended for use in radar, rocket telemetry and digital speech. In 1952, Barker found seven Barker sequences up to a length of 13 useful for correlation between the data transmitted and the data received. The Oxford Dictionary of Computer Science defines a Barker sequence as:

a sequence of symbols (binary or *q-ary) that, when embedded in a string of randomly chosen symbols (from the same alphabet), has zero autocorrelation except in the coincidence position. Barker sequences are used to check, and if necessary to correct, the synchronization and framing of received data.[31]

The Barker code is extensively used in digital electronics. Introduction of the code into a stream of digital data is a simple way to check the synchronisation and framing of the received data so that the data is understood correctly by the receiver. In layman terms Barker said: "A sequence of binary digits has very little meaning unless the significance of the individual digits is known."[32] Without a code any extraneous noisy data could disrupt the data being received turning it into gobbledegook. Radar reflections and space telemetry are particularly prone to noise. The Barker code has been used in near earth space communications, such as the Galileo global navigation satellite system, the Global Positioning System, Skylab[33] and on the Apollo missions.[34][35] Barker code was also used for early deep space exploration telemetry, such as the Pioneer 10 mission.[36] and in the Viking programme for the first landing on Mars[37]

In April 1954, Barker was awarded a PhD by the University of London. This led to an immediate promotion to Senior Principal Scientific Officer.[2] The following month he attended a 6-month staff course at the Joint Services Defence College, Latimer as a civilian. On completion of the course Barker took a new post as the assistant director of the Directorate of Electronics Research and Development (Air) at the Ministry of Supply headquarters,[13] where he was responsible for the technical administration of research and development in airborne radar, navigation aids, maritime devices and air communications.[38] In 1957 Barker returned to SRDE as Superintendent of Research.[8]

In 1959 Barker took a job as Director of the Central Electricity Research Laboratories (CERL) in Leatherhead,[8] where he was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the laboratories, as well as recruitment and increasing the scientific staff from 250 to 600 people. In September 1963 the IEE hosted the first London International Telemetering Conference.[39] The programme included a visit to CERL. Some of the work being undertaken at the laboratories included "Data Transmission Experiment on Land Lines" , "Development of a System of Automatic Load Distribution on the National Grid"; and "Turbine Blade Telemetering".

On 6 March 1962 Barker was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and in 1974 of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, serving on the Automatic Control committee of the latter.

Barker was elected a Fellow of the IEE on December 1, 1966. He served on various committees of the Power Division and the Control and Automation Division, becoming Division Chairman of the latter in 1971.[8] Between 1972 and 1974 he was a member of the IEE Council.[40] Barker was also a member of the IEE Supply Section, Membership and Local Centres Committees, of the Science & Education Joint Board and Membership Panel B, and of Professional Groups J6,S7, C5 and C7 (he was chairman of both the control groups). He remained active as a member until his death in 2015.[41]

Barker was named to the board of directors of the Pullin Group in 1961.[2][42] While there, he assembled a team of scientists to conduct optics research.[43] After the company was taken over by The Rank Organisation in 1964,[44] he became unhappy with the changes the Rank Organisation made to the company's operations. He had no say in this and it soon became apparent that he would have no opportunity for any interesting research, and the future looked uninviting. In 1965, Barker wrote an article on ball bearing motors.[45]

In 1965 Barker made his last career move, becoming deputy director of the Royal Armament Research Establishment (RARDE) at Fort Halstead, which afforded him the rank of chief experimental officer.[2] At Fort Halstead Barker was responsible for the assessment of non-nuclear weapons systems.[8] Barker retired in May 1979.

Personal life

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In 1943, Barker married Wendy Hunt[6] at the Church of St Augustine in South Croydon, and they had two sons. During retirement Roy belonged to three bridge clubs, playing duplicate bridge at county level. He was still playing at his local bridge club in Verwood until his 99th birthday. Barker died in Bournemouth hospital aged 99 on 7 October 2015.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Barker, Ronald Hugh, (28 Oct. 1915–7 Oct. 2015), Deputy Director, Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, 1965–75". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u6495. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barker, RH (28 August 1965). "Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment" (PDF). Nature. 207 (5000). 1965 Nature Publishing Group: 917. doi:10.1038/207917a0. S2CID 36121720. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ^ Barker, Ernest William. "Sunshine and Shadow off Whitby". Art UK. York Castle Museum. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. ^ 1901 Census Ernest William Barker Harpenden
  5. ^ Salisbury, H J. "H. J. Salisbury (about 1891-1920)". Stained glass in Wales. University of Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "Who's Who and Who was Who". London: A&CBlack. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  7. ^ Maureen Brown and June Masters (28 January 1998). Britain in Old Photographs. Sutton Publishing Ltd. p. 63. ISBN 0-7509-0871-8.
  8. ^ a b c d e "IEE Division Chairman 1971–72". Electronics and Power. 17 (10): 392. 1971. doi:10.1049/ep.1971.0271. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ^ Barker, Ronald Hugh (28 January 1944). "Elections". IET Archived Michrofiche (13378).
  10. ^ a b "Records of the Signals Experimental Establishment and Signals Research and Development Establishment". National Archives. AVIA 23, 61 and 74. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  11. ^ Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. "1941" (PDF). DSTL's History. Assets Publishing Service. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  12. ^ E. Gwynne Jones (1975). SRDE 1903-1973. Christchurch: Signals Research and Development Establishment. p. 30.
  13. ^ a b Barker, RH (1954). "Doctorate for Old Cedarian". Leighton Buzzard Observer. UDLLV15/27. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  14. ^ "People's Collection Wales The Collection Rocket Test Track Bases Ynulas Wales". Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  15. ^ "RAF Aberporth". A History of RAF Aberporth. p. 6. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Guidance of LOP/GAP, Liquid Oxygen and Petrol Guided Anti-aircraft Projectile". The National Archives. The National Archives, Kew. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  17. ^ Barker, R H (9 November 1945). "Report on Telemetry used in the Development of the German A4 Rocket at Peenemunde" (Document). The IET Archives: SRDE Library. p. NAEST 301/02/02.
  18. ^ various (1946). "Bumblebee Rept. 42". Princeton University Library. U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance, Contract NOrd-7920, Palmer Lab., Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  19. ^ Professor Lawrence Rauch (19–20 February 1972). "1972 Pioneer Award". IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems (4): 568. doi:10.1109/TAES.1972.309563. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  20. ^ Barker, RH (November 1948). "Rhombic Aerial Design Chart" (PDF). Wireless Engineer. 25 (302): 361–369. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  21. ^ LS Palmer; W Abson; RH Barker (September 1938). "Multiple reflections between two receiving antennae". Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. 83 (501). IET Digital library: 424–432. doi:10.1049/jiee-1.1938.0158. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  22. ^ Barker, RH (1972). "IEE Control & Automation Division: Chairman's address. Communications in control". Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. 119: 77. doi:10.1049/piee.1972.0014.
  23. ^ Dr R.H.Barker (1957). "Data processing and automatic computing machines held at Weapons Research Establishment Salisbury, South Australia, June 3rd–8th". Conference on Data Processing and Automatic Computing Machines, (1957: Salisbury S.A.). Weapons Research Establishment: 212–238. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  24. ^ Barker, RH (1951). "Improvements in or relating to apparatus for the representation of data in a binary digital form". European Patents Office. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  25. ^ Barker, RH (1956). "A transducer for digital data-transmission systems". Proceedings of the IEE - Part B: Radio and Electronic Engineering. 103 (7): 42–51. doi:10.1049/pi-b-1.1956.0117. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  26. ^ Barker, R.H. (1956). "A Servo System for Digital Data Transmissions". Proceedings of the IEE - Part B: Radio and Electronic Engineering. 103 (7): 52–64. doi:10.1049/pi-b-1.1956.0118. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  27. ^ Barker, R.H. (1952). "The pulse transfer function and its application to sampling servo systems". Proceedings of the IEE - Part IV: Institution Monographs. 99 (4): 302–317. doi:10.1049/pi-4.1952.0032. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  28. ^ Barker, RH (1953). "World Radio History" (PDF). Proceedings of the IRE. 41 (5): 700. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  29. ^ Barker, RH (25 June 1953). "IEE Council Minutes". No. 8 IET/ORG/2/1/20.
  30. ^ Barker, RH (1953). Group Synchronisation of Binary Digital Systems. Communication Theory: Butterworth. pp. 273–287.
  31. ^ Barker, RH (2016). Oxford Dictionary of Computer Science (7th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191768125. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  32. ^ Published in Communication Theory, edited by W Jackson, London, UK, Butterworths 1953 pp. 273–287
  33. ^ Lyndon B Johnson Space Center. "Skylab Programme Earth Resources Experiment Package, ref MSC-05546" (PDF). ntrs.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  34. ^ Bendix Aerospace Systems Division Manned Spacecraft Centre Houston. "Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package May 1969" (PDF). p. 5178.7.58, 3270.2.7 and 3270.5.38. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  35. ^ The Bendix Corporation. "Lunar Surface Exploration, 1971" (PDF). Bendix Technical Journal. 4 (2): 23. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  36. ^ Dale R Lumb; Larry B; Hoffman. "An Efficient Coding System for deep space probes with Specific Applications to Pioneer Programme August 1967" (PDF). NASA. p. 20. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  37. ^ Neil Holmberg; Robert Faust; H Milton Holt. "Viking Design '75 Spacecraft and Test Summary Volume I - Lander Design" (PDF). NASA Reference Publications. p. 47. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  38. ^ "Radio Department: Programme of DLRD(A)". The National Archives' catalogue. The National Archives Kew. 1954. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  39. ^ "First International Telemetering Conference, London". Wireless World: 565. November 1963.
  40. ^ "IEE Council Minutes 1972-74". IEE Archive Reference: IET/ORG/2/1/35 and 36.
  41. ^ Barker, RH (2 December 2015). "Ronald 'Roy' Barker FIET, October 1915-October 2015". IET Member News. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  42. ^ Barker, RH (2 April 1962). "Appointments". Financial Times: 9.
  43. ^ Barker, RH (6 December 1962). "Pullin Advertisement". The New Scientist (316): 591. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  44. ^ "R. B. Pullin and Co - Graces Guide". gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  45. ^ Barker, RH (January 1965). "Ball Race Motor". Electronics and Power. 11 (1): 38. doi:10.1049/ep.1965.0023. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

Further reading

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