Alec Reeves
Alec Harley Reeves CBE (10 March 1902 – 13 October 1971) was an English scientist best known for his invention of pulse-code modulation (PCM). He was awarded 82 patents.[1]
Early life
Alec Reeves was born in Redhill, Surrey in 1902 and was educated at the Reigate Grammar School, followed by a scholarship to the City and Guilds Engineering College in 1918, and then postgraduate studies at Imperial College London in 1921.[2]
Career
Reeves joined the
condenser microphones.[3]
Pulse Code Modulation
Reeves recognised the potential that
Second World War for secure communications links, such as the SIGSALY system used for encrypted voice communications between Roosevelt and Churchill
.
World War II
Following the invasion of France by Germany in 1940, Reeves escaped over the Spanish border and then made his way back to England aboard a cargo ship. He joined the
GEE', a system that performed well, but was susceptible to jamming and was not accurate enough for blind bombing of targets at night or through thick cloud. Together with Frank Jones of the Telecommunications Research Establishment, Reeves developed a new system called 'Oboe', which offered pin-point accuracy to within 50 yds (45m), and was resistant to jamming. 'Oboe' was to prove invaluable to the Royal Air Force, during Bomber Command's offensive against Germany.[4]
Post War
After the war, Alec Reeves managed a team led by
optical fibres as a means of communicating large quantities of information. Kao was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics for his part in this achievement. Reeves worked at STL until retirement. He was awarded the Stuart Ballantine Medal in 1965[5] and also the CBE in 1969.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Alec Harley Reeves – Patents". Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ "Biographies: A.H.Reeves". IET.org. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ David Robertson (2002). "Reeves, Alec Hartley". Privateline.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85296-218-3.
- ^ "Franklin Laureate Database". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
- Peter Young (1983). Power of Speech: A History of Standard Telephones and Cables, 1883–1983. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9780043820391.
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