1 | <?php |
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2 | $seiten_id = 'gamma10'; |
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3 | $version = '$Id: gamma10.php 317 2012-11-15 07:27:55Z heribert $'; |
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4 | $title = 'A second generation calculator: The BULL GAMMA 10'; |
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5 | |
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6 | require "../../lib/technikum29.php"; |
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7 | ?> |
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8 | <h2>A second generation calculator: The BULL GAMMA 10</h2> |
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9 | |
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10 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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11 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-10.jpg" |
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12 | alt="BULL GAMMA 10" width="640" height="390" /> |
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13 | <p class="bildtext"><b>BULL Gamma 10 electronic data processing system</b></p> |
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14 | </div> |
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15 | |
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16 | <p> |
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17 | In 1963 BULL (General Electric) presented the BULL GAMMA 10 (G10) |
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18 | which was intended for commercial purpose and puchcard |
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19 | computing. It was the direct successor of the <a |
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20 | href="tabulating-machine.php">Tabulating Machine</a>. |
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21 | Compared to the really big mainframes, the G10 was intended to |
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22 | be set up in a 20 square meter room, without air conditioning. |
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23 | The maximum power input was 2.5 kW. |
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24 | <br/>The standard equipment contains a CPU with |
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25 | panel, a punchcard reader/puncher unit and a barrel printer. |
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26 | The RAM consists of a 1kb core memory which could be |
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27 | extended up to 4kb capacity. There are 59 different |
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28 | opcodes to program the CPU. |
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29 | <br/>The cycle time from the core memory is 7 micro |
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30 | seconds. The calculator is capable of reading and |
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31 | punching 300 cards per minute. Five punchcards per |
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32 | second, that is an amazing speed – |
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33 | therefore the punching unit is generously built. The |
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34 | printer can only print up to 300 lines per minute. Compared |
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35 | to our <a href="univac9400.php">Univac 9400</a> this |
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36 | is quite slow – the Univac 9400 is capable of |
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37 | printing more than 1000 lines per minute. |
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38 | </p> |
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39 | <div class="box center manuelle-bildbreite" style="width: 650px;"> |
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40 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma10,offen.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 without panels" width="650" height="564" /></div> |
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41 | <div class="box center manuelle-bildbreite" style="width: 650px;"> |
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42 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma10,rueckseite.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 from the back" width="650" height="633" /> |
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43 | |
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44 | |
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45 | <p class="bildtext"><b>Gamma 10 uncovered</b></p> |
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46 | </div> |
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47 | |
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48 | <p> |
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49 | The chassis is metallic bright and glossy. It is clearly arranged |
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50 | and therefore the machine is quite easy to maintain. |
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51 | <!-- |
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52 | <br/>We want to repair this computer, too (see our page |
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53 | <a href="/en/search.php">We are looking for...</a>). By now the |
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54 | complete mechanics works again. After tuning the temperature |
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55 | of the heated core memory and switching some defect |
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56 | transistors, we can already execte a program for duplicating |
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57 | punch cards, as well as the first mathematical programs. |
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58 | That's really sensational for such an old computer. |
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59 | --> |
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60 | <br>By now the whole mechanics are working again, which is the core |
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61 | part of the computer. After adjusting the temperature of the |
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62 | heated core memory and replacing some broken transistors, the |
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63 | program for duplication punch cards runs again, as well as some |
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64 | mathematical programs. |
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65 | </p> |
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66 | |
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67 | <!-- Idiotisch - den selben Absatz unten nochmal uebersetzt, sogar mit Bild --> |
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68 | <!-- |
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69 | <div class="box left"> |
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70 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/modul-gamma10.jpg" |
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71 | alt="Typical GAMMA 10 module" height="345" width="485"> |
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72 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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73 | This is one of 570 modules from the GAMMA 10 computer. |
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74 | On the base plate the conductor tracks are aligned |
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75 | horizontally while they are aligned vertically on the |
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76 | small boards (flip flops, amplifier, etc.). Almost all |
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77 | transistors are still Germanium transistors. |
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78 | </p> |
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79 | <div class="clear"></div> |
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80 | </div> |
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81 | --> |
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82 | |
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83 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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84 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/steuerpult.jpg" |
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85 | alt="A part from the control panel" width="485" height="379" /> |
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86 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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87 | The control panel could be used for monitoring running |
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88 | programs, as well as for early "test driven development" |
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89 | for programmers. <!-- hehe --> |
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90 | <br/>The picture shows details of the programmer's part of |
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91 | the control panel. These buttons and switches are intended |
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92 | for debugging a program step-by-step and for reading out |
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93 | the contents of registers, the ALU and RAM, and, finally, |
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94 | for assembling and executing new computer instructions. |
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95 | <br/>All output is driven by lime-green "DM 160" miniature |
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96 | tubes. |
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97 | </p> |
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98 | </div> |
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99 | |
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100 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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101 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/modul-gamma10.jpg" |
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102 | alt="Picture of a typical BULL GAMMA 10 module (board)" |
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103 | width="485" height="345" /> |
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104 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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105 | This is a picture of a typical GAMMA 10 board. On the mainboard, |
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106 | all conductor paths are aligned horizontally while on the small |
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107 | plug-in boards (flip-flops, amplifiers, etc.) they are mostly |
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108 | vertically oriented. Almost all transistors are made of germanium. |
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109 | <br/>The slow non-time-critical logic (like card controlling) |
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110 | is performed by 573 relays. Building up such an amount of |
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111 | wear parts is quiete brave. <!-- stupid mode... --> |
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112 | <br/>Summing up, there were about 570 boards like this one in |
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113 | the GAMMA 10 (without counting the printer interface). The |
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114 | GAMMA 10 was sold as a quite cheap electronic data processing |
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115 | system. We have gotten an original list of prices for this device |
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116 | from 1968/69, when this model was already out-of-date and |
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117 | hence very cheap: |
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118 | <br/>CPU with 4kB core memory: 267.000,- DM (about 133.000,- Euro or Dollar) |
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119 | <br/>Printer: 105.000,- DM (about 50.000,- Euro, Dollar) |
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120 | </p> |
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121 | </div> |
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122 | |
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123 | <p>While our GAMMA 10 is in a very good shape, we cannot use the |
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124 | printer any more, since all electronics are missing.<br> |
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125 | But we were very lucky: We got a printer from the "Federation des Equipes Bull" |
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126 | from France which is a perfect match for our Gamma 10. Although some parts like |
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127 | the outer enclosing are missing we can use parts from another printer that is |
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128 | beyond repair to restore this printer to working condition. Nevertheless this |
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129 | will be a lot of work.</p> |
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130 | |
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131 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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132 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-i50.jpg" alt="Drucker-Fragment" width="640" height="480" /> |
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133 | <div class="bildtext"> |
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134 | <p><b>Printer waiting for its restoration</b> |
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135 | </div></div></p> |
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136 | |
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137 | |
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138 | |
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