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4 | <head><!--#set var="title" value="Punch card tabulator" |
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12 | --><title>Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" --></title> |
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13 | |
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14 | <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/head.inc.shtm" --> |
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16 | <meta name="DC.Title" content="Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" -->" /> |
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18 | <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id$" /> |
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19 | <meta name="t29.germanoriginal" content="08.04.2008/v5.7.21" /> |
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20 | <meta name="t29.thistranslation" content="01.01.2009/03:08" /> |
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21 | <meta name="t29.comment" content="sync from the scratch" /> |
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22 | <!-- v5.7.5: Bildübersetzungsteile von Ulmann --> |
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23 | <!--changelog: 18.06.2008/v5.7.22 based on 08.04.2008/v5.7.21: Komplettaenderungen an der Tabelliermaschine, GAMMA 3+10 neu --> |
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24 | </head> |
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25 | <body> |
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26 | <!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" --> |
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27 | <div id="content"> |
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28 | <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2> |
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29 | |
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30 | <p>Tabulating machines were widely used when electronic data processing |
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31 | began in the 1950s. These big machines were called "technical marvels": |
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32 | At a glance at the inner life you can see what special art of |
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33 | ingeneering was performed at that time. This kind of technology appears |
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34 | odd for today's folks.</p> |
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35 | |
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36 | <p>The tabulating machine BULL BS-PR was constructed in October 1956, thus it |
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37 | is the oldest pice of EDP in the museum. At these days you could buy it |
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38 | for about 260.000 German marks (about 62.000 US$). |
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39 | Nevertheless even medium-sized businesses had to buy these punch card |
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40 | machines to work economically.</p> |
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41 | |
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42 | <p>On high quality tabulating machines the patch panel could be replaced to |
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43 | perform very different tasks. By plugging the cables on the programming field |
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44 | cleverly, even some scientifical caluclations could be solved. |
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45 | <br/>For every new program the software engineer had to plug a new |
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46 | programming field. The only data input medium are punch cards. Therefore |
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47 | we own other machines that are also operational to perform card driven EDP, |
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48 | that is, devices for creation, sorting, mixing, etc. the cards.</p> |
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49 | |
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50 | <p>Our tabluating machine is now even capable of calculating and printing bank |
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51 | statements as well as multiplying and dividing. |
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52 | <!-- <LOL> --> |
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53 | <br/>In the year 1959 some BULL engineer asked himself why there was not some |
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54 | algorithm for the tabulating machine somewhere outside to compute square roots. |
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55 | Since he was bored, he knew already dozens of simple algorithms he learned |
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56 | in his study of computer science and he wanted to gouge his friends, he |
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57 | bet them that you could compute square roots of any real number with a |
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58 | tabulating machine. Since his friends have not studied computer science, |
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59 | they bet against it. The engineer made some programming efforts and won |
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60 | the bet. We came across that program, so we are currently trying to get |
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61 | it back running, so we can relive that historical moment. <!-- </LOL> --> |
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62 | </p> |
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63 | |
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64 | <p><small>We would like to thank the <a href="www.feb-d.de">F.E.B. |
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65 | (Federation des Equipes Bull) Deutschland e.V.</a> for their assistance |
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66 | of the reperation of the tabulating machine</small></p> |
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67 | |
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68 | <div class="box center"> |
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69 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/tabelliermaschine.jpg" width="679" height="658" alt="Bull PS BR Tabulating Machine" /> |
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70 | <p class="bildtext">The <b>Tabulating Machine Bull BS-pr</b>: With closed walls it |
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71 | looks like a strange chunk made of metal, but it comprises impressive |
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72 | electromechanical technology. |
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73 | <br />Multiplying and dividing mechanically needs lots of time. To shorten |
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74 | this amount of time, you could attach the "electronical calculator" BULL |
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75 | GAMMA 3. The auxiliary tube calculator was only used for this purpose. |
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76 | Unfortunately it is no more available.</p> |
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77 | </div> |
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78 | |
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79 | <!-- |
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80 | 3 Bilder im Deutschen entfernt nach v5.7.21, zugunsten zwei einzelner. |
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81 | |
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82 | <div class="box left"> |
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83 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/rechenwerke.jpg" alt="Photography of the ALU" width="357" height="476"/> |
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84 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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85 | The picture on the left shows the heart of the Bull BS-PR. In the foreground the card sensing circuitry can be seen. Every card is sensed twice – the first run determines if it is a program or a data card while the second run (below) reads the actual data. In addition to that this mechanism allows the comparison of successive cards. |
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86 | </p> |
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87 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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88 | </div> |
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89 | |
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90 | <div class="box left"> |
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91 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais.jpg" alt="Partial view of the relays" width="400" height="533" /> |
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92 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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93 | The control and memory of the machine is comprised of about 1500 relays. 10 ALUs work in parallel and are driven and synchronized by the large main motor. Every revolution engages about 300 sliding contacts. |
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94 | </p> |
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95 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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96 | </div> |
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97 | |
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98 | <div class="box left"> |
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99 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen.jpg" alt="Vorderansicht der geöffneten Bull-Tabelliermaschine" width="569" height="396" /> |
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100 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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101 | The picture on the left shows part of the complicated printing unit – in every step a complete line is printed (like later line printers did). |
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102 | </p> |
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103 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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104 | </div> |
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105 | --> |
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106 | |
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107 | <div class="box left"> |
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108 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais1.jpg" |
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109 | alt="Partial view of the relays" width="312" height="416"/> |
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110 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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111 | The control and memory of the machine is comprised of about 1500 relays. |
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112 | <br/>10 ALUs work in parallel and are driven and synchronized by the large main motor. |
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113 | Every revolution engages about 300 sliding contacts. In the upper part of the picture |
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114 | you can see three ALUs. Only one of the ALUs is broken, that is quite astonishing in |
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115 | view of the old age. |
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116 | </p> |
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117 | <div class="clear"></div> |
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118 | </div> |
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119 | |
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120 | <div class="box center"> |
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121 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/rechenwerke.jpg" alt="ALUs of the Bull tabulating machine" width="555" height="329" /> |
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122 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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123 | We exposed two of the 10 ALUs for an one-of-a-kind photo. The principle of sprocket wheel |
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124 | machines is visible to the naked eye. All calculation work is performed only by mechanical |
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125 | components and read in electronically by touch-sensitive contacts. You can even read out |
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126 | the current arithmetic register contents: They are both <i>144</i>. Carries are also |
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127 | performed purley mechanically. It's hardly imaginable that these machines worked more than |
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128 | 12 hours every day without any serious problems. |
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129 | </p> |
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130 | </div> |
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131 | |
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132 | <div class="box center"> |
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133 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen1.jpg" |
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134 | alt="Front view of the BULL BS PR Tabulating Machine" width="555" height="325"/> |
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135 | <p class="bildtext-bildbreite" style="width: 555px;"> |
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136 | This picture partly shows the complicated printing unit – in |
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137 | every step a complete line is printed (like later line printers did). |
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138 | <br/>In the foreground you can see the punchcard feeder. Every punchcard is |
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139 | read in two times. At the first scan the machine detects wheter the card is |
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140 | a controller card or a data card whereas at the second scan the machine reads |
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141 | the content from the card. |
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142 | <br/>Additionally, the machine is capable of comparing the content of two |
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143 | consecutive cards. |
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144 | </p> |
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145 | </div> |
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146 | |
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147 | |
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148 | <h2><a name="bull3">A first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3</a></h2> |
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149 | <div class="box left"> |
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150 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3.jpg" |
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151 | alt="The BULL GAMMA 3, closed state" width="156" height="210" /> |
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152 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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153 | The BULL GAMMA 3 was build since 1952. It could be connected to several |
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154 | punchcard devices, for example to the Tabulating Machine BS, to the |
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155 | card copier PRD and to the ULP puncher. |
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156 | <br/>Our GAMMA 3 installation is fully developed and features seven |
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157 | delay line memory units each with a capacity of 12 decimal digits. To |
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158 | extend the built-in memory, there were special so-called "storage cabinets" |
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159 | that contained additional 24 storage units, each with a capacity |
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160 | of 12 decimal numbers. |
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161 | <br/>Summing up, the calculator features almost 400 electron tubes. |
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162 | Thyratrons were used to connect this fast calculator to the slow |
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163 | punchcard auxillary devices. A thyratron tube is capable of saving |
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164 | temporary digital states. |
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165 | </p> |
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166 | <div class="clear"></div> |
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167 | </div> |
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168 | |
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169 | <div class="box center"> |
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170 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3-offen.jpg" |
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171 | alt="BULL GAMMA 3 Innen" width="690" height="517" /> |
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172 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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173 | The modules could be folded out, hence the calculator is quite |
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174 | service friendly. Two big fans circulate fresh air thorught the |
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175 | case. On the left you can see a part of the big power supply – |
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176 | 39 fuses keep the electric circuits seperated for additional security. |
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177 | |
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178 | <br/>When this calculator is connected to our BULL Tabulating Machine, |
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179 | all the information from the papertape reader brushes are directly |
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180 | transfered to the GAMMA 3. Thus programs and data can be manipulated |
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181 | directly by the GAMMA 3. The output is transfered back to the |
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182 | printing unit from the Tabulating Machine. |
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183 | </p> |
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184 | </div> |
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185 | |
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186 | |
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187 | <h2><a name="bull10">A second generation calculator: The BULL GAMMA 10</a></h2> |
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188 | <div class="box center"> |
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189 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-10.jpg" |
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190 | alt="BULL GAMMA 10" width="640" height="390" /> |
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191 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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192 | In 1963 BULL General Electric presented the BULL GAMMA 10 |
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193 | which was intended for commercial purpose and puchcard |
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194 | computing. The standard equipment contains a CPU with |
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195 | panel, a punchcard reader/puncher unit and a barrel printer. |
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196 | The RAM consists of a 1kb core memory which could be |
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197 | extended up to 4kb capacity. There are 59 different |
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198 | opcodes to program the CPU. |
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199 | <br/>The cycle time from the core memory is 7 micro |
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200 | seconds. The calculator is capable of reading and |
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201 | punching 300 cards per minute. Five punchcards per |
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202 | second, that is an amazing speed – |
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203 | therefore the punching unit is generously built. The |
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204 | printer can only print up to 300 lines per minute. Compared |
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205 | to our <a href="univac9400.shtm">Univac 9400</a> this |
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206 | is quite slow – the Univac 9400 is capable of |
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207 | printing more than 1000 lines per minute. |
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208 | </p> |
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209 | </div> |
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210 | |
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211 | <div class="box center"> |
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212 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-10-offen.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 without panels" style="float:left;" width="367" height="360" /> |
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213 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma-10-von-hinten.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 from the back" style="float:right;" width="268" height="360" /> |
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214 | <div class="clear"></div> |
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215 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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216 | The chassis is metallic bright and glossy. It is clearly arranged |
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217 | and therefore the machine is quite easy to maintain. |
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218 | <br/>We want to repair this computer, too (see our page |
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219 | <a href="/en/search.shtm">We are looking for...</a>). By now the |
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220 | complete mechanics works again. After tuning the temperature |
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221 | of the heated core memory and switching some defect |
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222 | transistors, we can already execte a program for duplicating |
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223 | punch cards, as well as the first mathematical programs. |
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224 | That's really sensational for such an old computer. |
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225 | </p> |
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226 | </div> |
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227 | |
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228 | <div class="box left"> |
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229 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/modul-gamma10.jpg" |
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230 | alt="Typical GAMMA 10 module" height="345" width="485"> |
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231 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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232 | This is one of 570 modules from the GAMMA 10 computer. |
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233 | On the base plate the conductor tracks are aligned |
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234 | horizontally while they are aligned vertically on the |
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235 | small boards (flip flops, amplifier, etc.). Almost all |
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236 | transistors are still Germanium transistors. |
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237 | </p> |
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238 | </div> |
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239 | |
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240 | </div><!-- end of content --> |
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