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4<head><!--#set var="title"        value="UNIVAC 9200, UNIVAC 9300"
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11   --><!--#set var="next_title"   value="UNIVAC 9400 mainframe computer, data center"
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15    <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id: univac9200.shtm 203 2010-10-16 23:16:34Z sven $" />
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18<!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" -->
19<div id="content">
20    <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2>
21       
22        <p>The Univac 9200 (Univac 9300) is a punch card computing data center from 1966. It is
23           uncommon that such old devices are completely preserved, even all the
24           manuals are available. This system was stored for over four years in the museum
25           archives until we moved it with a freight company into the museum, next
26           to the <a href="univac9400.shtm">UNIVAC 9400</a>.</p>
27           
28        <p>After moving the devices with a trucking company to the museum building,
29           the restoration started with cleaning all the devices, initially removing the typical
30           old, rotten noise-absorbing mats at the very first. They have been replaced by
31           brand new cellular rubber.</p>
32
33    <p>We expect most of the problems to be with the mechanical parts in the cabinets.
34       Already we have removed the transportation locks and replaced some bearings,
35           drive rollers and belts. The card puncher features 15 timing belts, for instance.
36           The card reader (500 cards/minute) works again and the puncher mechanics are
37           now executable, too. The processor link to these auxillary devices is another
38           issue and will be checked in the near future.</p>
39
40                <div class="box center auto-bildbreite">
41                        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac9300.jpg" alt="UNIVAC 9300" width="700" height="375" />
42                        <p class="bildtext">
43                                <b>UNIVAC 9300</b> electronic data processing system, with its components (left
44                                to right): bar printer, cpu, "electronic cabinet" (power supply and plated wire
45                                memory), card reader, card puncher.
46                        </p>
47                </div>
48               
49        <p>For aesthetic reasons, we also repainted the cabinets.</p>
50        <p>We will address the bar printer at a later time. In contrast to the already
51       mentioned devices, the printer cannot be controlled manually, so we will
52           have to start up the processor, too. This will be a buggy job.
53           But all the work is not for nothing, <!-- sic! gute uebersetzung -->
54           since the system is really unique, featuring punch card assembler programming.</p>
55
56        <p>We will continously update this page about the progress of the reparation
57           until the device is fully functional again.</p>
58
59        <div class="box center auto-bildbreite">
60        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac9200.jpg" alt="UNIVAC 9300" width="700" height="368" />
61                <p class="bildtext"><b>UNIVAC 9300</b> electronic data processing system, uncovered while being restored</p>
62        </div>
63
64
65        <h3 id="blog">Restoration Blog</h3>     
66        <p><b>17.01.2010:</b> There were some mice in the power supply and printer; they
67           bit thorugh some small cables.
68        <p><b>16.02.2010:</b> After locating two defective resistors the power supply is
69           running again. Now we can use punch card devices from the CPU. Actually
70           we cannot read nor punch data.
71        <br>Now there is another malfunctioning device: The <a href="storage-media.shtm#plated-wire-storage">
72           plated wire storage</a> does not work. We are trying to get it working at least partially,
73           replacing it with a new self-made solid state memory. As you can read on our
74           <a href="/en/devices/plated-wire-storage.shtm">detailed description of the
75           plated wire storage</a>, this type of memory has always been very error-prone.
76        <div class="desc-right">
77                <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/9300pannel.jpg" alt="UNIVAC 9300 Front palen" width="400" height="296" />
78                <p class="bildtext" style="width:400px;"><b>UNIVAC 9300 front panel:</b> 160
79                states of processor and periphery can be indicated with light bulbs and
80                selected via switches.</p>
81        </div>
82        <p><b>15.04.2010:</b> The boot process of the device is still crashing. There is
83            an error message from the printer without any reason. We are trying to
84                locate this error.
85        <p><b>02.05.2010:</b> A broken thyristor (hammer driver) raised the
86            "printer error" message. Data integrity was the most important consideration at the
87                time. If only one of the 140 printer columns is not working correctly, the whole
88                printer goes offline to avoid any wrong output.
89        <p><b>10.05.2010:</b> We managed to get the plated wire storage online. We
90            can even start some small test programs via the input switches, but there are
91                bugs while running. This is perhaps the only device that still uses the old
92                plated wire storage. Anyway, we are planing a replacement.
93        <p><b>12.06.2010:</b> After calibrating the optical card reader, we could read in
94           and execute small programs in the data memory. We will report about the high
95           security level of the card reading process later. Surprisingly the plated wire
96           storage still works.</p>
97        <p><b>16.06.2010:</b> The card puncher doesn't work any more. 30 years of inactivity
98           are a long time for computers, too.
99           <br>On the other side, we could execute a printer loop program. The huge printer
100           starts up, but doesn't print yet. After two minutes, a thermal fuse triggers.</p>
101        <p><b>25.06.2010:</b> The fuse is triggerd by a broken centrifugal switch from the
102           printer engine start-up windings. Therefore the winding was always on and
103           constantly dissipated current. Now the engine is running, but print commands
104           are not yet executed.
105           <br>We also found a bug in the memory. Now all 8kB seem to run completely
106           error-free.</p>
107        <p><b>30.06.2010:</b> We located another bug in the printer logic (faulty
108           transistor). For the first time in 30 years, the bar printer works and is capable of
109           printing files from various punch cards. The type face looks good.
110           <br>Now we turn to the damaged printer.</p>
111        <p><b>05.08.2010:</b> After replacing a broken transistor and injecting some oil,
112           the puncher is up and running! Now we are able to dublicate punch cards.
113           Unfortunately we had to disable the error checking functions since the device
114           detected a non-existing error when punching. Locating this error is the next
115           problem.</p>
116        <p><b>26.08.2010:</b> Locating the bug in the device's internal error checking
117           of punched data was hard work. The computer compares the data which should be
118           punched with the position of the hammers in the punch station in a very
119           complex way. One of the 24 inductive sensing elements was broken,
120           furthermore a transistor which amplifies the particular induced voltage was
121           out of order and there was a cold solder joint. Finally the complete sensing
122           station had to be recalibrated to deliver all information simultaneously to
123           the comparing element. The adjustment has only a margin of 5 microseconds.
124           After this repair, all duplicated punch cards are checked too. If there
125           is a wrong punch hole, the computer stops immediately (an event that occurs
126           extremely rarely now).</p>
127       
128        <p><i>This blog will be irregulary continued.</i></p>
129
130</div><!-- end of content -->
131<!--#include virtual="/en/inc/menu.inc.shtm" -->
132</body>
133</html>
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