1 | <?php |
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2 | $seiten_id = 'univac'; |
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3 | $version = '$Id: univac9400.php 287 2012-08-16 09:02:07Z sven $'; |
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4 | $title = 'UNIVAC mainframe computer, data center'; |
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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>UNIVAC mainframe computer, data center</h2> |
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9 | |
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10 | <div class="box center" style="position:relative;"> |
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11 | <!-- Direkt kopiert von deutscher Datei, siehe dort --> |
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12 | <div style="position:absolute; top:0px;"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/panorama-rechts.jpg" alt="Photography of the complete Univac 9400 installation" /></div> |
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13 | <div style="height: 389px;"> </div> |
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14 | </div> |
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15 | |
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16 | <!-- old picture |
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17 | <p class="center"> |
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18 | <img src="/shared/photos/start/univac9400.jpg" alt="Photography of Univac 9400" width="595" height="446" /> |
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19 | </p> |
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20 | --> |
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21 | |
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22 | <ul class="univac-thumbs"> |
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23 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/panorama.shtm" name="backlink-link" title="Big photography from the left hand"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/panorama-links.klein.jpg" alt="picture 1: Univac 9400 from the left" height="107" /></a></li> |
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24 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/frontpanel.shtm" name="backlink-frontpanel" title="big picture from the frontpanel"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/frontpanel.klein.jpg" alt="picture 2: Univac 9400 frontpanel" height="379" /></a></li> |
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25 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/console+uniservo.shtm" name="backlink-console" title="big picture showing the console/Uniservo"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac//uniservo-12-16.klein.jpg" alt="picture 3: console und uniservo" height="165" /></a></li> |
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26 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" name="backlink-cardreader" title="big picture showing the card reader"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/kartenleser.klein.jpg" alt="picture 4: card reader" height="178" /></a></li> |
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27 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" name="backlink-cardreader2" title="big picture showing the card transporter (card reader)"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/kartentransport.klein.jpg" alt="picture 5: card transport in the card reader" height="318" /></a></li> |
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28 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/bandcontroller-lamps.shtm" name="backlink-bandcontroller" title="big picture showing the band controller"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/bandcontroller-laempchen.klein.jpg" alt="picture 6: indicator lights from the band controller" height="220" /></a></li> |
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29 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/discdrives.shtm" name="backlink-discdrives" title="big picture showing the disc drives"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/plattenlaufwerke.klein.jpg" alt="picture 7: disc drives" height="178" /></a></li> |
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30 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/highspeed-printer.shtm" name="backlink-highspeedprinter" title="big picture showing the Univac 9400 highspeed printer"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/schnelldrucker.klein.jpg" alt="picture 8: highspeed printer" height="232" /></a></li> |
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31 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/typical-board.shtm" name="backlink-board" title="big picture showing a typical board/module"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/typisches-board.klein.jpg" alt="picture 9: typical board" height="161" /></a></li> |
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32 | <li><a href="/en/computer/univac9200.shtm" name="backlink-univac9300" title="big picture showing the Univac 9300"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/univac9300klein.jpg" alt="picture 10: Univac 9300" height="127" /></a></li> |
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33 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/advertisement.shtm" name="backlink-advertisement" title="read an advertisement for the Univac 9400"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/werbung.klein.jpg" alt="picture 10: Univac 9400 advertising brochure" height="344" /></a></li> |
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34 | </ul> |
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35 | |
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36 | <!-- |
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37 | !- |
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38 | !- This page/version 5.5 is based on a translation |
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39 | !- performed by Bernd Ulmann [www.vaxman.de] |
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40 | !- |
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41 | !- My translation is probably still readable at |
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42 | !- www.technikum29.de/en/dev/preparation/univac9400.shtm |
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43 | !- |
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44 | !- v5.7.12: Panoramafoto, daher Bildteile als erstes vorgestellt, |
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45 | !- Ullmanntext aber gar nicht veraendert. |
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46 | !--> |
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47 | |
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48 | <p>The picture on top shows from right to left:</p> |
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49 | |
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50 | <ul> |
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51 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/frontpanel.shtm" title="see a detailed picture from the processor's frontpanel">main processor cabinet</a></li> |
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52 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/console+uniservo.shtm" title="read more about hte console and uniservo">system's console</a></li> |
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53 | <li>the Tape Control Unit</li> |
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54 | <li>UNISERVO 12</li><!--<li>a tape controller with two associated tape drives,</li>--> |
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55 | <li>UNISERVO 16</li> |
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56 | <li>UNISERVO 12</li> |
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57 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/discdrives.shtm" title="a big picture from the disc controller and disc drives">Disk Control Unit</a></li> <!-- disc controller--> |
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58 | <!--<li>two storage cabinets holding 128 kB each,</li>--> |
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59 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/highspeed-printer.shtm">high speed printer</a> of type 768</li> |
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60 | <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/discdrives.shtm">two disk drives</a> of type 8425</li> |
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61 | <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" title="further reading and viewing about the punchcard reader">punch card reader</a></li> |
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62 | </ul> |
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63 | |
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64 | <!-- ulmann text begins --> |
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65 | <p>This truly one-of-a-kind machine, a UNIVAC 9400 mainframe, is the heart of |
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66 | one of the most impressive exhibitions of the museum. In the 1960s it was used |
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67 | in the computer center of an industrial complex located in Cologne. Following |
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68 | its replacement by new hardware, the system was given to a school in Cologne |
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69 | where it served for many years helping the computer science teachers.</p> |
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70 | |
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71 | <p>In September 2005 it found its final place in our museum. A regional German |
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72 | television program made a feature about the difficult transport of the machine |
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73 | from Cologne to the museum. This transport involved two trucks due to the sheer |
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74 | amount of equipment (a UNIVAC 9300 system was part of the transport as well) |
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75 | and its weight. We would like to thank UNISYS Germany for taking over the cost |
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76 | of this transport. </p> |
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77 | |
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78 | <p>Our UNIVAC 9400 is something special since it is operational (again) - |
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79 | only very few mainframes from this era are still in an operational condition |
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80 | due to the complexity and difficulties of maintainance and operation. This |
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81 | restoration was facilitated by the facts that our machine was in near mint |
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82 | condition when we got hold of it and it came with full documentation. Currently |
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83 | there are some minor hardware bugs which will be fixed in the near future. |
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84 | <br />The system on display is a stripped down version of the original setup |
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85 | due to space constraints in the museum. As a positive side effect this leaves many |
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86 | peripherals as spare parts ensuring the possibility to keep this machine up and |
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87 | running in the future.</p> |
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88 | |
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89 | <!-- alte Geraeteliste, urspruenglich von B.Ulmann uebersetzt, auf das alte Photo |
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90 | bezogen (/shared/photos/start/univac9400.jpg) --> |
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91 | <!-- |
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92 | |
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93 | <div style="margin-left: 238px; padding-left: 50px;"><ul> |
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94 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/console+uniservo.shtm" title="read more about hte console and uniservo">system's console</a>,</li> |
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95 | <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/frontpanel.shtm" title="see a detailed picture from the processor's frontpanel">main processor cabinet</a>,</li> |
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96 | <li>two storage cabinets holding 128 kB each,</li> |
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97 | <li>a tape controller with two associated tape drives,</li> |
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98 | <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/discdrives.shtm" title="a big picture from the disc controller and disc drives">disk controller with two attached disk drives</a>,</li> |
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99 | <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/highspeed-printer.shtm">high speed printer</a> and, finally,</li> |
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100 | <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" title="further reading and viewing about the punchcard reader">punch card reader</a>.</li> |
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101 | </ul></div> |
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102 | --> |
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103 | |
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104 | <p>The UNIVAC 9000 series dates back to the mid 1960s. All machines |
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105 | from this series were implemented using small scale integrated |
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106 | circuit (DTL technology, a predecessor of the well known TTL |
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107 | chip family). All DTL chips used only contain a few simple gates - |
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108 | mostly OR and NOR circuits. Much of the logic has been implemented |
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109 | using silicon diodes which allowed the construction of large arrays |
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110 | of AND gates.</p> |
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111 | |
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112 | <p>This makes our UNIVAC 9400 a member of the so called |
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113 | "third generation" (first generation being tube based, second |
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114 | generation using discrete transistors). |
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115 | <br /> |
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116 | The members of the UNIVAC 9000 family were:</p> |
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117 | |
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118 | <!-- The following list is originally continous text... --> |
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119 | <ul class="justify"> |
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120 | <li>The UNIVAC 9200, a "powerful, card oriented electronic data |
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121 | processing installation" with a memory capacity of up to 16 kB.</li> |
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122 | <li>The UNIVAC 9300 featured tape and disk drives and could be |
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123 | equipped with up to 32 kB of main memory (the museum has one of |
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124 | this systems in storage).</li> |
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125 | <li>Finally, the UNIVAC 9400 was sold in 1969 as a "flexible |
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126 | tape and disk oriented computer system featuring multi |
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127 | programming, real time capabilities and versatile possibilities |
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128 | for data telecommunication". (The picture on the left shows an |
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129 | "advertising brochure" for this system dating back to 1969.)</li> |
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130 | </ul> |
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131 | |
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132 | <p>As in interesting note all systems of this series used a magnetic |
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133 | thin film memory, a then revolutionary development which, |
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134 | unfortunately turned out to be the most error prone part of |
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135 | these computers. One of the main advantages over |
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136 | then conventional core memory was the non-destructive read |
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137 | out which allowed for shorter memory read cycle times.</p> |
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138 | |
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139 | <p>Due to the insufficient reliability of this memory system the |
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140 | complete subsystem was eventually replaced by a even more modern |
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141 | semiconductor memory system using some of the first memory chips |
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142 | made by INTEL. More than 1200 of these chips were necessary to |
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143 | implement the 256 kB of our machine.</p> |
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144 | |
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145 | <p>Like many other mainframe systems the UNIVAC 9400 features a |
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146 | channel system for the connection of peripheral equipment. Slow |
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147 | peripheral devices (like the punch card reader, printer, etc.) |
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148 | are connected using multiplex channels while high speed devices |
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149 | (like disks and tapes) are connected using selector channels. |
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150 | These selector channels allow for transfer rates of up to |
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151 | 333 kB/s - a remarkably transfer rate for this time.</p> |
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152 | |
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153 | <p>The standard software for the UNIVAC 9400 included many |
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154 | libraries, an assembler and compilers for the languages FORTRAN |
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155 | and COBOL. In addition to that a report generator |
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156 | (comparable to IBM's RPG-II and RPG-III implementations) was |
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157 | available to facilitate commercial data processing.</p> |
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158 | |
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159 | <p>One of the most impressive parts of a UNIVAC 9400 is the system |
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160 | console featuring literally hundreds of incandescent lights. |
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161 | This makes it possible to monitor about 600 internal register |
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162 | bits while operating and maintaining the machine. After working |
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163 | with such a system for some time, the operating personnel got a |
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164 | feeling for usual and unusual light patterns which helped a |
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165 | great deal to track down bugs.</p> |
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166 | |
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167 | <!-- absatz hinzugekommen zu v5.7.5 --> |
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168 | <p>By now many programs started running again. For example you can |
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169 | make this mainframe create you an up-to-date chart for your |
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170 | personal bio-rhythm of the next four weeks. This time-consuming |
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171 | task is perfomed by an program written in COBOL.</p> |
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172 | |
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173 | <!-- absatz hinzugekommen zu v5.8BETA --> |
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174 | <p>The price of an UNIVAC mainframe system was incredibly high and |
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175 | approximate a chain of new cars with a length of 2,3 kilometers. |
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176 | <a class="go" href="/en/devices/univac9400/costs.shtm">Incredible: |
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177 | UNIVAC 9400 = 470 cars (Volkswagen beatle)</a></p> |
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178 | |
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179 | <!-- Absatz hinzugekommen/zuletzt geaendert 05.07.09 --> |
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180 | <div class="box right"> |
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181 | <a href="http://www.unisys.com/"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/unisys_tag.gif" width="142" height="75" /></a> |
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182 | <p class="bildtext"><small>We would like to thank to the UNISYS |
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183 | Corporation for funding all trucking of the big machines. |
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184 | We would also like to thank Dr. Jürgen Steen from the |
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185 | <a href="http://www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de/">Historical |
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186 | Museum Frankfurt</a> for lending several UNIVAC boards. Reparations |
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187 | are quite difficult without comparative boards.</small></p> |
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188 | </div> |
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