[258] | 1 | <?php |
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| 2 | $seiten_id = 'gamma3'; |
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| 3 | $version = '$Id: gamma3.php 299 2012-09-19 09:38:55Z heribert $'; |
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| 4 | $title = 'A first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3'; |
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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 first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3</h2> |
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[124] | 9 | |
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[140] | 10 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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[124] | 11 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3.jpg" |
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| 12 | alt="The BULL GAMMA 3, closed state" width="156" height="210" /> |
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| 13 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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| 14 | The BULL GAMMA 3 was build since 1952. At these days, such devices were |
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| 15 | called "electronically calculating device" (original translation |
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| 16 | from the BULL maintenance manual), "electron computer" or actually |
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| 17 | "electron mastermind". |
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| 18 | <br/>The device could be connected to several punchcard devices, for |
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[299] | 19 | example the <a href="tabulating-machine.php">Tabulating Machine BS</a>, |
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[124] | 20 | to the card copier PRD or to the ULP puncher. |
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| 21 | </p> |
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| 22 | <!-- |
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| 23 | Blabla-Gelaber (Blindzitat von |
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| 24 | http://www.computerwoche.de/heftarchiv/1981/27/1186613/ |
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| 25 | Pierre Letrot in "Arts et Manufactures") soll spaeter mal uebersetzt |
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| 26 | werden. |
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| 27 | --> |
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| 28 | <p> |
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| 29 | Our GAMMA 3 installation is fully equipped and features seven |
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[299] | 30 | <a href="storage-media.php">delay line memory units</a> with a capacity |
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[124] | 31 | of 12 decimal digits each. To extend the built-in memory, there |
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| 32 | were special so-called "storage cabinets" |
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| 33 | that contained additional 24 storage units, each with a capacity |
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| 34 | of 12 decimal numbers. |
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| 35 | <br/>Summing up, the calculator features almost 400 electron tubes. |
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| 36 | Thyratrons were used to connect this fast calculator to the slow |
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| 37 | punchcard auxillary devices. A thyratron tube is capable of saving |
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| 38 | temporary digital states. |
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| 39 | </p> |
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| 40 | </div> |
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| 41 | |
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[140] | 42 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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| 43 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma3.jpg" |
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| 44 | alt="BULL GAMMA 3 Innen" width="692" height="565" /> |
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| 45 | <p class="bildtext"><b>Tubes over Tubes: BULL Gamma 3</b></p> |
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| 46 | </div> |
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| 47 | |
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| 48 | <p> |
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[124] | 49 | The modules could be folded out, hence the calculator is quite |
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| 50 | service friendly. Two big fans circulate fresh air thorught the |
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| 51 | case. On the left you can see a part of the big power supply – |
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| 52 | 39 fuses keep the electric circuits seperated for additional security. |
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| 53 | |
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| 54 | <br/>When this calculator is connected to our BULL Tabulating Machine, |
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| 55 | all the information from the papertape reader brushes are directly |
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| 56 | transfered to the GAMMA 3. Thus programs and data can be manipulated |
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| 57 | directly by the GAMMA 3. The output is transfered back to the |
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| 58 | printing unit from the Tabulating Machine. |
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[140] | 59 | </p> |
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[124] | 60 | |
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[140] | 61 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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[124] | 62 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma-3-netzteil.jpg" |
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| 63 | alt="BULL GAMMA 3 power supply" width="350" height="527" /> |
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| 64 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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| 65 | This picture displays the monster power supply. Comparing to this, |
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| 66 | you can possibly imagine how power supplies of very big tube |
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| 67 | calculators looked like! <!-- stupid-mode... --> |
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[230] | 68 | <br/>At these days, selenium rectifier were used to convert AC to DC. |
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[124] | 69 | They are made from stacks of square <!-- thanks, en.wikipedia.org --> |
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| 70 | plated with about 1µm of bismuth or nickel. A much thicker layer of selenium |
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| 71 | which has been doped with a halogen is deposited on top of the thin metal |
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| 72 | plating. The selenium is then converted into polycrystalline gray from by |
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| 73 | annealing. Each plate is able to withstand about 20 volts in the reverse |
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| 74 | direction. The metal squares, or disks, also serve as heat sinks in |
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| 75 | addition to providing a mounting place for the selenium disks. |
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| 76 | Plates can be stacked indefinitely to withstand higher voltages, |
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| 77 | <!-- Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium_rectifier |
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| 78 | Creative Commons SA license... and a blind quote here... --> |
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| 79 | as you can see in the lower right of the picture. |
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| 80 | At the left side you see dozens of electrolytic capacitors. |
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| 81 | </p> |
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| 82 | </div> |
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