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4 | <head><!--#set var="title" value="A first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3" |
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5 | --><!--#set var="location" value="gamma3" |
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6 | --><!--#set var="part" value="computer" |
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7 | --><!--#set var="url_de" value="rechnertechnik/gamma3.shtm" |
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9 | --><!--#set var="prev_title" value="BULL Tabulating machine" |
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10 | --><!--#set var="next" value="gamma10.shtm" |
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11 | --><!--#set var="next_title" value="BULL GAMMA 10" |
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12 | --><title>technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" --></title> |
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15 | <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id: gamma3.shtm 184 2010-09-01 02:34:56Z sven $" /> |
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16 | </head> |
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17 | <body> |
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18 | <!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" --> |
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19 | <div id="content"> |
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20 | <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2> |
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21 | |
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22 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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23 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3.jpg" |
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24 | alt="The BULL GAMMA 3, closed state" width="156" height="210" /> |
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25 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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26 | The BULL GAMMA 3 was build since 1952. At these days, such devices were |
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27 | called "electronically calculating device" (original translation |
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28 | from the BULL maintenance manual), "electron computer" or actually |
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29 | "electron mastermind". |
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30 | <br/>The device could be connected to several punchcard devices, for |
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31 | example the <a href="tabulating-machine.shtm">Tabulating Machine BS</a>, |
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32 | to the card copier PRD or to the ULP puncher. |
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33 | </p> |
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34 | <!-- |
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35 | Blabla-Gelaber (Blindzitat von |
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36 | http://www.computerwoche.de/heftarchiv/1981/27/1186613/ |
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37 | Pierre Letrot in "Arts et Manufactures") soll spaeter mal uebersetzt |
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38 | werden. |
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39 | --> |
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40 | <p> |
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41 | Our GAMMA 3 installation is fully equipped and features seven |
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42 | <a href="storage-media.shtm">delay line memory units</a> with a capacity |
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43 | of 12 decimal digits each. To extend the built-in memory, there |
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44 | were special so-called "storage cabinets" |
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45 | that contained additional 24 storage units, each with a capacity |
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46 | of 12 decimal numbers. |
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47 | <br/>Summing up, the calculator features almost 400 electron tubes. |
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48 | Thyratrons were used to connect this fast calculator to the slow |
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49 | punchcard auxillary devices. A thyratron tube is capable of saving |
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50 | temporary digital states. |
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51 | </p> |
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52 | </div> |
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53 | |
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54 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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55 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma3.jpg" |
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56 | alt="BULL GAMMA 3 Innen" width="692" height="565" /> |
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57 | <p class="bildtext"><b>Tubes over Tubes: BULL Gamma 3</b></p> |
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58 | </div> |
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59 | |
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60 | <p> |
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61 | The modules could be folded out, hence the calculator is quite |
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62 | service friendly. Two big fans circulate fresh air thorught the |
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63 | case. On the left you can see a part of the big power supply – |
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64 | 39 fuses keep the electric circuits seperated for additional security. |
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65 | |
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66 | <br/>When this calculator is connected to our BULL Tabulating Machine, |
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67 | all the information from the papertape reader brushes are directly |
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68 | transfered to the GAMMA 3. Thus programs and data can be manipulated |
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69 | directly by the GAMMA 3. The output is transfered back to the |
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70 | printing unit from the Tabulating Machine. |
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71 | </p> |
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72 | |
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73 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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74 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma-3-netzteil.jpg" |
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75 | alt="BULL GAMMA 3 power supply" width="350" height="527" /> |
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76 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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77 | This picture displays the monster power supply. Comparing to this, |
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78 | you can possibly imagine how power supplies of very big tube |
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79 | calculators looked like! <!-- stupid-mode... --> |
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80 | <br/>At these days, selenium rectifier were used to invert AC to DC. |
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81 | They are made from stacks of square <!-- thanks, en.wikipedia.org --> |
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82 | plated with about 1µm of bismuth or nickel. A much thicker layer of selenium |
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83 | which has been doped with a halogen is deposited on top of the thin metal |
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84 | plating. The selenium is then converted into polycrystalline gray from by |
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85 | annealing. Each plate is able to withstand about 20 volts in the reverse |
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86 | direction. The metal squares, or disks, also serve as heat sinks in |
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87 | addition to providing a mounting place for the selenium disks. |
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88 | Plates can be stacked indefinitely to withstand higher voltages, |
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89 | <!-- Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium_rectifier |
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90 | Creative Commons SA license... and a blind quote here... --> |
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91 | as you can see in the lower right of the picture. |
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92 | At the left side you see dozens of electrolytic capacitors. |
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93 | </p> |
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94 | </div> |
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95 | |
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96 | </div><!-- end of content --> |
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97 | <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/menu.inc.shtm" --> |
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98 | </body> |
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99 | </html> |
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