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17 | <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id: tabulating-machine.shtm 184 2010-09-01 02:34:56Z sven $" /> |
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21 | <div id="content"> |
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22 | <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2> |
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23 | |
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24 | <p>Tabulating machines were widely used when electronic data processing |
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25 | began in the 1950s. These big machines were called "technical marvels": |
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26 | At a glance at the inner life you can see what special art of |
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27 | ingeneering was performed at that time. This kind of technology appears |
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28 | odd for today's folks.</p> |
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29 | |
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30 | <p>The tabulating machine BULL BS-PR was constructed in October 1956, thus it |
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31 | is the oldest pice of EDP in the museum. At these days you could buy it |
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32 | for about 260.000 German marks (about 62.000 US$). |
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33 | Nevertheless even medium-sized businesses (especially banks) had to buy |
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34 | these punch card machines to work economically.</p> |
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35 | |
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36 | <p>On high quality tabulating machines the patch panel could be replaced to |
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37 | perform very different tasks. By plugging the cables on the programming field |
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38 | cleverly, even some scientifical caluclations could be solved. |
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39 | <br/>For every new program the software engineer had to plug a new |
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40 | programming field. The only data input medium are punch cards. Therefore |
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41 | we own other machines that are also operational to perform card driven EDP, |
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42 | that is, devices for creation, sorting, mixing, etc. the cards.</p> |
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43 | |
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44 | <p>Our tabluating machine is now even capable of calculating and printing bank |
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45 | statements as well as multiplying and dividing. |
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46 | <!-- <LOL> --> |
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47 | <br/>In the year 1959 some BULL engineer asked himself why there was not some |
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48 | algorithm for the tabulating machine somewhere outside to compute square roots. |
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49 | Since he was bored, he knew already dozens of simple algorithms he learned |
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50 | in his study of computer science and he wanted to gouge his friends, he |
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51 | bet them that you could compute square roots of any real number with a |
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52 | tabulating machine. Since his friends have not studied computer science, |
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53 | they bet against it. The engineer made some programming efforts and won |
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54 | the bet. We came across that program, so we are currently trying to get |
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55 | it back running, so we can relive that historical moment. <!-- </LOL> --> |
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56 | </p> |
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57 | |
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58 | <p><small>We would like to thank the <a href="http://www.feb-d.de">F.E.B. |
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59 | (Federation des Equipes Bull) Deutschland e.V.</a> for their assistance |
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60 | of the reperation of the tabulating machine</small></p> |
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61 | |
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62 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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63 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/tabelliermaschine.jpg" |
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64 | width="679" height="658" alt="Bull PS BR Tabulating Machine" /> |
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65 | <p class="bildtext"><b>Tabulating Machine Bull BS-PR</b></p> |
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66 | </div> |
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67 | |
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68 | <p> |
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69 | With closed walls it looks like a strange chunk made of metal, but it |
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70 | comprises impressive electromechanical technology. In the front there |
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71 | are two demountable program boards that are mounted at the left side |
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72 | of the device (not visible in the picture). The board on the left contains |
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73 | a program for compiling and printing bank statements, the board on the |
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74 | right contains a simple program for multiplying. Multiplying and dividing |
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75 | mechanically needs lots of time. To shorten this amount of time, the |
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76 | <a href="gamma3.shtm">"electronical calculator" BULL GAMMA 3</a> |
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77 | could be attached. That auxiliary tube calculator was only used for this |
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78 | purpose. |
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79 | </p> |
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80 | |
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81 | <!-- |
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82 | 3 Bilder im Deutschen entfernt nach v5.7.21, zugunsten zwei einzelner. |
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83 | |
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84 | <div class="box left"> |
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85 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/rechenwerke.jpg" alt="Photography of the ALU" width="357" height="476"/> |
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86 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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87 | 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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88 | </p> |
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89 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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90 | </div> |
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91 | |
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92 | <div class="box left"> |
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93 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais.jpg" alt="Partial view of the relays" width="400" height="533" /> |
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94 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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95 | 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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96 | </p> |
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97 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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98 | </div> |
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99 | |
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100 | <div class="box left"> |
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101 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen.jpg" alt="Vorderansicht der geöffneten Bull-Tabelliermaschine" width="569" height="396" /> |
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102 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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103 | 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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104 | </p> |
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105 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
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106 | </div> |
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107 | --> |
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108 | |
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109 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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110 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais1.jpg" |
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111 | alt="Partial view of the relays" width="312" height="416"/> |
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112 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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113 | The control and memory of the machine is comprised of about 1500 relays. |
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114 | <br/>10 ALUs work in parallel and are driven and synchronized by the large main motor. |
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115 | Every revolution engages about 300 sliding contacts. In the upper part of the picture |
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116 | you can see three ALUs. Only one of the ALUs is broken (that can be easily bypassed by |
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117 | customizing the programs), that is quite astonishing in view of the old age. |
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118 | </p> |
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119 | </div> |
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120 | |
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121 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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122 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/rechenwerke.jpg" alt="ALUs of the Bull tabulating machine" width="555" height="329" /> |
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123 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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124 | <b>Arithmetic-logic units</b> of the tabulating machine |
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125 | </p> |
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126 | </div> |
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127 | |
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128 | <p> We exposed two of the 10 ALUs for an one-of-a-kind photo. The principle of sprocket wheel |
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129 | machines is visible to the naked eye. All calculation work is performed only by mechanical |
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130 | components and read in electronically by touch-sensitive contacts. You can even read out |
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131 | the current arithmetic register contents: They hold both <i>144</i>. Carries are also |
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132 | performed purley mechanically. It's hardly imaginable that these machines worked more than |
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133 | 12 hours every day without any serious problems. |
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134 | </p> |
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135 | |
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136 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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137 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen1.jpg" |
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138 | alt="Front view of the BULL BS PR Tabulating Machine" width="555" height="325"/> |
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139 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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140 | <b>Printing unit</b> of the tabulating machine |
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141 | </p> |
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142 | </div> |
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143 | |
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144 | <p> |
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145 | This picture partly shows the complicated printing unit – in |
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146 | every step a complete line is printed (like later line printers did). |
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147 | In the foreground you can see the punchcard feeder. Every punchcard is |
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148 | read in two times. At the first scan the machine detects wheter the card is |
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149 | a controller card or a data card whereas at the second scan the machine reads |
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150 | the content from the card. |
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151 | Additionally, the machine is capable of comparing the content of two |
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152 | consecutive cards. |
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153 | </p> |
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154 | |
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155 | |
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156 | </div><!-- end of content --> |
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