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  • Tabelliermaschine: Komplett-Synchronisiert (Starttext, Board-Bild)

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1<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
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3<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en">
4<head><!--#set var="title"        value="Punch card tabulator"
5   --><!--#set var="location"     value="tabelliermaschine"
6   --><!--#set var="part"         value="computer"
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8   --><!--#set var="prev"         value="electro-mechanical.shtm"
9   --><!--#set var="prev_title"   value="(Electro-) mechanical calculators"
10   --><!--#set var="next"         value="punchcard.shtm"
11   --><!--#set var="next_title"   value="Punch card computing"
12 --><title>Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" --></title>
13
14    <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/head.inc.shtm" -->
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16    <meta name="DC.Title" content="Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" -->" />
17    <meta name="DC.Subject" content="<!--#echo var="title" -->" />
18    <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id$" />
19    <meta name="t29.germanoriginal" content="08.04.2008/v5.7.21" />
20    <meta name="t29.thistranslation" content="01.01.2009/03:08" />
21    <meta name="t29.comment" content="sync from the scratch" />
22    <!-- v5.7.5: Bildübersetzungsteile von Ulmann -->
23    <!--changelog: 18.06.2008/v5.7.22 based on 08.04.2008/v5.7.21: Komplettaenderungen an der Tabelliermaschine, GAMMA 3+10 neu -->
24</head>
25<body>
26<!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" -->
27<div id="content">
28    <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2>
29
30    <p>Tabulating machines were widely used when electronic data processing
31       began in the 1950s. These big machines were called "technical marvels":
32       At a glance at the inner life you can see what special art of
33       ingeneering was performed at that time. This kind of technology appears
34       odd for today's folks.</p>
35
36    <p>The tabulating machine BULL BS-PR was constructed in October 1956, thus it
37       is the oldest pice of EDP in the museum. At these days you could buy it
38       for about 260.000 German marks (about 62.000 US$).
39       Nevertheless even medium-sized businesses had to buy these punch card
40       machines to work economically.</p>
41
42    <p>On high quality tabulating machines the patch panel could be replaced to
43       perform very different tasks. By plugging the cables on the programming field
44       cleverly, even some scientifical caluclations could be solved.
45    <br/>For every new program the software engineer had to plug a new
46       programming field. The only data input medium are punch cards. Therefore
47       we own other machines that are also operational to perform card driven EDP,
48       that is, devices for creation, sorting, mixing, etc. the cards.</p>
49
50    <p><small>We would like to thank the <a href="www.feb-d.de">F.E.B.
51       (Federation des Equipes Bull) Deutschland e.V.</a> for their assistance
52       of the reperation of the tabulating machine</small></p>
53
54    <div class="box center">
55        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/bull-tabelliermaschine.jpg" width="620" height="492" alt="Bull PS BR Tabulating Machine" />
56        <p class="bildtext">The <b>Tabulating Machine Bull BS-pr</b>: With closed walls it
57         looks like a strange chunk made of metal, but it comprises impressive
58         electromechanical technology.
59         <br />Multiplying and dividing mechanically needs lots of time. To shorten
60         this amount of time, you could attach the "electronical calculator" BULL
61         GAMMA&nbsp;3. The auxiliary tube calculator was only used for this purpose.
62         Unfortunately it is no more available.</p>
63    </div>
64
65    <!--
66     3 Bilder im Deutschen entfernt nach v5.7.21, zugunsten zwei einzelner.
67   
68    <div class="box left">
69        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/rechenwerke.jpg" alt="Photography of the ALU" width="357" height="476"/>
70        <p class="bildtext">
71            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 &ndash; 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.
72        </p>
73        <div class="clear">&nbsp;</div>
74    </div>
75
76    <div class="box left">
77        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais.jpg" alt="Partial view of the relays" width="400" height="533" />
78        <p class="bildtext">
79          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.
80        </p>
81        <div class="clear">&nbsp;</div>
82    </div>
83
84    <div class="box left">
85        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen.jpg" alt="Vorderansicht der geöffneten Bull-Tabelliermaschine" width="569" height="396" />
86        <p class="bildtext">
87            The picture on the left shows part of the complicated printing unit &ndash; in every step a complete line is printed (like later line printers did).
88         </p>
89         <div class="clear">&nbsp;</div>
90    </div>
91    -->
92   
93    <div class="box left">
94      <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/relais1.jpg"
95           alt="Partial view of the relays" width="312" height="416"/>
96      <p class="bildtext">
97        The control and memory of the machine is comprised of about 1500 relays.
98        <br/>10 ALUs work in parallel and are driven and synchronized by the large main motor.
99        Every revolution engages about 300 sliding contacts. In the upper part of the picture
100        you can see three ALUs. Only one of the ALUs is broken, that is quite astonishing in
101        view of the old age.
102      </p>
103      <div class="clear"></div>
104    </div>
105   
106    <div class="box center">
107      <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-bs-pr/offen1.jpg"
108           alt="Front view of the BULL BS PR Tabulating Machine" width="555" height="325"/>
109      <p class="bildtext-bildbreite" style="width: 555px;">
110        This picture partly shows the complicated printing unit &ndash; in
111        every step a complete line is printed (like later line printers did).
112        <br/>In the foreground you can see the punchcard feeder. Every punchcard is
113        read in two times. At the first scan the machine detects wheter the card is
114        a controller card or a data card whereas at the second scan the machine reads
115        the content from the card.
116        <br/>Additionally, the machine is capable of comparing the content of two
117        consecutive cards.
118      </p>
119    </div>
120
121
122    <h2><a name="bull3">A first generation tube calculator: BULL GAMMA 3</a></h2>
123    <div class="box left">
124      <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3.jpg"
125           alt="The BULL GAMMA 3, closed state" width="156" height="210" />
126      <p class="bildtext">
127        The BULL GAMMA 3 was build since 1952. It could be connected to several
128        punchcard devices, for example to the Tabulating Machine BS, to the
129        card copier PRD and to the ULP puncher.
130        <br/>Our GAMMA 3 installation is fully developed and features seven
131        delay line memory units each with a capacity of 12 decimal digits. To
132        extend the built-in memory, there were special so-called "storage cabinets"
133        that contained additional 24 storage units, each with a capacity
134        of 12 decimal numbers.
135        <br/>Summing up, the calculator features almost 400 electron tubes.
136        Thyratrons were used to connect this fast calculator to the slow
137        punchcard auxillary devices. A thyratron tube is capable of saving
138        temporary digital states.
139      </p>
140      <div class="clear"></div>
141    </div>
142   
143    <div class="box center">
144      <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-3-offen.jpg"
145           alt="BULL GAMMA 3 Innen" width="690" height="517" />
146      <p class="bildtext">
147        The modules could be folded out, hence the calculator is quite
148        service friendly. Two big fans circulate fresh air thorught the
149        case. On the left you can see a part of the big power supply &ndash;
150        39 fuses keep the electric circuits seperated for additional security.
151
152        <br/>When this calculator is connected to our BULL Tabulating Machine,
153        all the information from the papertape reader brushes are directly
154        transfered to the GAMMA 3. Thus programs and data can be manipulated
155        directly by the GAMMA 3. The output is transfered back to the
156        printing unit from the Tabulating Machine.
157      </p>
158    </div>
159
160
161    <h2><a name="bull10">A second generation calculator: The BULL GAMMA 10</a></h2>
162    <div class="box center">
163      <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-10.jpg"
164           alt="BULL GAMMA 10" width="640" height="390" />
165      <p class="bildtext">
166        In 1963 BULL General Electric presented the BULL GAMMA 10
167        which was intended for commercial purpose and puchcard
168        computing. The standard equipment contains a CPU with
169        panel, a punchcard reader/puncher unit and a barrel printer.
170        The RAM consists of a 1kb core memory which could be
171        extended up to 4kb capacity. There are 59 different
172        opcodes to program the CPU.
173        <br/>The cycle time from the core memory is 7 micro
174        seconds. The calculator is capable of reading and
175        punching 300 cards per minute. Five punchcards per
176        second, that is an amazing speed &ndash;
177        therefore the punching unit is generously built. The
178        printer can only print up to 300 lines per minute. Compared
179        to our <a href="univac9400.shtm">Univac 9400</a> this
180        is quite slow &ndash; the Univac 9400 is capable of
181        printing more than 1000 lines per minute.
182      </p>
183    </div>
184
185    <div class="box center">
186        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-gamma-10-offen.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 without panels" style="float:left;" width="367" height="360" />
187        <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/gamma-10-von-hinten.jpg" alt="BULL GAMMA 10 from the back" style="float:right;" width="272" height="360" />
188        <div class="clear"></div>
189        <p class="bildtext">
190          The chassis is metallic bright and glossy. It is clearly arranged
191          and therefore the machine is quite easy to maintain.
192          <br/>We want to repair this computer, too (see our page
193          <a href="/en/search.shtm">We are looking for...</a>). By now the
194          complete mechanics is working again, this is a central component of
195          the reperation. We are currently debugging electronical errors.
196        </p>
197    </div>
198
199    <div class="box left">
200         <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/modul-gamma10.jpg"
201            alt="Typical GAMMA 10 module" height="345" width="485">
202         <p class="bildtext">
203            This is one of 476 modules from the GAMMA 10 computer.
204            On the base plate the conductor tracks are aligned
205            horizontally while they are aligned vertically on the
206            small boards (flip flops, amplifier, etc.). Almost all
207            transistors are still Germanium transistors.
208         </p>
209    </div>
210
211</div><!-- end of content -->
212<!--#include virtual="/en/inc/menu.inc.shtm" -->
213</body>
214</html>
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