source: t29-www/en/computer/univac9400.shtm @ 1

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The first import only contains the /en subdirectory, to test
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1<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
2     "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
3<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en">
4<head><!--#set var="title"        value="UNIVAC mainframe computer, data center"
5   --><!--#set var="location"     value="univac"
6   --><!--#set var="part"         value="computer"
7   --><!--#set var="url_de"       value="rechnertechnik/univac9400.shtm"
8   --><!--#set var="prev"         value="early-computers.shtm"
9   --><!--#set var="prev_title"   value="Scientifical calculators and mini computers"
10   --><!--#set var="next"         value="analog.shtm"
11   --><!--#set var="next_title"   value="Analog and analog-digital computers"
12 --><title>Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" --></title>
13
14    <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/head.inc.shtm" -->
15    <meta name="keywords" lang="en" content="Univac 9400, Unisys, mainframe, data center" />
16    <meta name="DC.Title" content="Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" -->" />
17    <meta name="DC.Subject" content="<!--#echo var="title" -->" />
18    <meta name="t29.germanoriginal" content="04.11.2007/v5.7.11" />
19    <meta name="t29.thistranslation" content="27.11.2007/v5.7.12" />
20    <meta name="t29.this.summary" content="Panoramabild" />
21    <!--changelog: 02.08.2006/v5.5.5 auf Basis 2006/v5.5.1 -->
22    <!--changelog: 21.08.2007/v5.7.5 auf Basis 18.07.2007/v5.7FINAL -->
23</head>
24<body>
25<!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" -->
26<div id="content">
27    <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2>
28
29    <div class="box center" style="position:relative;">
30        <!-- Direkt kopiert von deutscher Datei, siehe dort -->
31       <div style="position:absolute; top:0px;"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/panorama-rechts.jpg" alt="Photography of the complete Univac 9400 installation" /></div>
32        <div style="height: 389px;">&nbsp;</div>
33    </div>
34
35    <!-- old picture
36    <p class="center">
37       <img src="/shared/photos/start/univac9400.jpg" alt="Photography of Univac 9400" width="595" height="446" />
38    </p>
39    -->
40
41    <ul class="univac-thumbs">
42       <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>
43       <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>
44       <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>
45       <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>
46       <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>
47       <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="178" /></a></li>
48       <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>
49       <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>
50       <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>
51       <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/univac_9300.shtm" name="backlink-univac9300" title="big picture showing the Univac 9300"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac/univac_9300.klein.jpg" alt="picture 10: Univac 9300" height="182" /></a></li>
52       <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>
53    </ul>
54
55    <!--
56     !-
57     !-  This page/version 5.5 is based on a translation
58     !-  performed by Bernd Ulmann [www.vaxman.de]
59     !-
60     !- My translation is probably still readable at
61     !-  www.technikum29.de/en/dev/preparation/univac9400.shtm
62     !-
63     !- v5.7.12: Panoramafoto, daher Bildteile als erstes vorgestellt,
64     !- Ullmanntext aber gar nicht veraendert.
65     !-->
66
67      <p>The picture on top shows from right to left:</p>
68
69      <div style="margin-left: 238px; padding-left: 50px;"><ul>
70          <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/frontpanel.shtm" title="see a detailed picture from the processor's frontpanel">main processor cabinet</a></li>
71          <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/console+uniservo.shtm" title="read more about hte console and uniservo">system's console</a></li>
72          <li>the Tape Control Unit</li>
73          <li>UNISERVO 12</li><!--<li>a tape controller with two associated tape drives,</li>-->
74          <li>UNISERVO 16</li>
75          <li>UNISERVO 12</li>
76          <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-->
77          <!--<li>two storage cabinets holding 128 kB each,</li>-->
78          <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/highspeed-printer.shtm">high speed printer</a> of type 768</li>
79          <li><a href="/en/devices/univac9400/discdrives.shtm">two disk drives</a> of type 8425</li>
80          <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" title="further reading and viewing about the punchcard reader">punch card reader</a></li>
81      </ul></div>
82
83    <!-- ulmann text begins -->
84    <p>This truly one-of-a-kind machine, a UNIVAC 9400 mainframe, is the heart of
85       one of the most impressive exhibitions of the museum. In the 1960s it was used
86       in the computer center of an industrial complex located in Cologne. Following
87       its replacement by new hardware, the system was given to a school in Cologne
88       where it served for many years helping the computer science teachers.</p>
89
90    <p>In September 2005 it found its final place in our museum. A regional German
91       television program made a feature about the difficult transport of the machine
92       from Cologne to the museum. This transport involved two trucks due to the sheer
93       amount of equipment (a UNIVAC 9300 system was part of the transport as well)
94       and its weight. We would like to thank UNISYS Germany for taking over the cost
95       of this transport. </p>
96
97    <p>Our UNIVAC 9400 is something special since it is operational (again) -
98       only very few mainframes from this era are still in an operational condition
99       due to the complexity and difficulties of maintainance and operation. This
100       restoration was facilitated by the facts that our machine was in near mint
101       condition when we got hold of it and it came with full documentation. Currently
102       there are some minor hardware bugs which will be fixed in the near future.
103       <br />The system on display is a stripped down version of the original setup
104       due to space constraints in the museum. As a positive side effect this leaves many
105       peripherals as spare parts ensuring the possibility to keep this machine up and
106       running in the future.</p>
107
108    <!-- alte Geraeteliste, urspruenglich von B.Ulmann uebersetzt, auf das alte Photo
109         bezogen (/shared/photos/start/univac9400.jpg) -->
110    <!--
111
112      <div style="margin-left: 238px; padding-left: 50px;"><ul>
113          <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/console+uniservo.shtm" title="read more about hte console and uniservo">system's console</a>,</li>
114          <li>the <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/frontpanel.shtm" title="see a detailed picture from the processor's frontpanel">main processor cabinet</a>,</li>
115          <li>two storage cabinets holding 128 kB each,</li>
116          <li>a tape controller with two associated tape drives,</li>
117          <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>
118          <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/highspeed-printer.shtm">high speed printer</a> and, finally,</li>
119          <li>a <a href="/en/devices/univac9400/cardreader.shtm" title="further reading and viewing about the punchcard reader">punch card reader</a>.</li>
120      </ul></div>
121    -->
122
123      <p>The UNIVAC 9000 series dates back to the mid 1960s. All machines
124         from this series were implemented using small scale integrated
125         circuit (DTL technology, a predecessor of the well known TTL
126         chip family). All DTL chips used only contain a few simple gates -
127         mostly OR and NOR circuits. Much of the logic has been implemented
128         using silicon diodes which allowed the construction of large arrays
129         of AND gates.</p>
130
131      <p>This makes our UNIVAC 9400 a member of the so called
132         "third generation" (first generation being tube based, second
133         generation using discrete transistors).
134         <br />
135         The members of the UNIVAC 9000 family were:</p>
136
137         <!-- The following list is originally continous text... -->
138         <div style="margin-left: 238px; padding-left: 50px;"><ul class="justify">
139            <li>The UNIVAC 9200, a "powerful, card oriented electronic data
140            processing installation" with a memory capacity of up to 16 kB.</li>
141            <li>The UNIVAC 9300 faetured tape and disk drives and could be
142            equipped with up to 32 kB of main memory (the museum has one of
143            this systems in storage).</li>
144            <li>Finally, the UNIVAC 9400 was sold in 1969 as a "flexible
145            tape and disk oriented computer system featuring multi
146            programming, real time capabilities and versatile possibilities
147            for data telecommunication". (The picture on the left shows an
148            "advertising brochure" for this system dating back to 1969.)</li>
149         </ul></div>
150
151      <p>As in interesting note all systems of this series used a magnetic
152         thin film memory, a then revolutionary development which,
153         unfortunately turned out to be the most error prone part of
154         these computers. One of the main advantages over
155         then conventional core memory was the non-destructive read
156         out which allowed for shorter memory read cycle times.</p>
157         
158      <p>Due to the insufficient reliability of this memory system the
159         complete subsystem was eventually replaced by a even more modern
160         semiconductor memory system using some of the first memory chips
161         made by INTEL. More than 1200 of these chips were necessary to
162         implement the 256 kB of our machine.</p>
163
164      <p>Like many other mainframe systems the UNIVAC 9400 features a
165         channel system for the connection of peripheral equipment. Slow
166         peripheral devices (like the punch card reader, printer, etc.)
167         are connected using multiplex channels while high speed devices
168         (like disks and tapes) are connected using selector channels.
169         These selector channels allow for transfer rates of up to
170         333 kB/s - a remarkably transfer rate for this time.</p>
171
172      <p>The standard software for the UNIVAC 9400 included many
173         libraries, an assembler and compilers for the languages FORTRAN
174         and COBOL. In addition to that a report generator
175         (comparable to IBM's RPG-II and RPG-III implementations) was
176         available to facilitate commercial data processing.</p>
177
178      <p>One of the most impressive parts of a UNIVAC 9400 is the system
179         console featuring literally hundreds of incandescent lights.
180         This makes it possible to monitor about 600 internal register
181         bits while operating and maintaining the machine. After working
182         with such a system for some time, the operating personnel got a
183         feeling for usual and unusual light patterns which helped a
184         great deal to track down bugs.</p>
185
186      <!-- absatz hinzugekommen zu v5.7.5 -->
187      <p>By now many programs started running again. For example you can
188         make this mainframe create you an up-to-date chart for your
189         personal bio-rhythm of the next four weeks. This time-consuming
190         task is perfomed by an program written in COBOL.</p>
191
192</div><!-- end of content -->
193<!--#include virtual="/en/inc/menu.inc.shtm" -->
194</body>
195</html>
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