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Memory block from GE235

1965-1967


Mémoire de 4 kmots de 21 bits


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Fr


Tom Swart nous explique:

(à traduire...)

Si vous avez d'autres informations concernant ce bloc, n'hésitez pas à me contacter!



US

Tom Swart explains:

Ok guys – this is a very serious piece of computer history. This is a 4K memory block/core.  It came out of a General Electric GE235 second-generation mainframe. The year was around 1965 - 67. This was a 12usec word time computer, at the top of the speed list at the time. The total memory in this mainframe was a total of 16K, there were 4 of these memory cores in each CPU and it was called the “memory stack.” The CPU weighted almost 2000lbs, 208 3-phase power. 21 bit word. There were almost 900 circuit boards in this beast. I worked on them for over 15 years. If you want to see more about these computer systems just google GE 235 computer. There are some great articles out there.

 

There are only a few of these in existence. Besides the one I have I don’t think I have ever seen another like it. I have been searching ebay for years to see one like it but there just aren’t any out there except the one I have.  There are approx 32 or 36 plains in this core. I don’t know for sure as I have never broken one down. I would hate to break this piece up as it is such a beautiful block of carbon cores. There are 100’s of thousands of carbon core donuts in this unit. Thousands of wires. It really is a work of art. The pictures don't do it justice and the carbon cores are very small and hard to see through the clear plastic end protectors. The camera didn't pick them up very well through the glare on the glass.  Women used to make these by hand in Phoenix Arizona at the GE computer plant. Some of the brightest minds in the world worked here and made some really awesome mainframes.

 

You can see from the pictures how big this is. Pictures don’t do it justice though. 

 

If you have any further information on this board, do not hesitate to contact me!











Fr  
Photos publiées avec l'autorisation de l'auteur 'Tom Swart'
(Elles ont subi un léger traitement: dimension, anti-flou, perspective...)


US  
The 4 published photos are from 'Tom Swart'. With his kind permission.
(They have suffered a slight anti-blur, dimension)

eMail : 2008-09-02
   Sure – you can use them. I worked on those types of systems for many years. The General Electric GE235.
.


Copyrights JM Pichot
Edition originale 2008-09-01

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