24 Sep
2022
24 Sep
'22
3:28 a.m.
Ya. Thanks for the mention but it was before my time. I was in 8th grade when I first
met Lincoln. That was 1976. We did tune clocks on a CY203 a few times but it wasn’t until
ETA that I started doing real work ;-)
All cool stuff though and the stories were endless and awesome.
cje
--
Chris Elmquist
On Sep 23, 2022, at 1:31 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 9/23/22 10:52, ben via cctalk wrote:
Just how do the supercomputer do i/o for all that
floating numbers.
Weather maps I can see for output, but what about all that Top Secret
number crunching.
Well, consider the 1969 STAR-100; although not well documented, had a
512-bit wide, error-checked I/O channel that ran at memory speed. Neil
had various schemes for it, including a 100K RPM head-per-track drum
that ran in vacuo. I recall him mentioning that the prototype lasted
around a minute before the observation window was covered with the
remnants of the drum surface.
Or consider the STAR SCROLL--a very wide tape that ran over a
head-per-track drum. I don't recall seeing that prototype; maybe it
existed only in the mind. But we had to mention both in our responses
to RFQs.
This may be before Chris Elmquist's time, but he might also remember.
Too bad that Neil's no longer with us; I suspect that he had lots of
amazing stories.
--Chuck