9 Nov
2010
9 Nov
'10
2:15 p.m.
In the 50s the main processor was called the CPU
(Central Processing
Unit) to differentiate it from the various PPUs, (Peripheral
Processing Units).
A helluva lot of beginning computer courses now, and back to mid 1960s
introduced the term CPU, and sometimes ALU, but don't/didn't mention PPUs.
The first machine I programmed, the IBM 7094 had a
CPU and two PPUs, one to read cards and write the images to tape
transports, which would then be switched over to the CPU to read,
compile and execute the job and write the results back to another tape
transport which then got switched to the other PPU which then
transferred the tape image to a line printer.
I did some FORTRAN on a 7094 at GSFC (SSDC Bldg 26) 40 years ago. They
were using a 360/30 to do I/O for the 7094! Would that make that 360 a
PPU :-?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com