28 May
2016
28 May
'16
5:51 a.m.
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which are
installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
Photos available here -> http://avitech.com.au/?p=561
Thanks,
Malcolm.
28 May
28 May
6:29 a.m.
On May 28, 2016 9:51 PM, <malcolm at avitech.com.au> wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which are
installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
Definitely IBM mainframe. The individual square alloy lumps are what are
called MCMs - Multi Chip Modules. Insides are dozens of individual ECL ICs.
Water cooling heatsinks would have been bolted to the front side in life.
Can't remember what IBM called the entire assembly. 1980s, probably a 3080
or 3090 but don't quote me on that.
Mike
7:40 a.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike Ross
Sent: 28 May 2016 11:29
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Mystery IBM processor
On May 28, 2016 9:51 PM, <malcolm at avitech.com.au> wrote:
I believe the modules are called TCM's or Thermal Conduction Modules. It looks like a
3090 chip but I thought those were withdrawn before the date code of "90xx".
I thought the ES/9000 follow on had a re-designed chip with multiple rows of pins like
this...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-IBM-9121-TCM-Thermal-Conduction-Module-ES-9000…
but when I look at the IBM web pages:-
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_PP9000.html
it says only the high end machines have the new TCM so I think it may be a TCM from an
entry level ES/9000 machine...
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which
are installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
Definitely IBM mainframe. The individual square alloy lumps are what are
called MCMs - Multi Chip Modules. Insides are dozens of individual ECL ICs.
Water cooling heatsinks would have been bolted to the front side in life.
Can't remember what IBM called the entire assembly. 1980s, probably a 3080
or 3090 but don't quote me on that.
Mike
Dave
G4UGM
9:03 a.m.
On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 11:40 PM, Dave Wade <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote:
TCM! That's what I was looking for. If you think your collection is
getting out of hand Jim Austin has *half* of a 3084.... shows how the
CPU assembly fits into the machine:
http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/fixed_pages/IBM3084.html
Mike
http://www.corestore.org
'No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother.
Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame.
For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.'
-----Original
Message-----
From: cctech [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike Ross
Sent: 28 May 2016 11:29
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Mystery IBM processor
On May 28, 2016 9:51 PM, <malcolm at avitech.com.au> wrote:
I believe the modules are called TCM's or Thermal Conduction Modules. It looks like a
3090 chip but I thought those were withdrawn before the date code of "90xx".
I thought the ES/9000 follow on had a re-designed chip with multiple rows of pins like
this...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-IBM-9121-TCM-Thermal-Conduction-Module-ES-9000…
but when I look at the IBM web pages:-
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_PP9000.html
it says only the high end machines have the new TCM so I think it may be a TCM from an
entry level ES/9000 machine...
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which
are installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
Definitely IBM mainframe. The individual square alloy lumps are what are
called MCMs - Multi Chip Modules. Insides are dozens of individual ECL ICs.
Water cooling heatsinks would have been bolted to the front side in life.
Can't remember what IBM called the entire assembly. 1980s, probably a 3080
or 3090 but don't quote me on that.
10:02 a.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike Ross
Sent: 28 May 2016 14:04
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Mystery IBM processor
On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 11:40 PM, Dave Wade <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com>
wrote:
looks
like a 3090 chip but I thought those were withdrawn before the date code
of "90xx".
The pricing is miss-leading. That price is taken from here:-
https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_PP3084.html
For Universities there was a standard discount of 40% so at most they paid was $5.22M
In addition, it was common practice for IBM to loan Universities a new machine for
evaluation.
Typically, you could have it for a year so long as you paid the maintenance and software
costs.
At the end of a year you then had the option to buy, or return it.
If you choose to buy it, it was by then of course, a year old and no longer a leading edge
new machine...
.. so you would actually pay the second hand price, less your 40% discount...
As far as I know only one University in the UK sent one back, and that was Queens
University, Belfast.
Dave
G4UGM
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctech [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mike
> Ross
> Sent: 28 May 2016 11:29
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: Mystery IBM processor
>
> On May 28, 2016 9:51 PM, <malcolm at avitech.com.au> wrote:
> >
> > Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a rather large IBM
> > processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
> >
> > The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of
> > which are installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of
34F0615.
>
> Definitely IBM mainframe. The individual square alloy lumps are what
> are called MCMs - Multi Chip Modules. Insides are dozens of individual ECL
ICs.
Water
cooling heatsinks would have been bolted to the front side in life.
Can't remember what IBM called the entire assembly. 1980s, probably a
3080 or 3090 but don't quote me on that.
I believe the modules are called TCM's or Thermal Conduction Modules. It
I thought the ES/9000 follow on had a re-designed chip with multiple rows of
pins
like this...
Module-ES
-9000-Mainframe-Microprocessor-/182138577581
but when I look at the IBM web pages:-
http://www-
03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_PP9000.
html
it says only the high end machines have the new TCM so I think it may be a
TCM
from an entry level ES/9000 machine...
TCM! That's what I was looking for. If you think your collection is getting out of
hand Jim Austin has *half* of a 3084.... shows how the CPU assembly fits into
the machine:
http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/fixed_pages/IBM3084.html
Mike
http://www.corestore.org
'No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother.
Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame.
For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.'
6:45 p.m.
Mike / Dave / Paul,
Thanks for the responses. It does look a lot like the processor photo on Jim Austin's
IBM 3084 page.
I can't see any FRU numbers on any of the modules, so this is probably as far as we
can go in chasing it down for the time being. I might be able to get some more clues from
the markings on the shipping case.
Malcolm.
29 May
29 May
11:38 a.m.
On 05/28/2016 05:45 PM, Malcolm Macleod wrote:
Mike / Dave / Paul,
Thanks for the responses. It does look a lot like the processor photo on Jim
Austin's IBM 3084 page.
Wow, this has to have cost IBM $250K or more. Maybe MUCH
more, as it is the WHOLE processor system.
I wonder if anybody is still running any of these and needs
spares?
Jon
28 May
28 May
6:50 a.m.
On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 5:51 AM, <malcolm at avitech.com.au> wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a
rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which are
installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
If you opened up one of the modules it would look like this... bunch
of ECL chips with copper heatsinks conducting heat to the outer alloy
casing where the water cooling manifolds would be bolted on. And all
that internal cavity with chips and heatsinks was filled with a...
sticky goopy fluid to aid in heat conduction. Power consumption...
enormous!!
http://wp.xin.at/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mcm.jpg
Mike
http://www.corestore.org
'No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother.
Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame.
For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.'
7:35 a.m.
On 2016-05-28 7:50 AM, Mike Ross wrote:
On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 5:51 AM, <malcolm at
avitech.com.au> wrote:
34F5089 is
used in a number of models of 3090 processor 34F0615 is not
found and is likely a manufacturing number, look for part numbers that
have the letters FRU in from of them, they are the field spare part numbers.
Paul.
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify
a rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which are
installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
If you
opened up one of the modules it would look like this... bunch
of ECL chips with copper heatsinks conducting heat to the outer alloy
casing where the water cooling manifolds would be bolted on. And all
that internal cavity with chips and heatsinks was filled with a...
sticky goopy fluid to aid in heat conduction. Power consumption...
enormous!!
http://wp.xin.at/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mcm.jpg
Mike
http://www.corestore.org
'No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother.
Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame.
For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.'
7:46 a.m.
On 2016-05-28 6:51 AM, malcolm at avitech.com.au wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can help us to identify a
rather large IBM
processor assembly. It weighs around 60 pounds.
The frame has a P/N of 34F5089. The frame houses 9 modules, 6 of which are
installed. The module we removed for inspection has a P/N of 34F0615.
Photos available here -> http://avitech.com.au/?p=561
Thanks,
Malcolm.
The part number 34F5089 is for several models of 3090, is there any FRU
numbers on the shipping case? The 6035847 I can see in the picture is
not a valid part number.
Paul
2950
days inactive
2951
days old
9 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com -
elson＠pico-systems.com -
malcolm＠avitech.com.au -
Malcolm＠switchlegal.com.au -
phb.hfx＠gmail.com -
tmfdmike＠gmail.com