[Milsurplus] Old CPUs

[mikea]

On Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 01:26:32PM -0500, C.Whitaker wrote:
> de WB2CPN
> The UNIVAC (?) machines used with the first DOD AUTODIN
> network used a drum.  About 14" dia, about 20" tall.  Had heads
> all up and down.  The problem we had was that they were not able
> to be certifed to TS.  We had no approved way to erase them, and
> distruction by burning was out of the question.
> I later worked with a H-P 2100 I think, it had core wires crossing
> through little minature donuts.   Trivia, but we could put a folded
> IBM card in the tape reader, and run the I/O program that played
> a risky tune.  Maintenance people didn't think much of this idea. 

Sounds like an IBM 2305 "Fixed Head Storage" -- drum in sober fact. We had
some in our AUTODIN switch at Drake, IIRC, and had one crash. The IBMer
brought out a replacement, put up a little dust-free tent around the gear,
replaced the drum, closed the door, started the airsystem and ran it for 2
days to catch what dust might have got in, and, finally, flipped the switch
to load the heads and start tweaking things.

Eventually he got it all in spec and turned it over to us. Then he picked
up the crashed drum, put it in its little case, and started to walk out of
the secure area. The armed guards stopped him, and a long discussion ensued
about what to do with the failed part, since the contract specified that
replaced parts become the property of IBM. The Chief of Maintenance got
permission from higher to buy the failed drum, and we arranged a trip to a
foundry to drop the drum into an open hearth furnace and melt it.

You may speculate as to what level the stuff on that drum was; I can't
talk about it.

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin