Walter wrote:
When examined after each failure, the core (yes, real core) memory was
always wiped clean. That computer (and its tech) was housed in a metal
box (IIRC, about 6'x10', 8' high) which was transportable on the back of a
2 1/2 ton ("6-by") truck, or by helicopter> It was located about 15 feet
from another similar box with all the radar gear inside, and large radar
dish on the top. After a few days of random core wipes, someone noticed
that the core wipe only happened when the door to the computer hut was
momentarily opened as the radar dish swept past. While aimed much higher,
there was enough residual power from the dish to wipe the computer's core
memory clean. Memory was reloaded (back on track now) from dependable
paper tape.
old thread about Mt. Umunhum interfering with (stanford) SAIL computer:
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/aadsm25.htm#25
the referenced URL has gone 404
http://www-db.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/AIlab/SailFarewell.html
but is here:
http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/AIlab/SailFarewell.html
from above:
I got proper air conditioning a short time later, but unfortunately
developed a bad case of hiccups that struck regularly at 12 second
intervals. My assistants spent a number of days trying to find the
cause of this mysterious malady without success. As luck would have
it, somebody brought a portable radio into my room one day and noticed
that it was emitting a "Bzz" at regular intervals -- in fact, at the
same moment that I hicced. Further investigation revealed that the
high-powered air defense radar atop Mt. Umunhum, about 20 miles away,
was causing some of my transistors to act as radio receivers. We
solved this problem by improving my grounding.
... snip ...
for other drift ... later posts in the previously mentioned ibm-main thread
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#42 Book on Poughkeepsie
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#44 Book on Poughkeepsie
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#47 Book on Poughkeepsie
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#48 Book on Poughkeepsie
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#55 Book on Poughkeepsie
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#56 Punched Card Combinations
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#61 Punched Card Combinations
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#62 Book on Poughkeepsie
and a recent, separate virtual machine thread in a.f.c:
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#59 Operating Systems for Virtual Machines
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#63 Operating Systems for Virtual Machines
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#64 Operating Systems for Virtual Machines
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2009h.html#65 Operating Systems for Virtual Machines
--
40+yrs virtualization experience (since Jan68), online at home since Mar1970
