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Vintage Computer

Why a Cray YMP-EL lost its sense of time…

Our Cray YMP-EL encountered persistent booting issues, consistently resetting its time to a date in 1969 and experiencing sporadic panics leading to an unexpected shutdown into the IOS. The culprit? The DALLAS DS1216 F Chip, a crucial component serving as both the clock and CMOS chip. Despite assurances from the vendor of a decade-long lifespan, our machine, now three decades old, revealed the inevitable failure of its 3.3V battery. Taking matters into our own hands, we opted to desolder the entire chip from the board, carefully maneuvering around the glued-in battery. Utilizing a Dremel tool, we skillfully severed the battery’s ground connection, proceeding to solder two wires into the designated spots and connecting them to a fresh 3.3V battery. Miraculously, the system sprang back to life, albeit requiring a reset of the date and time within the IOP system.

For a visual journey through the process, please refer to the accompanying images.

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Vintage Computer

Cray YMP-EL part3

YMP-EL Infosheet
YMP-EL Infosheet

Machine Type: Cray Y-MP EL (Entry Level)
Serial number: 5176
Year of introduction: 1991
CPU Type: Cray Y-MP EL (Vector processor, CMOS technology)
Number of processors: 4
Main memory: 128 MWords -> 1024 MByte
Word length: 64 bit
Binary compatibility: up to the Cray-1 (1976)
Local storage: 2x DD4 Hard Disks – 2,7 GB each, one 9 track tape drive
Network connectivity: 10 MBit Ethernet, 125 MBit FDDI
Specified performance: 133 Flops per CPU peak, 4-8 times a Cray-1, 1/4 of a Cray-2
Measured peak performance: 460 Flops (A 2.4 GHz P4/RDRAM is 770 MFlops on the same benchmark problem, huge matric multiply, with Linux gnu cc -03)
Operating system: Cray UNICOS 8.0.3.1A (Unix-based)
Donated by: Leibniz Rechenzentrum, München

Generated a STL model with help of blender of the Cray YMP-EL and after some trial and error we managed to get povray running on the Cray.

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Vintage Computer

Cray Y-MP EL, part 2

Danke für die Verlegung des Stromzufuhr und dem Anschluss des Terminals. Die Cray konnte erfolgreich gebootet werden. Willkommen in 1996. Die Kabel zwischen Kabinett 1 und 2 sind wirklich fummelig.

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Vintage Computer

CRAY Y-MP EL

Wenn es mal wieder schnell gehen muss…

In diese Maschine darf ich mich dann mal einarbeiten.

CRAY Y-MP EL
CRAY Y-MP EL
CRAY Y-MP EL Frontpanel closeup
CRAY Y-MP EL Frontpanel closeup
CRAY Y-MP EL Notaus
CRAY Y-MP EL Notaus
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Vintage Computer

IBM EDPM 705

Ein leider nicht mehr funktionsfähiger Röhrenrechner der IBM, die EDPM 705 Electronic Data Processing Machine

IBM EDPM 705 Electronic Data Processing Machine
IBM EDPM 705 Electronic Data Processing Machine
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Vintage Computer

Teletype print head

This printhead is the godfather of the ASCII code as it directly translate to the positions of the characters on the print head with the binary representation of the ASCII code.

The head is quite worn on the actual characters, as the hammer hits the characters from the backside and presses the colour tape onto the paper. And as space, newline and carriage return are also hammering, that poor little thing took a lot of beating in its days.

Teletype Printhead
Teletype Printhead – It is hammered from the backside and already quite worn out. This is the godfather of the ASCII code.
Teletype Printhead side view
Teletype Printhead – It is hammered from the backside and already quite worn out. This is the godfather of the ASCII code.
Teletype Printhead topview
Teletype Printhead – It is hammered from the backside and already quite worn out. This is the godfather of the ASCII code.
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Vintage Computer

Fancy Terminal

Auch beim Besuch gesehen, aber noch nicht weiter identifiziert. Das Design des Terminals hat was, auch die Drehknöpfe für die Einstellungen.

Fancy Terminal
Fancy Terminal
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Vintage Computer

Schneider CPC464

Ein Schneider CPC464 im Vollausbau mit dem original Möbel.

Schneider CPC464
Schneider CPC464
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Vintage Computer

Früher war mehr Cyber

Beim Besuch der Vintage Computer Labs unter anderem auch diese Control Data Cyber 180 gesehen. Es wird noch jemand gesucht, der diesen Mainframe zum Laufen bekommt.

Control Data Cyber 180
Control Data Cyber 180

Klima, Strom und Zwischenboden ist jedenfalls vorhanden.

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Vintage Computer

CompaQ & Osbourne

Ich hatte vor kurzem die Gelegenheit das Vintage Computer Lab gGmbH zu besuchen. Dabei sind einige Bilder entstanden unter anderem von diesen frühen tragbaren Computern.

Compaq vs Osbourne
Compaq vs Osbourne

Dort sind ein CompaQ und ein Osbourne ausgestellt. Beide sind voll funktionstüchtig.

Sie sind Vorfahren meines Nixdorf PC-01.