Computer history: Computer systems at TNO-FEL – timeline and specifications

 

Timeline 0f TNO-FEL’s main computer systems

Overview of the most important computer systems that were in use at TNO location Waalsdorp up to 1994
Period System Memory Disks Mhz
(cycle time)		 MFLOPs
(*) (**)		 MIPs Remarks
< 1964 Madas – – –

–

–

 Matrix inversion 24*24: 5 man hours
1964 – 1970 Elliot/
NCR 803B		 8 KW * 39 bits
(39 KB)		   (576 µsec)

?

?

  
1971 – 1977 Ferranti
FM1600B		 16K (24 bits)
(later 32K)		 none (1.33 µsec)

?

?

 (manufacturer description)
1970 – 4/74 CDC 3200 32 KW * 24 bits (plus 4 parity bits)
(96 KB)		   800 kHz
(1.25 µsec)

?

?

  
5/74 – 4/77

4/77 – 8/78

 CDC 6400 64 KW * 60 bits
(=480 KB)
96 KW * 60 bits		 2*100 MB 10 MHz

0.12

0.7

 Memory expansion
8/78 – 9/ 83 CYBER 74 131 KW * 60 bits
(=960 KB)		 5 * 414 MB
1981: 7 stuks		 10 MHz
(100 nsec)

0.48

2.5

 parallel CPUs
1* 566/800/1600 bpi tape unit
1* 1600/6250 bpi tape unit
1* 7 track tape unit
8/79 – 2/88 PDP 11/60 192 KW * 16 bits
(=384 MB)		 4* 5 MB  

0.04

0.3

 Mips and Mflops (estimated)
  VAX 11/750 8 MB (32 bits)
800 ns write
640 ns read		 2* 456 MB
1* 121 MB		 320 ns microcontrol store time

0.06

0.7

 Graphics VAX (VG)
84 – 7/89 VAX 11/750 6 MB (32 bits)
800 ns write
640 ns read		 1* 121 MB
1* 456 MB		 320 ns

0.12

0.7

 General purpose VAX (VC) with FPA
85 – 6/87 VAX 11/750 8 MB (32 bits)
800 ns write
640 ns read		 1* 456 MB 320 ns

0.06

0.7

 VAX for FEL’s administration (VA) with FPA
9/83 – 9/86 CYBER 835 512 KW * 64 bits
(= 4 MB)		 3* 1.2 GB (6 bit)
1* 237 MB (6 bit)		 17 MHz
(56 nsec)

0.47

2.5

 Computation mainframe
6/87 – 8/90 VAX 8350 28 MB 1* 640 MB
2* 456 MB
1* 121 MB		  

0.18

1.9

 VAX for FEL administration (VA)
9/86 – 3/90 CYBER 840 32 MB (64 bits) 384 ns 4* 1.2 GB (6 bit)
1* 2.4 GB (8 bit)		  

0.99

3.5

 Computation mainframe
7/88- 12/92

6/90 – 12/90

 CYBER
930-11
930-31		 32 MB (64 bits)
400 ns		 2* 414 MB
4* 414 MB		  

0.37
0.58

1.7
3.3

 System aside the minisuper computer
2/89 – 5/89 ETA10-P 12 MW * 64 bits
(96 MB)		 4* Hitachi 1.0 GB disks 42 MHz
(24 nsec)

146.00

44.8

 First minisuper computer
2/89 – 11/93 VAX 3500 16 MB 300 MB 30 MHz

0.40

2.9

  
7/89 – 8/90 xx
8/90 –		 VAX 6310
VAX 6410		 32 MB
64 MB		   60 ns
36 MHz/
28 ns cycle

0.54
1.50

3.8
7.0

 General purpose VAX
8/90 – 7/95 VAX 6410 64 MB 2* 1.2 GB 36 MHz/
28 ns cycle

1.50

7.0

 Administrative VAX
11/89 – 1990 CONVEX C220 256 MB 4* 1 GB 42 MHz
(24 nsec)

87.00

48

 2 CPUs, 50 Mflops piek
disk striping
11/90 – 11/94 CONVEX C230 256 MB 6* 1 GB 42 MHz
(24 nsec)

128.00

72

 3 CPUs, 50 Mflops peak
4 disk controllers; striping
7/90 – CDC 4380 64 MB 10* 1 GB 25 MHz

4.00

20

  
2/95- SUN 1000 132 MB 20* 1.05 GB 50 MHz

53.2

135.5

 (MFLOPs and MIPs/CPU)

(*) To compare: a 60 MHz Intel Pentium has a MFlops rating of 5.4.
(**) click for more information on CPU performances.