MUSEUM "WAALSDORP"

Historic tale: "Papertape, Punch cards and Virtual Network"

Pretty early, the TNO Physics and Electronic laboratory (and its predecessors) made use of computers. This virtual department of Museum Waalsdorp tries to keep the recollection of old systems and their use. Based upon descriptions, anecdotal stories, recollections and photographs an impression will be given on the developments of TNO-FELs internal and external computer and network services.

Most photographs on subsequent TNO-FEL pages can be enlarged by clicking them. Unfortunately, a major part of the descriptions and anecdotal stories are (currently) only in Dutch. Feel free to visit them as you might find there surprising photo's from the recent, but nevertheless "old" computer history.

TNO-FEL's computer history index in Dutch

The following chapters and information in this section are only available in Dutch.

Period till 1974: "The first computers"
(DICON, SIMREK, Ferranti FM 1600B, CDC 3200, CDC 1700)
Period 1974 - 1978: "Punch cards and 110 Baud"
(CDC 6400, NOS/BE, DEC PDP 11/45, DEC PDP 11/60, Digigraphic, Tektronix 4010)
Period 1978 - 1983: "The simulations grew"
(CYBER 74, NOS/BE, CDC 2551, VAX 11/750)
Period 1983 - 1986: "Improving reliability"
(CYBER 835, NOS/BE, NOS/VE, CDC 2551, VAX 11/750, VAX 8350, PC's, Local Area Network)
Periode 1986 - 1990: "From fixed towards virtual memory"
(CYBER 840, NOS/VE, CDCnet, VAX 6300, CADNETIX, PC's, CYBER 930-11)
Period 1989 - 1994: "Supercomputing and decentralization"
(ETA10P, CONVEX C230, VAX 6400, CYBER 930-31, DAZIX, CDC 4380, SGI, SUN, DIS)

Tables and other information

Time line of computer systems at TNO-FEL
Relative computational speed (old) systems we worked with
Relative performance Cyber systems
CDC Cyber systems (architecture, NOS/BE, NOS/VE)
CDC Cyber peripheral equipment
CDC System 17/Cyber 18 peripheral equipment
DEC peripheral equipment
Ferranti 1600B equipment

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25/02/1998