Siemens system 4004

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A Siemens 4004/135 in a Sparkasse in Kiel (1974)
Commissioning of the new computer system type 44 790-4 from Siemens in the Kieler Spar- und Leihkasse in Bergstrasse (Kiel 56.724) .jpg
A compatible RCA Spectra 70 with control panel

The Siemens System 4004 , or Siemens 4004 for short, was a mainframe product series that Siemens marketed from 1965 . Originally, the system and the software were licensed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and corresponded to the Spectra 70 series (originally only four models), which was largely hardware-compatible with the competing System / 360 series from IBM. The computers were among the earliest, completely transistor-based computers. From 1966 Siemens developed its own models (from 4004/45), later developed its own software and in turn supplied RCA. The Ministry of State Security of the former GDR acquired several systems. The database systems GOLEM and SIRA ran on them .

system

A system consisted of a central unit (ZE), which consisted depending on the model of a plurality of cabinet-high segments and having at the head of a large panel, as well as the typical peripherals such as punch cards - or paper tape puncher and readers, tape recorders , magnetic disk memories and magnetic card store . The output took place on high-speed printers; Messages appeared on a chart recorder .

The main memory (RAM) consisted of threaded ferrite core memory blocks .

The control panel of the central unit was about 53 × 36 cm. It consisted of seven rows in 15 columns of push buttons and square display panels that were backlit in yellow / orange, red and green. Above it were two rows of yellow / orange half-width ROM display fields. The green FLIP-FLOP displays (top right) were square at RCA, and vertically at Siemens. Siemens had an additional switch in the middle of the top row. Under the large control panel were three more, narrow rows of service switches. Details of all switches and fields of this and other devices are described in the Spectra 70 maintenance manual 70-55-101 (from page 46)

Machine architecture

The specifications and capabilities between the backward compatible models varied greatly. The smaller models were no longer capable of multiple stations and did not support floating point operations .

The integrated circuits were built monolithically. Data were processed 8 bits with a parity bit in the EBCDIC code. Data words could be read with a width of 16, 32 or 64 bits; Strings of up to 256 bytes. The smaller models up to 4004/55 had a 32-bit general-purpose register, while the larger models offered virtual memory management . Instructions consisted of 2, 4 or 6 bytes; an operation part (1 byte) with up to three operands.

The operation was initially carried out using punch cards (control cards and data cards) via the Job Control Language (JCL).

Models

model year Manufacturer operating system R.A.M. Interfaces technology User (simultaneous)
4004-15 1965 RCA PBS 4-8 KB DIN / DOUT transistor 1
4004-16 1968 RCA PBS 8-16 KB DIN / DOUT transistor
4004-25 1965 RCA PBS 32 KB DIN / DOUT transistor
4004-26 1969 RCA PBS 64 KB DIN / DOUT transistor 8th
4004-35 1971 RCA BS1000 128 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-45 1968 RCA / Siemens BS1000 512 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-46 1971 RCA / Siemens BS1000 512 KB DIN / DOUT ECL 48
4004-55 1968 RCA BS1000 512 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-127 1971 RCA BS1000 192 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-135 1971 RCA BS1000 512 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-150 1971 RCA / Siemens BS1000 512 KB DIN / DOUT ECL
4004-151 1972 RCA / Siemens BS2000 1 MB DIN / DOUT ECL

The selling price of a 4004-35 system in 1971 was DM 1.7 million (excluding maintenance costs). Alternatively, the monthly rent (including maintenance) was DM 47,000.

software

In addition to the integrated programs and operating systems, the database systems GOLEM, including the information system for the 1972 Olympic Games, GOLYM and SESAM, were used. There are special solutions for various industries, including insurance companies, banks, health insurance companies and the like. Ä.

  • HOREST (warehousing, materials management)
  • Payroll, including programs like
    • LOST (income tax deductions)
    • SOZI (social security deductions)
    • MONEY
  • SINETIK 4004 (network plan technology)
  • SIESTA (Siemens statistics)
  • EVIDENT (scheduling)
  • SAVOY I (Sales Prediction System)
  • BIKAS (library program)
  • PICS (warehousing)
  • METHAPLAN (method bank process system for planning and analysis, economic planning)
  • PET (program development terminal, software development)

Operating systems

In addition to a basic operating system (GBS), a tape operating system (BBS) - RCA called this Tape Operating System (TOS) - then a tape-disk operating system (BPBS) and later other disk operating systems (PBS) were used. This later resulted in the BS1000 and BS2000 operating systems .

The original operating systems consisted of several programs / commands which were divided into organization, translation, library management, utility programs and the like. Integrated translation programs (programming languages) were assembler , RPG , ANSI -COBOL, COBOL , ALGOL and FORTRAN . The operating system initially had to be generated from a master tape using the SYSGEN command after the large storage area had been prepared. This has been simplified as of BS1000 version 1.4.

Periphery

Device with Siemens product number

  • Chart recorder 97
  • Printers 4247, 4242, 243, 4241, 4245
  • Card punch 234, 4238, 236
  • Card reader 237, 4235, 4239
  • Tape reader / punch 4223, 4225, 4226, 4227, 4228, 4229
  • Optical document readers / sorters 4250, 4251, 4256
  • Sheet / strip reader 4261, 4262
  • 7-track magnetic tape 432, 441, 442, 4443, 4446
  • 9-track magnetic tape 432, 441, 442, 4443, 4446
  • 9-track magnetic tape (1600 bpi) 450, 4453
  • Magnetic card memory 568
  • Disk storage 594, 4570, 4578, 4579, 4580, 4581
  • Data Exchange Control 627

It was also possible to communicate with other devices, including other series such as B. Terminals of the Siemens 7,000 series ( medium-sized data technology ).

Further replicas / derivatives

Feature films

A 4004 appears in the following films

a Spectra 70 in

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thomas Wieland: New technology on old paths?
  2. ^ University of Regensburg
  3. ↑ Single core memory module from Wolfgang Robel
  4. ↑ Spectra 70 Maintenance Manual on bitsavers.org
  5. ↑ System description on f10479
  6. ^ Paul Niewalda: The electronic data processing in the library system
  7. ↑ Data processing with the Siemens System 4004, PDF on f10479
  8. ↑ Klaus Barckow: Library Network in North Rhine-Westphalia: planning and construction of the overall university libraries and the University Library Center 1972-1975
  9. ^ Willi Albers: Concise Dictionary of Economics: at the same time a new edition of the Concise Dictionary of Social Sciences, Volume 5
  10. ^ H. Jacobs: New aspects of operational planning
  11. ↑ Starring the Computer