Mainframe Computer Component, SEAC Wire Cartridge
date: label: date made
content: ca 1960
name: label: maker
content: National Bureau of Standards
notes: label: Description
content: This cartridge was used as a magnetic storage device for the SEAC (Standards Eastern Automatic Computer). The machine had 1300 tubes; 15,800 diodes; and 10 relays. It occupied 150 square feet and was first used in 1950. Funding for SEAC came from the United States Air Force, which supported the computer for research on logistics. It was also used on a wide range of other projects.
label: Description
content: Cartridges such as this were originally used in standard commercial dictation machines. For use on SEAC, the drives were modified, and the speed was probably increased, to handle single-channel digital data streams. Recording of data was accomplished either while a cartridge was mounted on SEAC (at the high speed) or by a unit in a separate room which converted data from punched paper tape or punched cards onto the cartridge, at lower speed. The same units could be used to create paper versions of data recorded on the wires.
label: Description
content: This particular device was given to the donor, Richard B.Thomas in about 1983 as a retirement gift. Mr. Thomas worked from 1956 until 1962 with Russ Kirsch as a programmer for SEAC.
label: Description
content: Other SEAC artifacts are in the Smithsonian collection as part of accession 1980.0305 - a wire cartridge has number 1980.0305.09. A third wire cartridge, used in demonstrations of the computer to visitors, has museum number 2013.0084.02.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Richard B. Thomas
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1997.0259.1
label: accession number
content: 1997.0259
label: catalog number
content: 1997.0259.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: mainframe computer component
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 21.3 cm x 9 cm x 3.6 cm; 8 3/8 in x 3 17/32 in x 1 13/32 in