[vcf-midatlantic] That UNIVAC part from Grabbe -- update!

[Herb Johnson]

This discussion caught my eye and I did some quick Web searching.

  PX23_1103A_sysMaint_Feb57.pdf

at bitsavers.org under "pdf" and "univac" and "1103", has general 
descriptions of Univac 1103 modules, or in their terminology "unit 
chassis". There's a single photo of a chassis, which clearly is of the 
same kind as the module in discussion. I believe it states there are 86 
kinds of unit chassis. This manual is dated Feb 1957 from "Remington 
Rand Univac".

The manual

PX71871_ERA103vol2sec4.pdf

has on page 1 and many other pages, "Remington Rand / Engineering 
Research Associates Division" Page one adds "(street) St. Paul 
Minnesota". That confirms the "ERA" identification of the VCFed's 
module. This manual has text descriptions of various (vacuum tube) 
circuits, I/O and memory elements. Seems to be a kind of primer on 
computing and logical elements, and on the 1103's programming and I/O 
facilities. It's pretty informative as an introduction to 1103 "technology".

Other bitsavers 1103 documents from 1953 forward identify "ERA 1103" 
versus the "Univac Scientific Model 1103A". But -  no schematics, no 
list of unit chassis numbers were immediately evident in my quick look.

It may be difficult to find a manual for the specific module held by 
VCFed. The image in the PDF from Evan is blurry. A better image may show 
a "unit chassis" part number that can be Google searched to find a 
document with specific information. This is a hint.

Why will a unit-chassis manual be difficult to find? I'm "guessing" that 
most of the Univac manuals were for use on-site to operate the Univac, 
or off-site to learn how to program it. The point of modular 
construction, was to allow on-site persons to run test operations on the 
computer, to identify down to the "unit chassis" any problems. Then the 
unit chassis could be pulled, repaired off-site, and/or replaced on 
site. Military procedures for system repairs may have been different.

lose reading of the "sysMaint" manuals may reference that process and 
would be informative.

Herb Johnson

-- 
Herbert R. Johnson,  New Jersey USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net