IBM-7030
The IBM-7030, commonly known as the Stretch computer, was an early supercomputer developed by IBM. Here are key details about this historic machine:
Development and Purpose
- Project Initiation: The development of the IBM-7030 began in the mid-1950s as part of a project to create a high-speed computer for the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
- Design Goals: The primary objective was to deliver a machine that was 100 times faster than the existing computers of that era, specifically targeting scientific computation and data processing needs of the AEC.
Technical Specifications
- Architecture: It utilized a unique architecture, combining both serial and parallel processing elements, which was innovative for its time.
- Memory: The IBM-7030 had a large memory capacity for the period, with up to 1 megabyte of core memory.
- Instruction Set: It featured a rich instruction set including floating-point operations, which was rare at the time.
- Clock Speed: It had a clock speed of approximately 2.2 MHz, significantly high for the late 1950s.
- Performance: While the initial goal was to achieve a speed 100 times that of the IBM-704, it managed to reach speeds about 30 to 40 times faster.
Implementation and Deployment
- First Installation: The first Stretch computer was installed at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in 1961.
- Usage: Besides the AEC, other installations included Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
- Commercialization: IBM eventually sold six Stretch computers, although the system did not meet all the initial performance expectations, leading to its commercial failure.
Legacy and Influence
- Technological Innovations: Despite its commercial shortcomings, the IBM-7030 introduced several innovations in computer design, including the use of lookahead carry logic for arithmetic operations and memory interleaving to enhance performance.
- Impact on Future Systems: Many of the concepts developed for Stretch influenced subsequent computer designs, particularly IBM's later systems like the System/360.
- Historical Significance: It is recognized as one of the first supercomputers, setting a precedent for high-performance computing.
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