CDC 6600 CPU cabinet (3 of 4)

Sign attached to right side of CPU cabinet (removed 11/29/2010) read: CONTROL DATA 6600 Control Data Corporation Word length: 60-bit (Main processor); 12-bit (Peripheral Control Processors) Speed: 3,000,000 instructions per second, 10 MHz (4, 25ns phases) Primary Memory: 131,072 words core memory Secondary Memory: With additional Peripheral Control Processors almost unlimited number of tape drives and disk drives. Instruction Set: 15-bit or 30-bit instructions using 6-bit operation codes, hence 2, 3 or 4 instructions per word. Architecture: 10 Peripheral Control Processors act independently of a Main Processor. Technology: 600,000 silicon transistors Input and Output: Card, tape or direct terminal input. Price: $7,000,000 Size: 400 cubic feet Software: COS (Chippewa Operating System), FORTRAN, Assembly systems for both Main and Peripheral Processors. Development History: Started in 1960, the 6600 was introduced August 22, 1963. Designed by Seymour Cray, Jim Thornton, and a small team of engineers in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Production History: The first unit was delivered to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in September 1964. The first ten units were produced in Chippewa Falls. Use: Large time-sharing systems; sophisticated scientific computation. Achievements: Fastest computer of its time. First use of peripheral processors. First use of Freon cooling and double-sided “cordwood” modules led to greatest component density achieved of its time.