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Chapter 41

The IBM 7094 1, II

Introduction

The IBM 7094 I and 7094 II computers are the last of a series of computers beginning with the IBM 704 (Fig. 1, page 515). The series is an outgrowth of the IBM 701. Although the series is designed for scientific (arithmetic) calculations, its speed and structure allow it to be used for general-purpose computation. Business-type processing which uses string data is efficiently handled by conversion into fixed-length fields at input and output. From about 1956 to 1966 the family was the standard of large computers in the United States, there being approximately 20 701, 50 704, 20 709, 50 7090, 130 7094 I, 125 7094 II, 120 7040, and 120 7044 computers in existence.

The PMS structure is a single central processor (Pc) with multiple input/output processors (Pio's) (for all except the 701 and 704). The Pio's provide for multiple transfers to primary memory (Mp) at high information flow rates. The structure allows for duplex connection to terminal (T) or secondary-memory (Ms) control (K). This provision permits the system to be used in real-time applications requiring significant computation, high-data-rate transfers with other systems, and high availability. However, the system was not initially designed for time sharing and multiprogramming use, and the attempt to so use it required modification [Corbato et al., 1962].

The word length is 36 bits. There is one single-address instruction/word. In all but the 7094 the processor interprets instructions serially. In the 7094 one register instruction look-ahead is used. The Pc has index registers, the 704 being the first IBM computer to use them. Their number increased from three in the 704 ~ 7090 to seven in the 7094, as their usefulness became apparent.

Structure

A simple tree-structured IBM 7094 I using PMS is shown in Fig. 1 and using a conventional block diagram in Fig. 2.

Primary memory (Mp) and P-Mp switch

The primary memory, Mp('7302 Core Storage), has a capacity of 32,768 36-bit words with a cycle time of 2 microseconds. The actual memory has a 72 + 1 parity bit word for even and odd addresses of 36-bit words. A request for two 36-bit words can be acknowledged in one 2-microsecond memory cycle. Thus Mp is Mp('7302 Core Storage; 2 m s/w; 16384 w; (72, 1 parity) b/w) for the 70941, and Mp(1.4 m s/w; 16384w; (72,1 parity) b/w) for the 7094 II.

The S('7606 Multiplexor; time multiplexed) provides access to Mp from any one of nine P's. Only Pc can request two 36-bit words at a time from Mp for instruction look-ahead and double-word operations. There can be only one Pc in the system.

Processors, P

Three processors are described: Pc('7109, 7110 Central Processing Unit/CPU), Pio('7607 Data Channel), and Pio('7909 Data Channel).

All P's behave similarly in that Pc instructions and Pio commands1 are fetched (or requested) from Mp and then interpreted in P. An instruction location counter in P addresses the next instruction. A processor instruction may, in turn, require the processor to access Mp for data, to perform transfers, to modify its state, etc. Although structurally the P's are similar, organizationally the Pc is superior to the Pio('Data Channel)'s; Pc issues programs to Pio's and start and stops (controls) Pio's.

Two-way communication is required between Pc and the Pio's. Tasks (jobs or programs) for Pio's are first set up in Mp by Pc. Pc then demands that Pio execute the program independently under its own control. Initialization takes place when Pc sets the instruction counter of a Pio. Upon task completion in Pio, an interrupt request is sent to Pc from Pio.

Below we first give a description of the Pc. Then the Pio('7909) is presented in detail and the Pio('7607) is outlined. The reader should compare the two Pio's. The Pio('7909) is a later design than the Pio('7607). It interprets instructions for the block of data being transferred and issues instructions to the KMs or KT. The earlier Pio('7607) interprets the instructions for controlling the information being transferred; the Pc interprets and issues the instructions to KMs or KT. The 7909 is therefore able to control more closely a T or Ms using a single program without need for Pc intervention.

1IBM attempts to distinguish between Pc and Pio's terminologically by "instruction" and "command." We make no such distinction in the following discussion; P's interpret instructions.

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