Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Greetings to the 35 guests viewing this topic! You should join the forum and say "hi."

[neo]

Since we've brought it up here's a fully configured IBM Z-Series Z14. This one has all the bells and whistles and will set you back a cool $30M plus USD to buy outright. I've only seen maybe 3 or 4 fully configured this way. Most have fewer features. I'll go through what you're looking at.

Starting  left frame top. 2 backup batteries. Below that are 6 bulk supplies. A redundant 6 on the backside. The system operates on 480V 3 phase. Below that where all those cables meet are the power controllers. A redundant set on the backside. And below that are 4 I/O cages, which also extend to the backside. Most customers order majority fiber I/O cards with some mix of copper.

That LCD panel with keyboard is for servicing. It is normally retracted into the frame. And there is a redundant LCD panel/keyboard behind it.

Starting right frame top. 2 system controllers called “System Elements” or SE's. A primary and hot backup. They are basically a PC running an IBM modified form of red-hat with a unique GUI. They are what's connected to those LCD panels. Below that is another backup battery and another I/O cage. Below that are the processor drawers. There are 4 or them in this machine, the maximum. The minimum is 1 drawer. They are water and air cooled. Below that are chillers/pumps for the water. A primary and backup. In this configuration it is a stand alone closed looped system. No “house” chilled water is needed. But a customer can order a cheaper pump system that does need chilled water for heat exchange.

Would you accept payment in the form of human souls? 

[Mr. Scram]

Well, for your IOT toothbrush, coffee machine, toaster, ... a little internet austerity will be no problem. 
.. and for the media stuff you could enable access, but could still track to whom it talks to.

My problem generally is with data logging items. I want to log that data, not send it across the internet. Unfortunately, cutting communications generally means no more data logging. Finding anything that keeps the data locally is nearly impossible and if it does, it's not advertised as such. Having to choose between either sharing your data with everyone or writing it down manually like a stone age monkey in this age of disposable technology seems to be a twisted joke.

I'm not stupid enough to buy a IoT toothbrush or coffee machine.

[med6753]

30M is impressive for a CPU cluster like this one. How many are sold each year ?

Unfortunately that is highly confidential info and I could get into some serious hot water revealing it. 

[mnementh]

Since we've brought it up here's a fully configured IBM Z-Series Z14. This one has all the bells and whistles and will set you back a cool $30M plus USD to buy outright. I've only seen maybe 3 or 4 fully configured this way. Most have fewer features. I'll go through what you're looking at...

     

The high-performance spirit of the original Crays lives on, clearly. Above is one processor board of dozens from a Cray Y-MP; it held the record from '88-'89 at a hair over 2 GFLOPs. In perspective, today's crop of iPwns deliver ~350-500 GFLOPs.

Here's an amusing excerpt from the wiki on its predecessor, the Cray-2 (Previous Recordholder at 1.95 GFLOPs):

Due to the use of liquid cooling, the Cray-2 was given the nickname "Bubbles", and common jokes around the computer made reference to this unique system. Gags included "No Fishing" signs, cardboard depictions of the Loch Ness Monster rising out of the heat exchanger tank, plastic fish inside the exchanger, etc.^{[citation needed]}

The power consumption of the Cray-2 was 150–200 kW.

Research conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the early 90's indicated that to a limited extent the perfluorinated polyether used to cool Cray-2 circuits would break down to form the extremely toxic gas perfluoroisobutylene[2]. At the time Cray had created a poster showing the transparent "bubble chamber" that the cooling fluid was run through for visual effect, with a spill of the same material glistening on the floor—the joke was that if this actually occurred, the facility would have to be evacuated. The manufacturer of the liquid developed a scrubber that could be placed in line with the pump that would catalytically degrade this toxic breakdown product.

Each vertical stack of logic modules sat above a stack of power modules which powered 5 volt busbars, each of which delivered about 2200 amps. The Cray-2 was powered by two motor-generators, which took in 480 V three-phase.

Thanks for sharing!

mnem
*Toddles off to ded*

[tggzzz]

Looks like neo took the Red pill AND the Blue pill... 
Welcome to hell, buddy. There's cold Dew in the fridge right next to the leftover breakfast tacos. The everything bagels are

Anyone remember GeoCities? I hope there's no <blink> tag on this forum

[Wolfgang]

Another interesting fact about the Cray is that the MTBF was in the range of hours, not years.
Due to the liquid and freon cooling the MTTR also had a minimum, because you had to unload and reload the cooling agent with every repair. That took quite some time.
Testing was only possible in "cooled" state.

[bd139]

Now that cray is a boat anchor

Amazing I’m sitting here on a device where just the GPU can kick out 115 GFLOPS. Fits in my pocket now and lasts a good few hours on a tiny little battery.

At the same time they managed to make Apple Music lag out occasionally. 

On the subject of TEA I’ve been participating in an offline discussion about tek stuff for about three months with some amateur radio people. They seem to have devolved into a discussion about god having a hand in their repairs rather than their own skills

[Wolfgang]

God has a hand in your repairs ? In a lot of mine the unspeakable evil spirit was involved, I am sure !! 

[Mr. Scram]

Did they specify which god? Was it Odin or perhaps Mars? Apparently both can be bastards, but maybe they have their days.

[bd139]

I suspect it’s the white beardy dude surrounded by angels in this case.

[med6753]

I suspect it’s the white beardy dude surrounded by angels in this case.

Yep, that describes me exactly. I am that god they refer too. 

Edit...stand by, there's one of them calling me now for advice. 

[bd139]

Hahaha 

[tggzzz]

At the same time they managed to make Apple Music lag out occasionally. 

All the various buffers in the network are too big

On the subject of TEA I’ve been participating in an offline discussion about tek stuff for about three months with some amateur radio people. They seem to have devolved into a discussion about god having a hand in their repairs rather than their own skills

If they lived locally, could you make more money repairing them or buy-repair-fleabaying them?

[med6753]

Speaking of Tek. The OS-245(P)/U has developed what appears to be a retrace issue. In the first pix the intensity is turned way up and you can clearly see the retrace plus considerable “ghosting”. In the 2nd pix with the intensity more or less at normal levels the ghosting isn't as apparent and there's just a minor hook of retrace at the start of the sweep.

BTW...the sweep length is correct. It doesn't go fully side to side like the civilian 7603. Why? I don't know. I think it's determined by the TD-1085/U Time Base plug-in.

Anyway, standard procedures. Check the PSU first for correct voltage and ripple. I did find a manual on line for the OS-245 but it's incomplete and missing sections. And the 7603 manuals I found on line are for later versions. The 7603 had a lot of revisions and updates over it's life span. For example. The horizontal and vertical boards in this unit are discrete components. Later versions are IC's. And the HV board appears to be different too. But I'm sure I'll eventually nail it down. After all, I am surrounded by angels. 

[Brumby]

I suspect it’s the white beardy dude surrounded by angels in this case.

Yep, that describes me exactly. I am that god they refer too. 

Edit...stand by, there's one of them calling me now for advice. 

I'm seeing things more along the lines of Loki.

[tggzzz]

Speaking of Tek. The OS-245(P)/U has developed what appears to be a retrace issue. In the first pix the intensity is turned way up and you can clearly see the retrace plus considerable “ghosting”. In the 2nd pix with the intensity more or less at normal levels the ghosting isn't as apparent and there's just a minor hook of retrace at the start of the sweep.

I don't know about that scope specifically, but the ghosting seems normal. ISTR it being due to the mesh.

If you are worried about the retrace, then it is usually possible to tweak the Z bias a little.

[med6753]

Speaking of Tek. The OS-245(P)/U has developed what appears to be a retrace issue. In the first pix the intensity is turned way up and you can clearly see the retrace plus considerable “ghosting”. In the 2nd pix with the intensity more or less at normal levels the ghosting isn't as apparent and there's just a minor hook of retrace at the start of the sweep.

I don't know about that scope specifically, but the ghosting seems normal. ISTR it being due to the mesh.

If you are worried about the retrace, then it is usually possible to tweak the Z bias a little.

 
Interesting, you had the same thoughts as I did. I think the Z bias is turned up too high too. Problem is so far I can't find it (so far) on this unit. The manual I have is missing the CRT circuit (of course) and I think the bias control is located under the HV cover assembly. But I'm sure I'll find it.

[mnementh]

Looks like neo took the Red pill AND the Blue pill... 
Welcome to hell, buddy. There's cold Dew in the fridge right next to the leftover breakfast tacos. The everything bagels are MINE.

mnem
You are welcome to roam freely... my secrets guard themselves.

Anyone remember GeoCities? I hope there's no <blink> tag on this forum

Oh, COME ON... it's just a little color, and clearly as a joke. 



 



Also 

mnem
Guess where I lived? Hint: I had 2 addresses.

[bd139]

it could be worse
I rather like colour. Not comic sans though. That can die in a fire. There’s a funeral director near me that uses it on their facade.

[mnementh]

Now that cray is a boat anchor

Amazing I’m sitting here on a device where just the GPU can kick out 115 GFLOPS. Fits in my pocket now and lasts a good few hours on a tiny little battery.

At the same time they managed to make Apple Music lag out occasionally. 

On the subject of TEA I’ve been participating in an offline discussion about tek stuff for about three months with some amateur radio people. They seem to have devolved into a discussion about god having a hand in their repairs rather than their own skills

Aren't you glad you can still stop in here and talk to SANE people?!?   



There was a bit of that back in the day on alt.sci.repair... and I remember a number of times it devolved into discussions on Plato's Cave.

These invariably started out as conversations about "Why even bother fixing your TV/Projector/Monitor/PC/Glopstingle when nothing on it is worth seeing anyways?" 

mnem

[bd139]

Yes people here are unusually sane. Well done!

[mnementh]

I suspect it’s the white beardy dude surrounded by angels in this case.

Yep, that describes me exactly. I am that god they refer too. 

Edit...stand by, there's one of them calling me now for advice. 

"Uhh-huh... I see. And you did this because? Ohhhh... Oh dear... Oh myyyyyyyy.

Hmmmm... Turn down the bias, take two tants and call me in the morning. What? Yes, I suppose as a suppository WOULD work..."   

mnem
“Thank you, thank you… I’ll be here all week...”

[mnementh]

Yes people here are unusually sane. Well done!

Wait... WHAT?!?   

mnem
It's been a long time since anyone accused me of THAT...

[Wolfgang]

... reminds me of the Daimler Benz "Maybach" super luxury cars. They sold in such homeopathic doses that the management decided not to give any numbers in their annual statements. In the old times IBM was always bragging with the numbers of computers they sold and how clearly they outclassed theit competitors.