For the people who worked at IBM, what was the difference between an “FE” and “CE” ?
Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 23, 2024, at 07:47, Paul Berger via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> > wrote: > > > On 2024-12-23 05:11, Nico de Jong via cctalk wrote: >>> >> When I was an operator, we once had a visit from a CE who had to repair the >> carriage control mechanism. In order to do that, he had to use a big >> screwdriver, and of course he lost it. It hit the 1403 N1's power supply, >> blew all fuses. This was not enough; the screwdrive hit obviously the plus >> and minus pole of the main capacitor (it's about 55 years ago), so the >> current was so large that, after the things had cooled down, he could lift >> the capactor out of the printer just by lifting the screwdriver >> >> It was by the way the same CE that got his tie wrapped up in the print >> chain.... >> >> The same company once had a bunch of visitors who were allowed to visit the >> machine room, which normally was a bit nono. One of the guests took his >> coffeecup with him, put it on top of the 1403, and while things were >> explained to the crowd, the cover lifted and .... well you can guess the >> rest. He was quite pisssed off, but it was his own fault >> >> Another thing I'll never forget, was the 2540. It had 5 bins, and the middle >> one could be used for accepting read cards and punched cards. Once an >> operated started to read cards while cards were being punched, and both >> routines used the middle bin. That is not to be recommended ! >> >> /Nico >> > My experience with a capacitor occurred early in my time as a CE. Before the > days of switching regulators IBM used a lot of power supplied that where > regulated by a resonant winding on the input transformer. If the capacitor > on that winding goes short you get no output from the transformer. I was > working on a banking terminal that had no power. Where I was working I was > behind a row of machines and cabinets for things like signature cards, in a > narrow isle against the windows, so no one in the branch could see me. I had > already been caught once by a shorted resonant capacitor so first thing I did > pop off one of the leads to the capacitor and sure enough it powered up, but > I didn't leave it at that I started to second guess it so I turned off the > machine and reattached the wire to the capacitor, and it powered up again. > Then I started thinking that it probably went short due to heating up, so I > thought it best to leave it disconnected until I could get a replacement, the > machine would work fine without it for a day or two. It was then that I made > the mistake, I thought I should discharge the capacitor, so I shorted the > leads with the shank of a screwdriver and there was a load crack and a bright > flash and next thing some of the banks staff where looking over the machine > and asking if I was OK. I still have that screwdriver some 45 years later. > > You quickly learned to tuck in you tie and roll up your sleeves not just to > keep them out of the mechanisms, but also to keep them out of the oil and > grease. The worst things I worked on for getting dirty was proof machines. > The endorsers used a purple indelible ink and they would get gummed up with a > mixture of ink and paper dust and working with gloves was impossible so you > would end up with your hands stained purple. Later someone stumbled on the > idea of using a ultrasonic cleaner which we could use to clean everything > except the endorsement plate, the ultrasonic cleaner would cause the > endorsement plate to delaminate, but it was easy to clean by hand. > > Paul. >
