SILLIAC - Sydney version of the Illinois Automatic Computer

Standard Telephones and Cables Pty, Ltd (STC), Sydney

  • Year
  • 1956
  • Category
  • Signal Processing and Computing
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 297053

 Technical Specifications

  • Number of Tubes
  • 2911
  • Wave bands
  • - without
  • Power type and voltage
  • Powered by external power supply or a main unit.
  • Loudspeaker
  • - - No sound reproduction output.
  • Material
  • Metal case
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: SILLIAC - Sydney version of the Illinois Automatic Computer - Standard Telephones and Cables
  • Shape
  • Boatanchor (heavy military or commercial set >20 kg).
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 3000 x 2500 x 600 mm / 118.1 x 98.4 x 23.6 inch
  • Notes
  • Wikipedia:
    The SILLIAC (Sydney version of the Illinois Automatic Computer, i.e. the Sydney ILLIAC), an early computer built by the University of Sydney, Australia, was based on the ILLIAC and ORDVAC computers developed at the University of Illinois, which in turn were based on the IAS architecture developed by John von Neumann.

    Like other early computers, SILLIAC was physically large. The computer itself was a single large cabinet 2.5m high, 3m wide and 0.6m deep in one room. Its power supply occupied a second room and air conditioning required an additional room in the basement.

    On July 4, 1956, SILLIAC successfully passed its self test and a test run of a scientific program.

    Some pieces of SILLIAC are at the Powerhouse Museum and others are displayed at Sydney University.

    Hardware specifications

    Parallel, asynchronous operation. Approximately 13,000 adds, 1400 multiplies or 1200 divides per second.
    Memory: 1024 words of 40 bits using 40 Williams tubes
    Two 20-bit instructions per word.
    Approximately 150 operations on 2 registers
    Paper tape input at 200 characters per second (cps), paper tape output at about 50 cps or teleprinter output at 10 cps. Four magnetic tape units added in 1958.
    Initially 2768 valves. Increased to 2911 during 1958 upgrade.
    Power consumption: 35kW
    Average of 11 hours between failures

  • Price in first year of sale
  • 35,200.00 AU£
  • Author
  • Model page created by Heribert Jung. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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Museums

The model SILLIAC - Sydney version of the Illinois Automatic Computer can be seen in the following museums.

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