The GEC Series 63 was a 32-bitminicomputer produced by GEC Computers Limited of the UK during the 1980s in conjunction with A. B. Dick in USA.[1] During development, the computer was known as the R Project. The hardware development (under Dick Ruth and Ed Mack) was done in Scottsdale, Arizona whilst the software was the responsibility of GEC in Dunstable, UK. The hardware made early use of pipeline concepts, processing one instruction whilst completing the preceding one.
GEC Series 63 product logo
Announced in 1983, two operating systems were to be offered: UX63 and OS6000. UX63 was a Unix port derived from UNIX System III,[2] whereas OS6000 was a port of the OS4000operating system from the GEC 4000 series (under pressure from the marketing department, concerned about compatibility with its existing user base). Subsequently, a version of UNIX System V Release 2 was added - largely to compete with VAX machines which were becoming the fashionable computer of choice amongst academics, concerned about being able to access software from US colleagues. The C compiler, necessary to effect the implementation, was first produced for OS4000 and cross-compiled.
The Unix product was one of the first ports to a different processor architecture undertaken in the UK, with large chunks of the GEC 63 Unix port done at the University of Edinburgh.[citation needed] (Other comparable early Unix ports included that of the High Level Hardware Orion system which launched with 4.1BSD Unix in 1984, ICL's PNX for the PERQ workstation in 1983,[3] and a reported port to a Bleasdale Computer Systems product by Root Computer in early 1983.[4] These ports were likely to have been fully operational before GEC 63 Unix was.)
There were plans for six models, but only two models of the GEC Series 63 were ever produced: the 63/30 and the 63/40.[1] The 63/40 added an embedded GEC 4160 minicomputer running OS4000 to provide additional communications features (such as X.25 and X.29 access).
The Series 63 was used by several UK universities, also being procured with some controversy as part of the Alvey Project, having been chosen as a British-made alternative (along with Systime-produced VAX machines) to the DEC VAX, with DEC's machine being the only one available at the time that was capable of running the specified Berkeley Unix operating system.[5] One of the first student-run university computing facilities in the UK, The Tardis Project,[6] was established in 1988 in the Department of Computer Science of the University of Edinburgh using a Series 63. The name came from the resemblance of the Series 63's large blue cabinet to Doctor Who's time machine.
The Series 63 was discontinued in August 1987 after disappointing sales. Approximately 22 systems were sold during the lifetime of the system.
^ abLavington, Simon (2011). "14.5 — The GEC Series 63: A Very Difficult Project". Moving Targets — Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain, 1947-67. Springer. ISBN978-1-84882-932-9.
^"GEC Series 63 Computer". FORUM 1981-83 Computing Division Newsletter. July 1983. p. s.5 Recently Announced Hardware. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
series, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2018, learn. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources GEC Series 63 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message The GEC Series 63 was a 32 bit minicomputer produced by GEC Computers Limited of the UK during the 1980s in conjunction with A B Dick in USA 1 During development the computer was known as the R Project The hardware development under Dick Ruth and Ed Mack was done in Scottsdale Arizona whilst the software was the responsibility of GEC in Dunstable UK The hardware made early use of pipeline concepts processing one instruction whilst completing the preceding one GEC Series 63 product logoAnnounced in 1983 two operating systems were to be offered UX63 and OS6000 UX63 was a Unix port derived from UNIX System III 2 whereas OS6000 was a port of the OS4000 operating system from the GEC 4000 series under pressure from the marketing department concerned about compatibility with its existing user base Subsequently a version of UNIX System V Release 2 was added largely to compete with VAX machines which were becoming the fashionable computer of choice amongst academics concerned about being able to access software from US colleagues The C compiler necessary to effect the implementation was first produced for OS4000 and cross compiled The Unix product was one of the first ports to a different processor architecture undertaken in the UK with large chunks of the GEC 63 Unix port done at the University of Edinburgh citation needed Other comparable early Unix ports included that of the High Level Hardware Orion system which launched with 4 1BSD Unix in 1984 ICL s PNX for the PERQ workstation in 1983 3 and a reported port to a Bleasdale Computer Systems product by Root Computer in early 1983 4 These ports were likely to have been fully operational before GEC 63 Unix was There were plans for six models but only two models of the GEC Series 63 were ever produced the 63 30 and the 63 40 1 The 63 40 added an embedded GEC 4160 minicomputer running OS4000 to provide additional communications features such as X 25 and X 29 access The Series 63 was used by several UK universities also being procured with some controversy as part of the Alvey Project having been chosen as a British made alternative along with Systime produced VAX machines to the DEC VAX with DEC s machine being the only one available at the time that was capable of running the specified Berkeley Unix operating system 5 One of the first student run university computing facilities in the UK The Tardis Project 6 was established in 1988 in the Department of Computer Science of the University of Edinburgh using a Series 63 The name came from the resemblance of the Series 63 s large blue cabinet to Doctor Who s time machine The Series 63 was discontinued in August 1987 after disappointing sales Approximately 22 systems were sold during the lifetime of the system See also editGEC ComputersReferences edit a b Lavington Simon 2011 14 5 The GEC Series 63 A Very Difficult Project Moving Targets Elliott Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain 1947 67 Springer ISBN 978 1 84882 932 9 GEC Series 63 Computer FORUM 1981 83 Computing Division Newsletter July 1983 p s 5 Recently Announced Hardware Retrieved 15 June 2009 36 UNIX Retrieved 23 May 2021 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Kewney Guy February 1983 Rooting for Unix Personal Computer World p 96 Retrieved 23 May 2021 Alvey Britain s Strategic Computing Initiative MIT Press 1989 pp 156 160 ISBN 0 262 15038 7 Home wiki tardisproject uk External links editComputing at Chilton GEC Series 63 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title GEC Series 63 amp oldid 1208822651, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
