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This page is in early protytpe.
Suggestions considered after a suitable bribe.

IBM 1401 Card Cleaning Project

Along with the out-of-style, no longer politically correct, "motherhood" and "apple pie",

it is considered "a good thing" to remove the large quantities of dust from the SMS cards in the 1401 processor.

Folks worry about the dust possibly contributing to:

- corrosion (of the component leads)
- corrosion of card pins and socket connectors
- and heating due to reduced air circulation.
The SMS cards nearest the fans become especially dirty.

So - how can we make this "simple task" complex, frustrating and bureaucratic, ...

  1. A committee called the Volunteer SMS Card Cleaning Supervisory Board (VSCCSB) will meet quarterly to review progress and suggest further gates and columns to be cleaned.
  2. Members of the VSCCSB will be selected by a random drawing of otherwise inactive 1401 Volunteers.
  3. ... ... ;-))

OK - that didn't work so well - lets try the following:

  1. "Cleaned" means
    - cleaned with a vaccuum cleaner with a brush attachment
    - and contacts gently rubbed with 99.95% Isopropyl Alcohol

  2. To reduce the incidence of board shuffling and mis-placement, all cleaners SHALL use Ron's little wooden SMS card rack. [picture to be supplied]
    Is there some other scheme that is useful??

  3. We need a log to tell Ron Williams where we were cleaning/messing around - so that if we introduce a new bug Ron has a clue where it might be:
    - card returned to wrong place
    - card damaged during cleaning Transistor leads in TAU really weak
    - something wrong during the re-insertion process.

  4. If something is likely wrong, diode glass cracked off, transistor lead broke, card cracked, loose ...
    Please ?? note in log book, ?? place suspect card where, ... ??
    This/any card removal & cleaning operation is not risk free !! Bad Things will happen !!
    Keeping Ron informed will be a big help in protecting his/our sanity !!

  5. Like some medical oath, try to "cause no harm".
For suggestions, complaints, ... KINDLY e-mail Ed Thelen at ed@ed-thelen.org. ;-))

To aid in locating where cleaning has taken place, and where you cleaned, the following annotated pictures may be handy

1401 CPU Physical Layout
which links to:
1401 Front Side Annotated
1401 Back Side Annotated

A goal of this web page is to record, in sorted order, what has been done, ??and by who???, ??when??

Is a log book, handy for Ron to find, a good thing? I can photograph and update the web page.
Suggestion to this operation accepted with out bribe/campaign-contribution.

Gate Column Who? Date?
01B1 D Mike Cheponis Aug 21, 2007

Web page started August 28, 2007
Updated -
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