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Guide to the John Dirnberger CDC collection
X7117.2014
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Table of contents
Title: John Dirnberger CDC collection
Identifier/Call Number: X7117.2014
Contributing Institution:
Computer History Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
8.75 Linear feet,
7 record cartons
Date (inclusive): 1965-1988
Abstract: The John Dirnberger CDC collection consists of Control Data Corporation (CDC) technical reports, memos, manuals, and design
documents, as well as a small amount of materials published by other companies. The materials range in date from 1965 to 1988.
Much of the collection documents the development of the Cyber 180, which began in 1973 first as the Integrated Product Line
(IPL) and later as the Cyber 80. This portion of the collection includes documents from the project library of the NCR/CDC
Advanced Systems Laboratory during the mid 1970s as well as documents from the Canadian Development Division of CDC. The collection
also holds publications by the CDC Technology Education Program, documentation pertaining to the CDC 6600 and Cyber 910 computer
systems, and CDC employee newsletters. The remainder of the collection is made up of various other printed materials, such
as manuals, technical reports, and conference proceedings.
Collection surveyed by Sydney Gulbronson Olson, 2018.
The collection is open for research. However, the collection may require review by CHM staff before viewing.
The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying
any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the
Computer History Museum's collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer
History Museum.
[Identification of Item], [Date], John Dirnberger CDC collection, Lot X7117.2014, Box [#], Computer History Museum.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Al Kossow, 2014.
John Dirnberger was a Canadian engineer who worked at Control Data Corporation (CDC). He was involved in designing supercomputers
at CDC, such as the Cyber 180.
Scope and Content of the Collection
The John Dirnberger CDC collection ranges in date from 1965 to 1988 and consists of Control Data Corporation (CDC) technical
reports, memos, manuals, and design documents, as well as a small amount of materials published by other companies. Most of
the CDC material is related to the development of the Cyber 180, which began in 1973 first as the Integrated Product Line
(IPL) and later as the Cyber 80. The material traces the development of both the IPL (and later the Cyber 80 and 180) supercomputer
and the Software Writer's Language (SWL), a programming language created for the Cyber 180 project. This portion of the collection
includes documents from the project library of the NCR/CDC Advanced Systems Laboratory during the mid 1970s as well as documents
from the Canadian Development Division of CDC. Types of materials include manuals, promotional materials, and data sheets,
as well as internal technical reports, memos, design objective documents, and software language specifications. Other areas
of note in this portion of the collection include publications by the CDC Technology Education Program for internal courses,
documentation pertaining to the CDC 6600 and Cyber 910 computer systems, and CDC employee newsletters, such as Contact, Datum,
Info, Current, Vantage, Realtime, and Systems & Services World. The remainder of the collection is made up of various other
printed materials. These include reference materials, many of which came from the CDC Library, such as technical reports,
programming language guides, and industry reports. There are also a small amount of periodicals, conference proceedings, and
manuals published by other companies.
Periodicals were separated from the main collection. To view catalog records for separated material, search the CHM catalog
at
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/ .
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Control Data Corporation.
National Cash Register Company.
Cyber 180