Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox Computer The IBM System/34 was an IBM midrange computer introduced in 1977.<ref name="ibm_archives">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was withdrawn from marketing in February 1985.<ref name="ibm_archives"/> It was a multi-user, multi-tasking successor to the single-user System/32. It included two processors, one based on the System/32 and the second based on the System/3. Like the System/32 and the System/3, the System/34 was primarily programmed in the RPG II language.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HardwareEdit
The 5340 System Unit contained the processing unit, the disk storage and the diskette drive. It had several access doors on both sides. Inside, were swing-out assemblies where the circuit boards and memory cards were mounted. It weighed Template:Cvt and used 220V power.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The IBM 5250 series of terminals were the primary interface to the System/34.
ProcessorsEdit
S/34s had two processors, the Control Storage Processor (CSP), and the Main Storage Processor (MSP). The MSP was the workhorse, based on System/3 architecture; it performed the instructions in the computer programs. The CSP was the governor, a different processor with different RISC-like instruction set, based on System/32 architecture; it performed system functions in the background. The CSP also executed the optional Scientific Macroinstructions, which were a set of emulated floating point operations used by the System/34 Fortran compiler and optionally in assembly code.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The clock speed of the CPUs inside a System/34 was fixed at 1 MHz for the MSP and 4 MHz for the CSP. Special utility programs were able to make direct calls to the CSP to perform certain functions; these are usually system programs like $CNFIG which was used to configure the computer system.
Memory and storageEdit
The smallest S/34 had 48K of RAM and an 8.6 MB hard drive. The largest configured S/34 could support 256K of RAM and 256MB of disk space. S/34 hard drives contained a feature called "the extra cylinder," so that bad spots on the drive were detected and dynamically mapped out to good spots on the extra cylinder. Disk space on the System/34 was organized by blocks of 2560 bytes.
The System/34 supported memory paging, referring to as swapping.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The System/34 could either swap out entire programs, or individual segments of a program in order to free up memory for other programs to run.
One of the machine's most distinctive features was an off-line storage mechanism that utilized "Template:Visible anchor"—boxes of 8-inch floppies that the machine could load and eject in a nonsequential fashion.<ref name="S34intro78" /><ref>"the diskette magazine drive can process up to 23 diskettes without manual intervention. -p.11</ref><ref>"three slots for holding individual diskettes and two slots for holding magazines of 10 individual diskettes." -p.20</ref>
SoftwareEdit
Operating SystemEdit
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The System Support Program (SSP) was the only operating system of the S/34. It contained support for multiprogramming, multiple processors, 36 devices, job queues, printer queues, security, indexed file support. Fully installed, it was about 5 MB.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Operational Control Language (OCL) was the control language of SSP.
ProgrammingEdit
The System/34's initial programming languages were limited to RPG II and Basic Assembler<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> when introduced in 1977.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> FORTRAN was fully available six months after the 34's introduction,<ref name=S34intro78>Template:Cite book</ref> and COBOL was available as a PRPQ.<ref>"potentially available ... special order"</ref> BASIC was introduced later.
Successor systemsEdit
The IBM System/38 was intended to be the successor of the System/34 and the earlier System/3x systems. However, due to the delays in the development of the System/38 and the high cost of the hardware once complete, IBM developed the simpler and cheaper System/36 platform which was more widely adopted than the System/38.<ref name="inside-as400">Template:Cite book</ref> The System/36 was an evolution of the System/34 design, but the two machines were not object-code compatible. Instead, the System/36 offered source code compatibility, allowing System/34 applications to be recompiled on a System/36 with little to no changes. Some System/34 hardware was incompatible with the System/36.
A third-party product from California Software Products, Inc. named BABY/34 allowed System/34 applications to be ported to IBM PC compatible hardware running MS-DOS.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
External linksEdit
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