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NASA
APOLLO SATURN V LVDC (THIRD STAGE S-IVB) - THE APOLLO SATURN LAUNCH VEHICLE DIGITAL COMPUTER (LVDC) CONTROLLED THE SATURN ROCKET FROM BEFORE LIFTOFF UNTIL ORBIT INSERTION THE LVDC MEASURED 30"X12.5"X10.5" AND WAS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE INSTRUMENT UNIT (IU) ON THE SATURN V BOOSTER INSTRUMENTATION RING THE IU FEATURED THE FIRST COMPUTER APPLICATION TO USE TRIPLE MODULAR REDUNDANCY - FOR OPTIMUM RELIABILITY THE LVDC WAS MADE UP OF A LOGIC MODULE (150 PLUGGABLE LOGIC PAGES) AND MEMORY MODULES (14 128x64 STACKED MEMORY PLANES + SURROUNDING CIRCUIT BOARD PANELS) A LOGIC PAGE MEASURES 2.5"X3" AND CONSISTS OF 2 MULTILAYER (12) CIRCUIT BOARDS ATTACHED BACK TO BACK AROUND A LIQUID COOLED MAGNESIUM-LITHIUM CHASIS THIS WAS THE FIRST APPLICATION OF MAGNESIUM-LITHIUM ALLOY FOR AN ELECTRONICS APPLICATION EACH BOARD COULD HOLD UP TO 35 UNIT LOGIC DEVICE (ULD) MODULES MADE UP OF WAFERS MEASURING 7.6mmX7.6mmX.71mm 150 PAGES MADE UP THE GUIDANCE EQUIPMENT 8918 ULDs MADE UP THE COMPUTER AND EACH ULD COULD CONTAIN UP TO 14 TRANSISTORS/DIODES/RESISTORS THE LVDC CONTAINED 4 (UP TO 8 MAX) MEMORY MODULES WITH EACH MEMORY MODULE HOLDING UP TO 4096 WORD LOCATIONS (28 BITS/MODULE) THE LVDC COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS STORED IN THE TOROIDAL FERRITE CORES OF THE MEMORY MODULES THE LVDC WAS DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY IBM - FEDERAL SYSTEMS DIVISION |
 TINY COMPUTERS STEER MIGHTIEST ROCKETS |
 DR VON BRAUN VISITING ASTRIONICS LABORATORY 1966 NOT IN COLLECTION |
 SATURN V INSTRUMENTATION UNIT W/LVDC NOT IN COLLECTION |
 LVDC DIAGRAM NOT IN COLLECTION |
 LVDC MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS 9MB NOT IN COLLECTION |
MEMORY MODULE (SPARE BACKUP) ALL FLOWN EXAMPLES ARE DRIFTING THROUGH SPACE CONTAINS 14 CORE MEMORY PLANES _ THIS MODULE CONTAINS EXTRA WIRING NOT SEEN ON OTHER KNOWN EXAMPLES POSSIBLY EARLY PRODUCTION OR USED IN PRE-FLIGHT TESTING  |
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MEMORY MODULE TOP |
MEMORY MODULE SIDE 1 |
MEMORY MODULE SIDE 2 |
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MEMORY MODULE END 1 |
MEMORY MODULE END 2 |
MEMORY MODULE BASE |
MEMORY MODULE COMPONENTS DATE FROM 1964 |
MEMORY MODULE (SPARE BACKUP) MISSING BASE AND 1 END BOARD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MEMORY CORE AND COMPONENTS (LIKELY USED FOR TESTING) RUBBER BAND HOLDING MODULE TOGETHER COMPONENTS DATE FROM 1965 |
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MEMORY MODULE CIRCUIT BOARD PANEL (BASE) - SPARE BACKUP FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AUCTION - (CHARLES H BELL COLLECTION) |
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MEMORY MODULE BOARD FRONT COMPONENTS DATE FROM 1965 / 1966 |
MEMORY MODULE BOARD REVERSE |
IBM LOGIC DEVICES TEXAS INSTRUMENTS ICs (SM3633A SM3634B SM3635A) |
