🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <15454@well.UUCP> rchrd@well.UUCP (Richard Friedman) writes:
.k...@cs.rochester.edu (Ken Yap) writes:
.
.>  Zapping the case of the Tektronix hardcopy printer would trigger a print.
.
.I remember back in '65 when serial 4 CDC 6600 was installed at NYU,
.everytime the operator's console chair came close to the console
.chassis a spark would jump and the dual display screens would go
.blank.  Everything else would run normally, tapes would be moving,
.printers going, etc., but the screens were blank.  CDC refused to
.believe it, so we arranged for all their local CE's to watch as
.we ceremoniously wheeled the chair around the room and gracefully
.glided it to the console, whereupon it sparked and the screens went
.blank!  Everyone (from NYU) cheered!  CDC still couldnt believe it.
.
.-- 
. /s/ rchrd <=> Richard Friedman <=>  rchrd@well
. rc...@well.sf.ca.us | {apple,pacbell,hplabs,ucbvax}!well!rchrd
. [Pacific-Sierra Research / Berkeley CA] (415) 540-5216
. (The usual disclaimers apply - I speak only for myself!)

The fix applied (and confirmed by DEC) for the PDP-11/40 (also static
sensitive) was -- use a wooden chair. This was, BTW, in a hospital
where the floors were anti-static tile. However, the cleaning staff was
zealous and they waxed the tile :-) Anti-static is important where O2 and
inflammable gases and liquids are in the same area.

Also speaking of hospitals, the UPS had a one second delay; you know,
where the lights go off for a second and then the power comes back. In
the operating room, everyone (except the patient) freezes for the dark time,
then continues. In the computers ...
--
Mike Murphy  Sceard Systems, Inc.  544 South Pacific St. San Marcos, CA  92069
m...@Sceard.COM        {hp-sdd,nosc,ucsd,uunet}!sceard!mrm      +1 619 471 0655