National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Past Exhibition
This is a CRAY-1, an early example of a class of computers called "supercomputers." It was built by Cray Research, Inc. of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and installed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Unlike most computers, it was hand-wired, and its circuits were arranged in a three-quarters circle. Both helped increase the speeds at which signals travel from one part of the computer to another. Hefty power supplies are located below each of the circuit bays, and the padding on them suggests a piece of lounge furniture.
At NCAR, the machine was used between 1977 and 1983, where it performed complex calculations involving the numerical modeling of weather phenomena. As the speeds of ordinary workstations increased over the years, it became obsolete and was donated to the Smithsonian.
Display Status
This object is on display in One World Connected at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Computers, General Purpose
Manufacturer
Cray Research, Inc.
Dimensions
3-D: 144.8 × 139.7 × 195.6cm, 1730.5kg (4 ft. 9 in. × 4 ft. 7 in. × 6 ft. 5 in., 3815lb.)
Materials
Frame: Aluminum, with circuit boards attached. Wires in interior.
Inventory Number
A19880565000
Credit Line
Gift of Cray Research, Inc.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.
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