00100	@                         STANFORD UNIVERSITY
00200	                     Stanford, California 94305
00300	
00400	COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT	                          8 June 1971
00500	
00600	
00700	@3
00800	@4
00900	@5
01000	
01100	ATTENTION:  @1
01200	
01300	
01400	SUBJECT:  Request for Proposals for a Swapping Store
01500	
01600	1.  General Requirements
01700	
01800	A swapping store is needed  for  a  timesharing  computer  system  at
01900	Stanford  University.   It  is  to  have  the  following  performance
02000	characteristics.
02100	     capacity:  36 to 75 million bits
02200	     access time:  75 millisecond maximum
02300	     transfer rate:  20 to 40 million bits/second
02400	Access times substantially shorter than the  maximum  will  be  given
02500	favorable  consideration,  as  will  higher  transfer rates up to the
02600	maximum.   The  device  must  store  redundant bits with the data and
02700	perform error checking on all read operations.
02800	     proposal due:  21 June 1971
02900	     delivery:  12 months from contract or less
03000	
03100	We have in mind either a fixed-head drum or disc system  or  a  solid
03200	state  device  (e.g.   MOS shift register).  If it is to be a drum or
03300	disc, then having two or more physically independent units  would  be
03400	desirable from a reliability standpoint.
03500	
03600	We are prepared to design and build the interface  to  our  computer,
03700	but will purchase if one is available at reasonable cost.
03800	
03900	2.  Definitions
04000	
04100	The following definitions are used in this document.
04200	
04300	Access  time  -  time between receipt of address and the beginning of
04400	read/write transfers from/to the device.
04500	
04600	Availability - the percentage of the time that the device is  usable,
04700	discounting both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
04800	
04900	Read  error - a failure to read correctly one or more bits previously
05000	written in a single transfer operation.
05100	
05200	Write error - 10 or more successive read errors on the same data.
05300	
05400	Malfunction - either one write error or occurrences of read errors in
05500	more than 1% of the read operations in any 10 minute period.
05600	
05700	3.  Existing System
05800	
05900	The   existing   computer   system  includes  two  Digital  Equipment
06000	Corporation processors (PDP-10  and  PDP-6),  several  core  memories
06100	totaling  262Kx37  bits (Ampex and DEC), a Librascope fixed-head disc
06200	file, an IBM 2314 disc file, and forty-some  display  terminals.  The
06300	Librascope  disc  is currently being used as the swapping store, but
06400	has had persistent reliability problems and is to be replaced by  the
06500	device specified here.
06600	
06700	In  the  forseeable  future,  the IBM 2314 will be replaced by an IBM
06800	3330, and the processors will be supplanted by a new one that will be
06900	PDP-10 compatible and about 10 times as fast.
07000	
07100	4.  Construction, Power, and Utilities
07200	
07300	All  equipment  shall be so constructed as to permit accessibility to
07400	any and all component parts for ease of maintenance  and  replacement
07500	-- without disconnecting any external cables.  All construction shall
07600	be of the highest quality according to electronic industry standards.
07700	
07800	The seller shall supply all  racks,  cabinets,  cooling  fans,  power
07900	supplies, and other equipment required for operation.
08000	
08100	
08200	All terminals, plugs, connectors,  circuit  wiring,  etc.   shall  be
08300	uniquely  labeled  on the equipment and referenced to a set of system
08400	drawings.  Adequate interlocks and safety devices shall be  installed
08500	wherever necessary to insure the safety of personnel and equipment.
08600	
08700	The  operating  line  voltage  for  the  system  shall  be taken from
08800	commercially available power at Stanford.   This power  is  117V/208V
08900	single  phase  or  208V/440V  4-wire  Wye-connected  three phase at a
09000	frequency of 60 Hertz plus  or  minus  2  Hertz.   The  system  shall
09100	operate  over  an  input  voltage fluctuation of plus or minus 10% of
09200	normal.   Protection against damage from  power  transients  is  very
09300	desirable.  Protection against damage from power loss is mandatory.
09400	
09500	The system shall operate as specified within a room temperature range
09600	of +55 to +100 degrees F.  Any internal cooling requirements shall be
09700	supplied by the Seller.
09800	
09900	5.  Maintenance
10000	
10100	The Seller shall provide any test equipment necessary for maintenance
10200	and adjustment  of  the  device  other  than  a  Tektronix  type  547
10300	oscilloscope  with  Tektronix  type  P6020 current probe and type 134
10400	amplifier, and a 20,000 ohms per volt multimeter.
10500	
10600	Proposals involving rotating machinery will not be considered  unless
10700	the   Seller  maintains  spare  parts  adequate  to  recover  from  a
10800	catastrophic failure within 10 days.   The  proposal  should  clearly
10900	state  the  period  over which such spares will be maintained and, if
11000	appropriate, this service may be costed separately.
11100	
11200	6.  Reliability and Acceptance Testing
11300	
11400	The swapping store will normally be in use on a  24-hour  day,  7-day
11500	week  basis.    In  such operation, it shall have a mean time between
11600	failure (i.e. malfunction) greater than 7 days and an availability of
11700	99%.
11800	
11900	Acceptance  testing  may  begin  whenever  the  device  is  correctly
12000	connected to the Stanford computer system.  The test shall consist of
12100	operating  continuously for 21 days with 99% availability and no more
12200	than two malfunctions.
12300	
12400	7.  Other Boilerplate
12500	
12600	The Seller shall supply four complete  sets  of  instruction  manuals
12700	adequate  for operation and maintenance of the equipment.  The Seller
12800	shall also supply four complete sets  of  circuit  schematics,  logic
12900	drawings,  and  mechanical drawings as are necessary for maintenance,
13000	operation, and repair, and wiring diagrams for the entire system.
13100	
13200	The Seller shall  supply  a  Recommended  Spare  Parts  List  and  an
13300	estimate of the cost.
13400	
13500	The Seller shall supply and bear the cost of  all  replacement  parts
13600	prior  to  final  acceptance.   A longer parts warranty is desirable.
13700	Proposals should indicate a period of time  during  which  any  parts
13800	that  fail will be replaced at no charge to the Buyer.  At the option
13900	of the Offerer, this feature may be costed separately.
14000	
14100	The  Seller  shall  supply  a  complete  description of the interface
14200	between the system and the Buyer's equipment three months  after  the
14300	date of contract.
14400	
14500	The proposal should contain precise specifications  of  access  time,
14600	transfer  rate, power consumption, environmental conditions required,
14700	and delivery time.
14800	
14900	8.  Action
15000	
15100	If  you  have  one or more devices that appear to be suitable, please
15200	send relevant  technical and cost information to me.  If you have any
15300	questions, call me at (415) 321-2300, extension 4202.
15400	
15500	
15600	Very truly yours,
15700	
15800	
15900	
16000	Lester D. Earnest
16100	Executive Officer
16200	Artificial Intelligence Project
16300	L. D. Earnest
16400	Computer Science Department
16500	Stanford University
16600	Stanford, California 94305
16700	
16800	
16900	
17000	
17100					@3
17200					@4
17300					@5
17400	
17500	
17600						Attention:  @1
17700	
     

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00300	Mr. Ron Livingston	408/734-4330
00400	Advanced Memory Systems, Inc.
00500	1276 Hammerwood Ave.
00600	Sunneyvale, Calif. 94086
00700	
00800	Mr. B. Trick	415/367-3861
00900	Ampex Corperation
01000	120 Independence Drive
01100	Menlo Park, Calif. 94025
01300	
01400	Marketing Dept.	415/863-4062
01500	Burroughs  Corp.
01600	1930 Market Street
01700	San Francisco, Calif.
01800	
01900	Mr. Edward Hagenbuch	415/347-7095
02000	Bryant Computer Products
02100	1310 Bayshore Hwy., Suite 11
02200	Burlingame, Calif. 94010
02210	
02220	Mr. Ray Inafuku	408/732-7330
02230	Data Disc Inc.
02240	686 West Maude Ave.
02250	Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086
02300	
02400	Mr. E. Frost	415/326-5640
02500	Digital Equipment Corporation
02600	560 San Antonio Road
02700	Palo Alto, Calif. 94306
02800	
02900	Marketing Dept.	415/962-5011
03000	Fairchild Semiconductor
03100	313 Fairchild Drive
03200	Mountain View, Calif. 94040
03300	
03400	Mr. David G. Dow	415/328-3200
03500	IBM Corperation
03600	525 University Ave.
03700	Palo Alto, Calif. 94301
03800	
03900	Marketing Dept.	415/961-8080
04000	Intel Corperation
04100	365 Middlefield Road
04200	Mountain View, Calif.  94040
04300	
04400	Marketing Dept.	408/732-5000
04500	National Semiconductor
04600	2900 Semiconductor Drive
04700	Santa Clara, Calif. 95051
04800	
04900	Mr. Bill Davidow	408/739-7101
05000	Signetics Memory Systems
05100	740 Kifer Road
05200	Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086
05300	
05400	Mr. George Herman	415/326-6770
05500	Texas Instruments
05600	230 California Ave.
05700	Palo Alto, Calif. 94306
05800	
05900	Mr. Doug Vaughn	 
06000	Thorson & Co.
06100	2443 Ash St.
06200	Palo Alto, Calif.
06300	
06400	Marketing Dept.	213/381-7841
06500	Univac Div., Sperry Rand
06600	3345 Wilshire Blvd.
06700	Los Angeles, Calif.
06800	
06900	Mr. Michael Keating	415/692-3745
07000	Vermont Research Corp.
07100	801 Mahler Road
07200	Burllingame, Calif.  94010