7AK7
The 7AK7 is a pentode vacuum tube (thermionic valve). According to its manufacturer, Sylvania, it was "designed for service in electronic computers".[1]

7AK7 vacuum tubes in a 1956 UNIVAC I computer
| 7AK7 | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Pentode | 
| Service | Digital computers | 
| Height | 3+5⁄32 in (80 mm) | 
| Diameter | 1+3⁄16 in (30 mm) | 
| Cathode | |
| Cathode type | Coated Unipotential | 
| Heater voltage | 7.0 V (6.3 V nominal) | 
| Heater current | 800 mA | 
| Anode | |
| Max dissipation Watts | 8.5 W | 
| Max voltage | 200 V | 
| Socket connections | |
![]() 8V-L-O Pin 1 – Heater   | |
| References | |
| http://www.nj7p.org/Tubes/PDFs/Frank/137-Sylvania/7AK7.pdf | |
The tube was developed in 1948,[2] designed at the request of L. D. Wilson for use in the Whirlwind computer.[3] Significant attention was directed towards its manufacturing process in order to ensure the part's reliability.[4] Dubbed the "computer tube",[5] it became a popular tube for computers for a while.[2] IBM, however, switched to more compact miniature tubes, starting with the IBM 604 in 1948.
See also
    
- 25L6, another type of tube found in early computers
 
References
    
- Sylvania. Engineering Data Service. 7AK7. July 1953. (Archived by WebCite® at)
 - Green, Tom (2010). Bright Boys: The Making of Information Technology. CRC Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-1568814766.
 - Wilson, L. D. (1954). "Tube Reliability in the Univac". Proceedings of the National Electronics Conference. Vol. 10. National Engineering Conference, Incorporated. pp. 699–703.
 - David R. Brown, T. F. Clough, and P. Youtz. Investigation of 7AK7 Processing, Emporium, Pa., March 2, 1948. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/38986
 - Haigh, Thomas; Priestley, Mark; Ropefir, Crispin (2016). ENIAC in Action: Making and Remaking the Modern Computer. MIT Press. p. 211. ISBN 9780262334419.
 
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
