NEAC-2206

The NEAC-2206, announced by NEC Corporation (NEC) in 1962, is a large scale general purpose computer system for electronic data processing. It was developed to process a large amount of date in a short time using high speed peripheral equipment such as magnetic tape drives, card readers and line printers. The system objectives are the sorting performance of 10, 000 items in 3.5 minutes simultaneously with other program operations, a control system applicable to various kinds of peripheral device configurations and performance, and an independent processing mechanism for various kinds of business operations under multi-programming environment.

The machine used core memory as internal memory, as well as for input/output and control of auxiliary memory devices, and this simplified peripheral devices, improved data transmission capabilities, and allowed format control to be done electronically.

In addition to the previous regenerative amplifiers, newly developed circuits such as no-delay mesa transistor amplifiers were used for achieving parallel operation. It also advanced the interrupt capabilities developed with the NEAC-2203, and had comprehensive multi-programming and real-time processing capabilities.

Osaka University Computer Center introduced the NEAC-2206 and started using it since March 1963. The university donated it to Kyoto Computer Gakuin (KCG) in August 2009. The complete system consisted of a central processing unit, input-output typewriters, a magnetic tape control, magnetic tape drives and a high speed tape punch, is exhibited at the KCG Computer Museum.