What are these?

[u/tissuepaperday]

My dad just passed away recently and I’m going through his things. I found these tucked away in baggies in a suitcase. Anyone have any idea what each of these are/what they’re used for?

He worked in computer technology at Bell Labs and then AT&T

Thanks in advance and sorry if this is a dumb question for all the computer gurus that are here!!

[u/froz3nt]

Sorry for your loss, and not a dumb question at all. Your dad kept some real pieces of computer history.

Pic 1: BELLMAC-32A module

BELLMAC-32 was Bell Labs' own 32-bit microprocessor from around 1980, one of the first CMOS chips that could move 32 bits per clock cycle. IEEE recently honored it with a Milestone award. The 32A was the faster second generation, and the family later became Western Electric's WE 32000/32100 chips that ran AT&T's 3B Unix computers. Yours is the processor plus support chips on one module, in a display case labeled from Bell Labs' Lisle, Illinois lab, so it was probably an internal showcase or prototype piece. Easily the most interesting thing in the set.

Pic 2: Western Electric hybrid circuit

A thin-film circuit on ceramic with gold traces and four chips marked WE 922A (WE = Western Electric, AT&T's manufacturing arm). The "3184" looks like a date code, so 1984. Most likely a part from AT&T computer or phone exchange equipment of that era. Collectors like these too, especially in the original case.

Pic 3: modern stuff

A 256GB Inland Professional SATA SSD (Micro Center's budget brand) and two laptop RAM sticks with SK hynix chips, probably DDR4. Not worth much, but check the SSD for his files or photos before anyone wipes it or gives it away.

I'd hang on to the first two, or show them to vintage computer collectors or the Computer History Museum, rather than treating them as scrap.

[u/killjoygrr → u/froz3nt]

OP’s father may have had a hand in the creation of that BELLMAC-32 module.

It looks like it is in a protective display case specifically made for it.

Which makes me think that he may well have had a hand in the second one as well.

You may be able to look into it, but I would definitely do a bit of research first as it is very possible that those are pieces of history that your father helped build.

[u/Sailed_Sea → u/froz3nt]

that looks like 32x2 ddr4 which is worth a little bit.

[u/pack_merrr → u/Sailed_Sea]

It is definitely SODIMM though, but I agree looks like ddr4. Idk how you're telling the capacity

[u/Sailed_Sea → u/pack_merrr]

each chip is 8gb, there's at-least 4 chips per stick, might be dual sided so I don't know for sure.

[u/okokokoyeahright → u/froz3nt]

Perhaps the estimate for that RAM and SATA SSD is a tad under informed. Prices on both have gone up substantially. DDR4 in any form factor is at least double what it was a year ago. SATA SSDs are IIRC not currently being manufactured and have also suffered from price increases. Double at least and in the larger capacities beyond this instance, i.e. 1TB, 2TB and 4TB have gone up more than triple.

even used, these could well make a tidy sum and are in fact in demand in the used market places.

[u/tamay-idk → u/okokokoyeahright]

What makes you think SATA SSDs are no longer being manufactured?

[u/okokokoyeahright → u/tamay-idk]

The global shortage of NAND flash memory has been created due to the manufacturers shifting from retail to enterprise markets. as such, the storage market has substantially slowed production and the prices have risen. Corsair used to sell a good chunk but as they have left the retail market entirely, um, other seeing the higher prices and lower demand as a result have shifted what they could to NVMe as it has higher profit margins.

yeah, SATA SSD is mostly being done by the sketchy makers. your choice should you want one.

[u/zydeco100 → u/froz3nt]

At UIUC in the 80s you learned assembly language on that processor. It had a really nice instruction set, part of AT&T's "C Machine" initiative. It was the only chip I've ever worked with that had a STRCPY opcode, dangerous as that is...

[u/jiggitywootwoot → u/froz3nt]

[u/anngeeel]

My guy has there one of the first 32 bit processor ever created, so jealous

[u/Nunov_DAbov]

The Bellmac-32 was a 32 bit microcomputer before the Motorola 68000 or any Intel machines. Its instruction set was optimized for C and the UNIX operating system.

There was a project in Bell Labs Holmdel to build the first UNIX PC with a very sophisticated user interface but for political reasons, it got shut down and waited for the 68000 and died an early death. Besides the wait for the Motorola silicon, it also suffered by being a non-customizable all-in-one machine while the brand new 8086-based IBM PC had a modifiable open interface motherboard design.

In terms of machines that were well ahead of their time, I had a UNIX PC as well as an Apple Lisa.

Check out the YouTube comedian Don McMillan. I think he worked on the Bellmac-32.

[u/TheUmgawa]

Man, they used to make such cool stuff in Naperville.

[u/EllensDataPoints]

don't throw any of it out. Bell Labs era hardware can be worth real money to collectors, so get clear close-up photos of the markings and post them in r/vintagecomputing.

[u/admintism]

I’m very interested in the bell labs chips. If you’re wanting to sell these please let me know. I’ve been collecting things from Indian Hill.

[u/espositorpedo]

I wonder if it was made at the Western Electric facility in Lisle, IL?

[u/admintism → u/espositorpedo]

It wouldn’t have been made there. IH was for testing and software development.

[u/Laser_Krypton7000]

Sorry for your loss!

Thanks for sharing these items! Would love to get my hands on, but they should stay in US