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JUNE 2022 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 67 • 49,000 vacuum tubes • 13,000 gallium transistors • 175,000 diodes • 256 KB of ferrite magnetic core RAM (Figure 3d) • 12 10.7-inch, 2900 rpm magnetic drum memory of 256 KB (disc drive not invented yet) • Six IBM-728 tape drives to store the soware • Weighing an impressive 250 tons • Consuming 3 million watts of power • Occupying 21,780 square feet In addition, it was the first computer to be networked, to have a completely redun- dant hot backup computer on standby, and to use large 20-inch CRTs as operating consoles. The SAGE System Packaging e undertaking of this ambitious system was monu- mental. Every U.S. state and Canada became involved (Fig- ure 1). For the first time, all the independent defense ele- ments were connected to cen- tral control systems by under- ground dedicated telephone lines as well as radar picket ships and "Texas Towers" at sea, and airborne early warn- ing. Also monumental were the hundreds of new long- range radars and unmanned, automated "gap filler radars" constructed across the U.S. and Canada. Burroughs and Western Electr ic had the Figure 3: The four-story concrete CC/DC blockhouse housed all computers, power, and maintenance. 7 responsibility for these computers and con- necting all these elements together. The SAGE Computer e SAGE computers (Figures 4b and 5) were constructed on three of the four floors of the CC and DC blockhouses. ey were interfaced to 150 operating consoles (Figure 5) that were manned by Air Force personnel on a 24/7 basis,