5965

The 5965 is a miniature twin triode vacuum tube (thermionic valve) "designed for use in high-speed digital computers".^[1]

5965
Classification	Triode
Service	Digital computers
Height	1+15⁄32 in (37 mm)
Diameter	7⁄8 in (22 mm)
Cathode
Cathode type	Unipotential
Heater voltage	6.3 V or 12.6 V
Heater current	450 mA or 225 mA
Anode
Max voltage	200 V
Max current	100 mA
Socket connections
9A Pin 1 – Unit 2 Anode (Plate) Pin 2 – Unit 2 Grid Pin 3 – Unit 2 Cathode Pin 4 – Unit 2 Heater Pin 5 – Unit 1 Heater Pin 6 – Unit 1 Anode (Plate) Pin 7 – Unit 1 Grid Pin 8 – Unit 1 Cathode Pin 9 – Heater mid-tap (bottom view)
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20230314212705/https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/137/5/5965.pdf

According to an MIT Project Whirwind memorandum, the tube was developed c.1953 for IBM by GE, primarily for use in the IBM 701 computer, and was designated as a general-purpose triode tube.^[2] In European use the tube was labelled E180CC; sometimes the same tube was labelled with both names.^[3]

Vacuum tube logic module from a 700 series IBM computer featuring 5965 tubes.

See also

• 7AK7, a popular type of tube found in early digital computers
• 25L6, another type of tube found in early computers