DEC Digital VS60S-A2 VAXStation 3520 Dual CPU Workstation Firefox 1989

DEC Digital VS60S-A2 VAXStation 3520 Dual CPU Workstation Firefox 1989

The DEC Digital VS60S-A2 is a VAXStation 3520 mid-range workstation, code-named "Firefox" during its development at Digital Equipment Corporation. Introduced in 1989, the 3520 is a tower-format VAX workstation built around DEC's QBus architecture and featuring a dual-CPU configuration with an optional WEITEK floating-point unit. It runs DEC's VMS and MicroVMS operating systems and was positioned as a high-throughput technical workstation for engineering, scientific, and commercial computing environments.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
• Model: VS60S-A2 (VAXStation 3520)
• Code Name: Firefox
• Year: 1989
• Architecture: VAX / QBus
• Form Factor: Pedestal tower on rolling base
• Dimensions: 21" W × 18" D × 27" H (approximate)
• Power: 100–120V AC, 50–60 Hz, 10.2A, 670W (per rating plate)
• UL Listed: UL 708A, E.D.P. Equipment; also classified per IEC Publications 435 and 380
• Country of Manufacture: United States

• Dual CPU Board: Digital SMP Dual CPU, P/N 50-17375-01, with chips LSIL1A4244, 21-29470-01
• CPU/FPU Board with WEITEK: Digital P/N 50-17376-01 E2, featuring three WEITEK floating-point processor chips
• QBus Backplane: Digital QBA81-T
• I/O Module: Digital I/O Module LPWR GS-2, P/N 34689-0451 / 5017372 / 00-DX01
• SCSI/Storage Controller: CMD CQD-200 Rev. C / PCX-200-00 Rev. C
• Tape Controller: Digital M7559 TQK70 Controller, P/N 5017635-01-A1-P2
• Memory Board: Digital L2002, P/N 50-19636-01 C1, 34689-0267
• Board: Digital P/N 03989-6170 / 50-18290-02 A1 LPWR GS-2
• Board: Digital P/N 07989-6934 / 70-24583-01 L6 / 5017355-01 B1
• Board: Digital P/N 50-17377-01 D2 2005-AA PWR GS-2
• Small I/O Module: P/N 07989-6934 with four BNC-style connectors
• Slot Interposer/Expansion Board: L6 5017355-01 B1, three multi-pin edge connectors

Applications

The VAXStation 3520 was part of DEC's mid-range VAXStation line, which targeted engineering workstations for CAD/CAM, electronic design automation (EDA), scientific computing, and commercial database work. VAX workstations of this era ran VMS or MicroVMS and were widely used in government, defense, universities, research labs, and manufacturing environments throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. The QBus architecture allowed flexible expansion through a range of DEC and third-party option cards. The code name "Firefox" referenced the performance ambitions of the 3520 platform, which was a significant step up from the earlier VAX-11 series machines. Today, units like this are sought by VAX enthusiasts, retrocomputing collectors, VMS hobbyists, and institutions maintaining legacy VAX-based systems and software. The included QBus boards — particularly the dual-CPU board, WEITEK FPU board, and TQK70 tape controller — have individual collector and parts value in the VAX community.