IBM Plant Codes

Introduction
List of Known Codes
Further Reading

Content by Tomáš Slavotínek, Tim Clarke, and Christian PL. Last update: 02 Nov 2024


Introduction

IBM plant codes are 2-digit numbers identifying the facility where a given product was manufactured and/or assembled. These codes can be found on many IBM products - most significantly on assembled units and integrated circuits.

Systems and Other Units

Main units, monitors, terminals, storage units, and various other IBM products typically come with a type/serial number sticker. The unique serial number often starts with a 2-digit prefix - the plant code. Something like this:

S/N 55-2Z0R2

Here the "55" indicates that the machine (IBM PS/2 Model 95) was manufactured/assembled in Greenock, UK.

Integrated Circuits

Similar information can be found on many IBM-made ICs. However, our understanding of the used format and values is very limited at the moment. In general, the code consists of an "IBM" prefix, followed by one or two 2-digit plant codes, terminated by an optional "Q", "P", or "PQ" suffix. Here are a few examples:

IBM 53 52Q
IBM 93 14
IBM 9352PQ
IBM 9352
IBM 98
IBM98

The spacing between the individual sections seems to be greatly inconsistent and most likely can be ignored.

The "IBM" prefix is self-explanatory. Sometimes it appears in form of the striped IBM logo, but often uses a more pedestrian font shared with the rest of the chip labeling.

It's currently unknown what the "Q"/"PQ" suffix indicates. The most common theory is that it stands for "Qualification" and "Pre-Qualification" respectively. But if that's the case, then IBM shipped an awful amount of pre-qualification IC samples in their products - which seems rather questionable. The rare "P" suffix might stand for "Prototype" (seen on THIS unreleased adapter).

Some chips have a single 2-digit plant number, while others have two 2-digit numbers (4 digits total). The latter variant possibly indicates where the die was fabricated and where the chip was packaged - in cases where the two aren't the same. If this is correct it seems more likely that the first two digits would indicate the assembly line and the other two the silicon fab.


List of Known Codes

Some of the information presented here is currently unverified — see the "Source" column. Duplicate/conflicting information is highlighted.

Products designed for IBM by third-party manufacturers — marked with labels reading "Manufactured for IBM" instead of "Manufactured by IBM" — often carry a code associated with one of IBM's own facilities. In these cases, the plant code likely refers to the facility where the product was handled (packaged, etc.) before distribution.

#LocationProductNotesSource
00("USA generic"?)
01Endicott, NY, USAS/370 and many othersIBM's first manufacturing facility; see HERE4
02Poughkeepsie, NY, USA1,4
02Belgium1
06China4
08Beaverton, OR, USA4
08Netherlands1
10Rochester, MN, USAS/3, /32, /34, /36, /38, AS/400see HERE1,4
11Lexington, KY, USA1
13San Jose, CA, USA4
14(Burlington, VT, USA?)ICvery common; CMOS?; often as "5314", "9314"
16SwedenVällingby (punchcards) or Järfälla (printers)?1
16?ICpossibly recycled code? seen on T3 complex
17Switzerland1
21Guadalajara, MexicoPower systems4
22?IC
23Boca Raton, FL, USAPC, PS/2, and othersEntry Systems Division (ESD); until 1996
also "Mfg'd for IBM" EduQuest w/ Samsung FCC ID [2]
2,3
23Raleigh, NC, USAPC, PS/2, and others4
26Austin, TX, USA1
27?unitsseen on "Made for IBM" 7690
31United Kingdom1
34?IC
35France (Bordeaux?)also "Mfg'd for IBM" / "Made in Korea" EduQuest [2]1,2
40Germany1
41Charlotte, NC, USA4
43Italy (Vimercate?)1
44Santa Palomba, ItalyS/36 and othersseen on many 5363 [2]1,2,4
51Montpellier, FranceIC1,4
52(East Fishkill, NY, USA?)ICmfg/pkg; very common and long-lived
53(USA?)ICmfg/pkg; possibly also Fishkill?
54Havant, UK
55Greenock, Scotland, UKPS/2 and others2
58Amsterdam, Netherlands1
65Dublin, Ireland 93bi, p systems?1,4
68Singapore4
70?ICalways as "7070"?
71Germany1
72Raleigh, NC, USAPC, PS/2, and othersResearch Triangle Park (RTP); 1996 and later3
74?IC
75Mainz, Germany4
75Vác, HungaryStorage Products4
77Spain (Valencia?)3172, 31742
78Guadalajara, Mexico1,4
82Sumaré, Brazilunits4
83Dublin, Ireland 99bz, p systems?1,4
84Singapore4
90Wangaratta, Australia1
91Don Mills, Canadaseen on 5291 [3] and 5235 [2]1,2,3
92Canada1
93Canada (Bromont?)ICmfg/pkg/test?; see HERE and HERE1
97Fujisawa, JapanPS/55 and others2,4
98Japan (Yasu plant in Shiga?)ICmfg/pkg; mostly PQFP, some metal can PGA2
99JapanPS/55also "Made for IBM" IBM JX (by Matsushita?)2
694United Kingdom3-digit code?1

Sources

  1. IBM typewriter reference (thx to Tim Clarke) — see HERE
  2. Empirical evidence (system units of known origins, etc.)
  3. Confirmed by Joe George (worked for an IBM dealer of midrange systems)
  4. Posted by Michael Quaranta (IBM Technology Expert Labs) — see HERE

Notes

  • Plant codes "53 14" and "93 14" appear on many PowerPC 601(+) CPUs. These chips were produced only at Burlington, VT, USA and East Fishkill, NY, USA. It's however unknown how this maps to the plant codes. The same code combinations can be found on other (CMOS?) chips from the same era.
  • From an ex-IBMer: I worked for IBM for 25 years (from '88-'13). I worked in Burlington, VT in the chip design area. It's likely the IBM chips you see in this would have been made in East Fishkill, NY, which handled the bipolar chips used by the IBM Server group, whereas Burlington handled CMOS chips, more commonly used in IBM's consumer and low-end products like the PC division, at least until the mid 90's when Fishkill eventually switched over to CMOS. [...]
  • In 1996 IBM closed Boca Raton manufacturing (Entry Systems Division) and moved it to Raleigh (Research Triangle Park).

Further Reading

Content created and/or collected by:
Louis F. Ohland, Peter H. Wendt, David L. Beem, William R. Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Tomáš Slavotínek, Jim Shorney, Tim N. Clarke, Kevin Bowling, and many others.

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