26 Nov
2007
26 Nov
'07
10:15 a.m.
Roy J. Tellason wrote:
On Friday 23 November 2007 19:05, dwight elvey wrote:
>> From: rtellason at verizon.net
>>
>> I notice that even those guys that are building relay computers
"cheat"
>> and use a single small solid-state chip for RAM. :-)
>>
> Hi
> I've been thinking about how one could make a reasonable
> memory, using small reed relays. If one puts a magnet close
> to one end, it will cause the reed to close. Move it back
> some and it will hold until the field is too weak.
>
..
Dunno if they still sell them or not, but Radio Shack used to sell a pack of
20 reed switches for only a couple of bucks...
Hmm... Wonder if it's possible to build a relay without a spring on the
switch. That is, you have to send current with one polarity to set the
switch to a 1 and reverse polarity to set a zero - sort of what core
memory does with rings... I suppose this could instead be done by
attaching a magnet to the switch, or using magnet as the thing inside
the switch body, or better yet maybe a relay with a ball with a set of
contacts as the switch and two magnets, one on each opposite side...
you'd energize one coil for a "1" and the other for a "0"
Hmm, could even be done with a solenoid and use the mechanical part of
it to touch a wire for output. :-) Wouldn't really be a relay, but
pretty close.