13 Mar
2021
13 Mar
'21
12:17 a.m.
Hi,
I recently bought a core rope memory unit from a Wagner WAC40, mainly because it?s very
aesthetically pleasing and looks good on display: https://i.redd.it/h9sb550uhnm61.jpg
However, i can fine very little about Wagner Computer, the WAC40 (and WAC12), or the man
behind the company, G?nter Wagner. Does anyone have any info on any of these subjects?
This links seems to be all i can find: https://blog.hnf.de/gauner-gelder-und-computer/
Thanks,
Josh Rice
13 Mar
13 Mar
1:51 a.m.
On 13.03.21 09:17, Joshua Rice via cctalk wrote:
Hi,
I recently bought a core rope memory unit from a Wagner WAC40, mainly because it?s very
aesthetically pleasing and looks good on display: https://i.redd.it/h9sb550uhnm61.jpg
However, i can fine very little about Wagner Computer, the WAC40 (and WAC12), or the man
behind the company, G?nter Wagner. Does anyone have any info on any of these subjects?
This links seems to be all i can find: https://blog.hnf.de/gauner-gelder-und-computer/
Thanks,
Josh Rice
It seems to have been a very shady operation.
This article https://www.computerwoche.de/a/es-ist-substanz-da,1204762? suggest that about
120 machines were made.
?This article https://www.computerwoche.de/a/keiner-holt-den-computer-ab,1203597 claims
that the machine never worked, the seller disappeared overnight, and due taxation on
employee salaries were never paid.
Wagner core memories to seem to come up every now and then. Maybe ask the seller where
they came from ?
Jos
2:56 a.m.
On 13.03.21 09:17, Joshua Rice via cctalk wrote:
Hi,
I recently bought a core rope memory unit from a Wagner WAC40, mainly because it?s very
aesthetically pleasing and looks good on display: https://i.redd.it/h9sb550uhnm61.jpg
However, i can fine very little about Wagner Computer, the WAC40 (and WAC12), or the man
behind the company, G?nter Wagner. Does anyone have any info on any of these subjects?
This links seems to be all i can find: https://blog.hnf.de/gauner-gelder-und-computer/
Thanks,
Josh Rice
It seems to have been a very shady operation.
This article https://www.computerwoche.de/a/es-ist-substanz-da,1204762 suggest that about
120 machines were made.
?This article https://www.computerwoche.de/a/keiner-holt-den-computer-ab,1203597 claims
that the machine never worked, the seller disappeared overnight, and due taxation on
employee salaries were never paid.
Wagner core memories to seem to come up every now and then. Maybe ask the seller where
they came from ?
Jos
10:05 a.m.
On Mar 13, 2021, at 3:17 AM, Joshua Rice via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Hi,
I recently bought a core rope memory unit from a Wagner WAC40, mainly because it?s very
aesthetically pleasing and looks good on display: https://i.redd.it/h9sb550uhnm61.jpg
Very interesting looking. I can't quite make out what is going on in that rectangular
area where all the wires terminate, labeled 0-15 and A-R. Are there diodes there?
Anything on the other side of that board?
The large cores with all the wires are remisniscent of core rope ROM. If so, I wonder if
it's AGC (Lincoln Labs) style, EL-X1 style, or a scheme different from either of those
two.
paul
10:34 a.m.
Very interesting looking. I can't quite make out
what is going on in that rectangular area where all the wires terminate, labeled 0-15 and
A-R. Are there diodes there? Anything on the other side of that board?
Nothing but traces on the other side, though you?re right on them being diodes.
The large cores with all the wires are remisniscent of
core rope ROM. If so, I wonder if it's AGC (Lincoln Labs) style, EL-X1 style, or a
scheme different from either of those two.
It?s definitely some form of core rope ROM.
Interestingly, the ferrite rings are built in pairs, with a "selection" coil
wrapped around both, joining them. Therefore (i assume, i?m really no expert) they?ll be a
positive pulse induced when passing through one coil, but a negative pulse when passed
through the opposite coil. This probably helps in differentiating beween a 0, a 1, or a
NULL state (ie 0v).
I have no idea if that correlates with any particular format of Core Rope, but as far as
my eyes can tell, that? how the core rope is woven and functions.
I think, though again i?m no expert, that the termination points indicate that this read
off a 16 bit word in parallel, instead of working in serial to build up a word. Therefore,
it contains 16 (pairs of termination points) x 64 (pairs of ?selection? rings) = 1
kiloword of storage. I may however, to quote Bob Geldof, be talking bollocks.
Josh Rice
14 Mar
14 Mar
8:20 a.m.
On Mar 13, 2021, at 1:34 PM, Joshua Rice via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
The key component of core rope memory (and X1 ROM) is square-loop cores, like the cores
used in conventional read/write core memory.
There is another kind of core ROM where the cores are simply transformer cores. Since you
mentioned a "selection" coil, chances are that's what we're dealing with
here.
Brent Hilpert has a great writeup on a number of the technologies used.
http://madrona.ca/e/corerope/index.html
paul
Very interesting looking. I can't quite make
out what is going on in that rectangular area where all the wires terminate, labeled 0-15
and A-R. Are there diodes there? Anything on the other side of that board?
Nothing but traces on the other side, though you?re right on them being diodes.
The large cores with all the wires are
remisniscent of core rope ROM. If so, I wonder if it's AGC (Lincoln Labs) style,
EL-X1 style, or a scheme different from either of those two.
It?s definitely some form of core rope ROM.
Interestingly, the ferrite rings are built in pairs, with a "selection" coil
wrapped around both, joining them. Therefore (i assume, i?m really no expert) they?ll be a
positive pulse induced when passing through one coil, but a negative pulse when passed
through the opposite coil. This probably helps in differentiating beween a 0, a 1, or a
NULL state (ie 0v).
I have no idea if that correlates with any particular format of Core Rope, but as far as
my eyes can tell, that? how the core rope is woven and functions. 
16 Mar
16 Mar
5:04 p.m.
Joshua: I have one of those too. They do make a great display piece. If you
collect any information off list, I would love to hear it.
On Sun, Mar 14, 2021 at 11:20 AM Paul Koning via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Mar 13, 2021, at 1:34 PM, Joshua Rice via
cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> Very interesting looking. I can't quite make out what is going on in
that
rectangular area where all the wires terminate, labeled 0-15 and A-R.
Are there diodes there? Anything on the other side of that board?
Nothing but traces on the other side, though you?re right on them being
diodes.
> The large cores with all the wires are remisniscent of core rope ROM.
If so,
I wonder if it's AGC (Lincoln Labs) style, EL-X1 style, or a scheme
different from either of those two.
It?s definitely some form of core rope ROM.
Interestingly, the ferrite rings are built in pairs, with a "selection"
coil wrapped around both, joining them. Therefore (i assume, i?m really no
expert) they?ll be a positive pulse induced when passing through one coil,
but a negative pulse when passed through the opposite coil. This probably
helps in differentiating beween a 0, a 1, or a NULL state (ie 0v).
I have no idea if that correlates with any particular format of Core
Rope, but as
far as my eyes can tell, that? how the core rope is woven and
functions.
The key component of core rope memory (and X1 ROM) is square-loop cores,
like the cores used in conventional read/write core memory.
There is another kind of core ROM where the cores are simply transformer
cores. Since you mentioned a "selection" coil, chances are that's what
we're dealing with here.
Brent Hilpert has a great writeup on a number of the technologies used.
http://madrona.ca/e/corerope/index.html
paul
1375
days inactive
1379
days old
6 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
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jos.dreesen＠bluewin.ch -
jos.dreesen＠greenmail.ch -
paulkoning＠comcast.net -
Rice43＠btinternet.com -
tony.aiuto＠gmail.com