Glass memory?

[Mark Huffstutter]

Here is some pretty good information.

https://archive.org/details/TNM_Glass_computer_memories_-_Corning_Electronics_20171206_0185

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Brent Hilpert via cctalk
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022 11:53 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Glass memory?

On 2022-Mar-31, at 8:05 PM, Anders Nelson via cctech wrote:
> Hey all, found this on eBay:
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Corning-Glass-memory-/125087612899
> 
> I can't find any info on it - was it some kind of delay-line or magnetic
> laminate stack?
> 
> Interesting!



Very interesting - there were glass/quartz delay lines used in TV but never seen such before for digital.

So first guess was it's a SAW device (Surface Acoustic Wave) delay line, but wondered how the path would be long enough for delays needed (path too short for waves too fast).

Second guess then could be a quartz internal reflection delay line. See pdfPg.9:

	https://www.pearl-hifi.com/06_Lit_Archive/02_PEARL_Arch/Vol_16/Sec_53/Philips_Tech_Review/PTechReview-25-1963_64-234.pdf

The period is right, those Sylvania ICs in the unit place it in mid-late 60s.

I've analysed a couple of magneto-strictive wire acoustic delay lines so have some feel for properties/numbers there, but don't know how glass/quartz compares.