Core memory

[Marc Howard]

We need to onshore Nixie production now!  ;-)



On Fri, Apr 1, 2022 at 12:06 PM jim stephens via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
>
> On 4/1/2022 11:51 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
> >
> >> On Apr 1, 2022, at 2:38 PM, Brent Hilpert via cctalk <
> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> On 2022-Apr-01, at 6:02 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
> >>
> >>> When I looked at that ebay listing of "glass memory" it pointed me to
> another item, https://www.ebay.com/itm/265623663142 -- described as "core
> rope memory".  Obviously it isn't -- it's conventional core RAM.
> Interestingly enough, it seems to be three-wire memory (no inhibit line
> that I can see).  It looks to be in decent shape.  No manufacturer marks,
> and "GC-6" doesn't ring any bells.
> >> Well, it would still work for 1-bit-wide words, so to speak. One
> wonders what the application was.
> > I wonder if the sense wire was used as inhibit during write cycles --
> that seems doable.  It would make the core plane simpler at the expense of
> more complex electronics.  With that approach, you have regular memory, not
> limited to 1 bit words.
> >
> >> There are a couple of Soviet core-rope memories up right now:
> >>      https://www.ebay.com/itm/294558261336
> >>      https://www.ebay.com/itm/294851032351
> > Neat looking stuff.  It doesn't look like core rope memory in the sense
> of the AGC ROM, nor in the sense of the Electrologica X1.  It looks more
> like the transformer memory used in Wang calculators that you documented in
> your core ROM paper.
> >
> >       paul
> >
> >
> without the driver hardware there's no real way to determine for sure
> what the interface was.  It's clearly not structured as the Apollo or
> other roms were.  Not all of the core built that way for the Apollo
> systems were ROMs as well.
>
> Someone googled and found the descriptions of the Apollo use of core I
> suspect and has no clue.  No mention of documentation or provenance in
> the listing which would be absolutely required for this sort of artifact
> as it would be out of the normal for such use as the seller has.
>
> Sad about all the Soviet stuff, probably will be a long time before
> there is any more buying from there again.
> Thanks
> Jim
>