Another unusual feature is the use of magnetic cores not only for memory but also as logic gates. These logic cores have 1, 2 or 3 input windings, a trigger (read) and an output winding. Depending on their polarity, current pulses in the input windings either magnetise the core or cancel each other out. The magnetised state of the core indicates the result of a boolean logic function.

Huh. Clever.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 56 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A picture similar to this one was on one of my high school text books. Inside the cover was a description of it as magnetic core computer memory. For quite a long time I thought this is what computer chips looked like. The only issue was I was in high school in the 80s, long after such memory was used. Maybe the text book was 15 years old, I don't know.

[–] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 12 points 3 days ago

First computer company I worked for was still using it in the early 80s. Slow, but it retained state after a power failure.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 7 points 3 days ago

Cost about £500,000 in today’s money. If the AI bubble hasn’t popped by this time next year, that Raspberry Pi might cost about the same.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 7 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Check this out. Very cool.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IOtf85sHRlg

[–] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

I knew this was gonna be polymatt! What a great vid.

TL;DW: He makes a memory core from "scratch"

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Though not a fan of his reasoning to have it in silicone oil. The computers back then also didn't do that, and they had rougher measuring tooling.
He just wanted a oil-submerged thingy anyway.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 3 points 3 days ago

Yeah, absolutely. Just a fun and cool project.