Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!news.miami.edu!umiami!jdeitch
From: jdeitch@umiami.ir.miami.edu (Jonathan Deitch)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: New Shuttle Computers (OOPS!)
Message-ID: <1991Mar5.201242.7993@umiami.ir.miami.edu>
Date: 6 Mar 91 01:12:42 GMT
Organization: Univ of Miami IR
Lines: 16

Sorry folks,

Static Ram is NOT non volatile.  It simply doesn't need refreshing.

When the power goes off, so does the data.

There might be hope, though.  Radio Electronics magazine recently
had an article about standard CMOS with little ferric capacitors
etched right onto the chip to keep the logic gates intact when the
power is removed.  According to the article, it can keep data safe
for up to one year.  If this technology is successful, it could be
the next version of the flight computer. 
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