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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.arch,net.aviation
Subject: Re: Computer Technology in USSR - circa 1955 to 1970
Message-ID: <6479@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 16:30:02 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6479
Posted: Fri Mar  7 16:30:02 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 16:30:02 EST
References: <2940@gatech.CSNET>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 22
Keywords: airborne computers read-only memory ferrite transistors

> ...the use of core memories
> as ROM where "little old ladies" wired the application program bits into
> the ROMs. The use of core memory as ROM is something I am not aware of.
> Is anyone out there aware of such a use of core memory.

This was common in specialized applications some years ago.  The on-board
computers of the Apollo spacecraft used program ROMs built this way, for
example.  DEC's "PDP-16" (sort of a kit for building specialized computers)
included a wire-your-own-ROM module of this type.  I think some of the
telephone switching computers may have used it also.  Given these examples,
I would expect that it was used quite a bit in avionics and the like.

> He also mentioned the use of
> memory plates with ultrasonic drilling of small holes for the bits (to
> be used in RAM). Is there a US counterpart to this?

If you mean ROM rather than RAM, there are a few.  The 360 series used a
wide variety of strange ROM technologies for their microcode, including
one where the ROM was a sort of aluminized punchcard.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry