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From: knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.arch,net.aviation
Subject: Re: Computer Technology in USSR - circa 1955 to 1970
Message-ID: <760@ihwpt.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 19:33:43 EST
Article-I.D.: ihwpt.760
Posted: Fri Mar  7 19:33:43 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 12:54:57 EST
References: <2940@gatech.CSNET>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 45

> I have been talking to an individual who spent a considerable length of
> term working in research labs in the USSR on airborne computer projects.
> In our discussions he mentioned some technogies and uses of technologies
> that I was unaware of. For example, he discussed 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. 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?
> Finally, he indicated that they used ferrite transistors. I was not
> aware of this either. Can anyone shed light on this??
> If anyone can point me to any historical references to this era in either
> US or USSR developments it would be greatly appreciated.
> -- 
> John Passafiume
> uucp:	...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ulysses,ut-sally}!gatech!jfp

I don't think there's anything unique here, but these technologies
are a bit obscure.  I remember reading (probably in Bell & Newell's
"Computer Structures" text) that one of the computers in the Apollo
spacecraft used a "wire rope ROM" like the Russian item you described.
An address de-mux shot a pulse down one of many wires (one per address).
There was one big core donut for each bit in the word.  If that
address wire went thru toroid #5, then bit 5 of that addressed
word was a ONE.  A very reliable technology, and very radiation,
glitch, and temperature proof.  I almost used it in a home
project.  I suspect there are several on the Moon today!

Bell Labs used various ferrite sheet and "twistor" schemes
for both RAM (sort of like core) and ROM in the original ESS
processors (computerized telephone exchanges) in the 60's and
early 70's.  The ROMs were steel sheets with little spots of
north or south magnetism, which biased ferrite cores in the
reading frame into which they were inserted.  These cores
were read like usual core RAMs.  We had "ROM burners" that
were big machines that fed these sheets thru and magnetized
them.  All this neat stuff has long since been scrapped
for plain old DRAM chips.

These schemes work very well -- just a bit bulky and heavy
by today's standards, but pretty solid against 
radiation and EMP and power glitches in a military plane.
	mike k