Yes core memory.
Many years ago (1970) the company I was working for (Scope Electronics in Reston, VA) was experimenting with voice recognition in a minicomputer for the DOD, the minicomputer name escapes me.
Programming was done on a huge board with 1N914 diodes! it was very crude ROM.
I was the tech who got to solder in the diodes. That was not a fun assignment.
We got it to recognize ten words, That was a big accomplishment. The USAF wanted voice command to fire weapons so they sent us voice tapes of fighter pilots pulling hi G loads then speaking "fire hound dog missile!".
Bob
Sent from my iPhone
On May 24, 2013, at 11:15 AM, Ed Popielarski <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The Bridgeport Series 2 CNC milling machine had a PDP8 platform with paper tape. I had one in my machine shop which finally became unstable around 2001, at which time I swapped out the CPU & stepper drivers for something a little more modern. Needless to say, the ole' PDP8 hung in there until it died a dignified demise. http://pdp8.co.uk/files/2009/07/pdp-8l.jpg
>
>
> Ed Popielarski
> Engineering Manager
>
>
> 970 NE 21st Ct.
> Oak Harbor, Wa. 98277
>
> Ph: 360-675-1322
> Fx: 206-624-0965
> Cl: 949-581-6601
>
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nutting, Phil
> Sent: Friday, May 24, 2013 6:04 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [TN] NTC: Pat Goodyear "Whatzit" Photos
>
> And the PDP8 was the size of two refrigerators.
>
> So many toggle switches and lights!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Larry Dzaugis
> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 7:39 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [TN] NTC: Pat Goodyear "Whatzit" Photos
>
> I programmed on a DEC PDP 8.
> 8K of core memory.
> It was a general purpose mini computer.
> Machine was a big deal in that it brought computers out on the shop floor.
> Had to toggle in boot up program and then binary loader with punch tape, 20 minutes boot and load.
>
> The test Engineers at DEC and Data General would order competitors machines for production as they were sold rather than allocated internally. The PO usually was booted and a machine provided. Wang, Prime, Nixdorf and Apollo were in a 40 mile radius as well as others. All grew and died like weeds.
>
> Company modified the PDP 8 to run tape controlled NC mills to produce thread rolling dies with only 8 parameters entered on tape. Early CNC.
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 6:03 PM, Ahne Oosterhof <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Uhhhh?
>>
>> From the other responses you should know by now that these are ferrite
>> beads with wires running through them, forming a memory board. Small
>> amount of memory / lot of space / hard to build / expensive. Unlike
>> today's memory where we are counting gigabits for little money.
>>
>> Can you imagine taking a piece of copper wire, making it as straight
>> as possible and shoving it through each row and column of these little
>> beads that were manually placed in a form? It takes time and patience!
>>
>> Ahne.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eva J
>> Sent: 23 May, 2013 13:55
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [TN] NTC: Pat Goodyear "Whatzit" Photos
>>
>> EMI shielding material?
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:44 PM, Ahne Oosterhof <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I remember seeing girls "weaving" those things when I worked at
>>> Philips in the late 60-s!
>>> Interesting to see them accomplish that, but not my cup of tea.
>>>
>>> Ahne.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Gregory
>>> Sent: 23 May, 2013 13:04
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: [TN] NTC: Pat Goodyear "Whatzit" Photos
>>>
>>> Quoting Pat from the email he sent to me with the pictures:
>>>
>>> "Steve I am sending a couple of jpgs of core, can you post them with
>>> what-is-it titles? See if we can stir up some old memories.
>>> These are from a Westinghouse Prodac 250, I think they are either 2
>>> - 1K memory cores, or possibly 4 bit x 1k.
>>> How would you like to sit and lace those. I have re soldered some
>>> that the wires were broke during cleaning.
>>>
>>> I grabbed this one when they scrapped the machine 20 years ago, it
>>> is dated 1971, I was a college freshman learning machine code
>>> programming, Fortran and Cobol, ah how times have changed..."
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Gregory
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 11:02 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: [TN] NTC: Pat Goodyear "Whatzit" Photos
>>>
>>> Hey All,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Pat Goodyear is probably unsubscribed now :o( but he sent me some
>>> photos on Tuesday to post on my page. From his email:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Steve,
>>>
>>> I am sending a couple of jpgs of XXXX, can you post them with
>>> what-is-it titles? See if we can stir up some old memories....
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So I have posted them. Anybody have any ideas of what this is?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://stevezeva.homestead.com/Whatzit1.JPG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://stevezeva.homestead.com/Whatzit2.JPG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://stevezeva.homestead.com/Whatzit3.JPG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> He let me know what it is. I'll keep that to myself for a while to
>>> see if anybody really knows....
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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