Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Smokedaddy
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Location: Bigfork, Montana
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Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Post by Smokedaddy »

I'm experimenting with a new setup: my Wild M400 stereoscope. I'm not quite there yet with my setup, but I'm getting close. This is a shot of a Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory I bought several decades ago. If you want to know how it works, I've attached an excellent video link. We've come a long way in the last 50 years or so. Except the first image below, both stereo pairs were done with Zerene as well as the last.

https://youtu.be/AwsInQLmjXc?si=4ue347MUHeEzaWJi

-JW:
Attachments
1024_P1070745.jpg
1024_MagneticCoreMemoryOA.jpg
1024_Par_Magnetic_Memory.jpg
1024_CE_Magnetic_Memory.jpg
1024_2025-03-25-19.48.jpg
Last edited by Smokedaddy on Thu Mar 27, 2025 7:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Saul
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Re: Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Post by Saul »

Interesting photos Jim, thank you for sharing. It reminded me of my university years when I was studying at the university, and we had to take a course on this type of magnetic technology, which we thought was unrelated to our main subject—microchip technology.

The irony of fate is that my main job now is tied to magnetism... :)

CrispyBee
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Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:17 am

Re: Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Post by CrispyBee »

Huh, fascinating! Both the video and the subject - and results! Thanks for sharing!

The 3D image is great but took a while for my eyes to adjust because to the repetitive pattern ;)

Beatsy
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Re: Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Post by Beatsy »

Nice images and a fascinating subject. Have you looked up the specs? Not a patch on today's memory speeds, but they were surprisingly fast for what they are.

I never used any, far too "young" for that, but I was fascinated by computers as a kid and aware of ferrite cores. You could say it brings back memories!

I'll get me coat... :D

Cheers
Beats
Knowledge is cheap. Experience isn't.

Smokedaddy
Posts: 2009
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Bigfork, Montana
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Re: Ferrite Magnetic Core Memory

Post by Smokedaddy »

Beatsy wrote:
Thu Mar 27, 2025 12:15 pm
Nice images and a fascinating subject. Have you looked up the specs?
To my knowledge, the Ferrite Core Memory Plate was manufactured in the USSR in the 1960s. One 1 ferrite core is slightly less than 1mm in diameter = 1 bit, so a 64x64 core memory plate stores 4096 bits of data. Here's a somewhat different view.

-JW:
Attachments
Crross-eyed stereo pair
Crross-eyed stereo pair
Parallel stereo pair
Parallel stereo pair

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