4 ms·
For background, the "sonic delay line" appears to refer to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay_line_memory#Magnetostrictive_delay_lines https://en.wikipe
by Footkerchief 7y ago
For background, the "sonic delay line" appears to refer to this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay_line_memory#Magnetostrictive_delay_lines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay_line_memory#Magnetostric...
- jiveturkey 7y ago> A later version of the delay line used metal wires as the storage medium. Transducers were built by applying the magnetostrictive effect; small pieces of a magnetostrictive material, typically nickel, were attached to either side of the end of the wire, inside an electromagnet. When bits from the computer entered the magnets the nickel would contract or expand (based on the polarity) and twist the end of the wire. The resulting torsional wave would then move down the wire just as the sound wave did down the mercury column. In most cases the entire wire was made of the same material. wow. this is literally a sound wave. i thought it was some kind of euphemism. as i was until now only familiar with the electric variety.
- hackcasual 7y agoThere's a great video that goes over an old calculator that used delay lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BIx2x-Q2fE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BIx2x-Q2fE
- Koshkin 7y agoNice video indeed (I only wish the guy pointed the camera more to the objects of interest rather than his own face), but what is shown is clearly a magnetostrictive delay line (rather than an acoustic one) which is similar to one shown here: http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/calculator_memory_technologies.html http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/calculator_memory_tec....
- rbanffy 7y agoA kind of memory that gets corrupted by loud noises... Love that.