A Hobbyist Builds a Working 16-Bit Magnetic Core Memory by Hand
16-bit fully functional DIY magnetic core memory
A DIY project shows a fully functional 16-bit magnetic core memory, the hand-woven storage that powered early computers, built from scratch. The Hacker News submission links to a video walkthrough of the build, where tiny ferrite rings and wires are threaded into a working array. Commenters dig into the craft behind it and how core memory reads and writes bits.
16-bit fully functional DIY magnetic core memory
- Geof25
You can buy FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM) which are effectively the same thing just in smaller package. But I have seen them only about few kB. However the amount of R/W operations is effectively unlimited,
- amelius
With the current DRAM shortages, this couldn't have come at a better time.
- JKCalhoun
Core64 has been selling a kit like this for some time:
(I chatted with them at the VCFMW, Vintage Computer Festival Mid-Waste, and they are very cool.)