RAM: the forgotten history (2024)

summary

The article explores the forgotten history of electronic working memory, arguing that RAM constraints were the primary bottleneck in early computing rather than basic programmability. It traces the evolution of memory from electromechanical relays and vacuum tube bistable circuits to quirky dynamic solutions like mercury delay lines and torsion memory. Finally, it covers the era of magnetic drum and solid-state magnetic core memories before the advent of large-scale integration chips.

key points

1. Konrad Zuse’s Z3 computer used roughly 2,000 electromechanical relays for its memory unit compared to 600 for the rest of the machine.
2. Early dynamic memory solutions included mercury delay lines that used toxic liquid to propagate sound waves as stored bits.
3. Magnetic core memory used woven arrays of microscopic ferrite beads where sub-threshold magnetic fields flipped individual cores at wire intersections.

who should read it

Software and hardware engineers interested in computer history and the physical foundations of computing.

discussion warm