Memory

Composition and functionality

The magnetic-core memory is a non-volatile memory, that consists of a big number of cores, which are arranged on copper-wires. Each core stores one state of a bit. Two mutually isolated wires, that serve the function of reading and writing information, go through each core, which is formed like a ring. Accordingly one core is situated at one cross-way.

The storage occures with the aid of the direction (positive oder negative) of the remaining magnetism in the ring-cores. To store data on a magnetic-core, a electric current of a specific extent on the writing-wire is needed, which creates a magnetic field. When the electric current is switched off, magnetism remains, that stands for '0' or '1'. In this way it is warrented that the information can be changed or distorted. To read an informaton out of the ring-core, a voltage impulse is generated on the reading-wire, that finds out the direction of the magnetism. But this procedure destroys the core-data ́and that's why it is instantly necessary to store the information again, so that the data doesn't get lost.

Three of the exhebits are magnetic-coe memories: magnetic-core memory from 1976, magnetic-core memory of the IBM/360 and the data storage-board of the SM4. An own article elaborates on the last mentioned exhebit.