Posted on May 29, 2015
COL Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare
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Bubble memory is non-volatile computer memory utilizing magnetic material to establish magnetized domains that store one bit of data each. The domains are arranged in series via parallel tracks that produce bubbles transferring via an external magnetic field. The bubbled domains are then interpreted, as they transfer along parallel tracks in series, via a conventional magnetic transport and are then rewritten along the farthest instance of a parallel track in series as each memory instance cycles along parallel tracks in series. Bubble memory, offering memory density similar to conventional hard drives and core memory performance, can be considered a high performance universal computer memory product of the past. Although a high performance universal memory of the 1970s and 1980s, flash RAM and similar more advanced memory technologies superseded it. In requiem.
Posted in these groups: Dddbf719 Computers
Edited 10 y ago
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SFC Joseph James
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I speak English pretty well and you Sir, did NOT speak it in your question! lol
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LTC John Shaw
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What event transpired to cause your bubble memory post?

Or

Are you wistfully thinking of long I/O wait time while your CPU sits idle...
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COL Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare
COL (Join to see)
10 y
Yes. The ebb and tide of the technological revolutions of the 1980's heralded bubble memory as a revolutionary technology to replace all other forms of memory. Unlike semiconductor memory, bubble memory introduced sequential access rather than random access. Although conceptually a magnetic disk and drive, it retained no moving parts. Instead of a moving disk, the bits moved. Simply considering its utilization in current U.S. military tactical equipment requiring ruggedness, non-volatility, and a redundant ability to withstand the photoelectric effects of a battlefield nuclear event. Non-volatility is critical in reducing wait times produced by electromagnetic pulse when considering I/O wait times in battlefield electronics.
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LTC John Shaw
LTC John Shaw
10 y
Bubble memory is no Flash(or SRAM) in the pan overnight success...long live bubble memory!

Here is a link better explain the history for non-tech types...
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/whatever-happened-to-bubble-memory
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CPT Ahmed Faried
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Sir this is over my head. I'm just going to nod like I understand.
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In memory of bubble memory (What are your thoughts?)
MAJ Knowledge Management Specialist
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Interesting tidbit of history. Glad we have faster memory now. Can't wait to see what the future brings.
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SGM Retired
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Thanks for reminding me of the old days. I never saw a bubble memory unit, although I heard about them.

But you reminded me that my first computer had 8k of memory. All my friends said, "What are you going to do with all that memory? No one can write a program that big."

Anybody seen a punch card machine lately? Paper tape reader? When's the last time you used an 8 in floppy disk? Or even a 5.25 in minifloppy, or 3.5 in microfloppy?

In the late 70's, I was a computer operator, hanging 8 in reels of tape ... I wonder if any of those are still in use? Our hard drive back then required a hydraulic jack to remove the spindle ... and they stored a whopping 400 kilobytes.

Times sure have changed.
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MSgt Aaron Brite
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Bubble memory and wrapped core memory takes me back to avionics tech school. Amazing what we did with with that tech and how long we kept using it. Replaced the nav system (and its couple hundred pounds of gear) that used it with a handheld gps unit.
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