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Digibarn Parts: Data General Nova Core Memory
(early 1970s)

We are grateful to Bob A. Schelfhout Aubertijn for sending us this "mattress" of core memory from an early 1970s Data General Nova machine. This has to be some of the highest density core and fascinating to see it alongside the up and coming integrated circut technology, which would soon supplant core as the storage medium of choice. Below you can see Ken Sumrall, who works with the Computer History Museum, opening up the cover plate to expose the core mattress. Bob writes about his donation:

Inside the pack is the 1972 Ferrite Core board, well packed between 2 cardboards, and I've included 2 Ceramic and Gold processors as well [Burroughs].  The images show you the complete board with the core centre opened up for display purposes, the core mattress in close up, the indication that it's a 16k memory stack from 1972, and the core as seen through a microscope, a Wild Heerbrug M420, shot on Kodak Ektar 25.


Composite image of DGC Nova board

Click for microscopic image of the core memory

Our images of the DGC Nova Core Memory board

CIMG7724.JPG
Ken with core

CIMG7722.JPG
Core opened
CIMG7721.JPG
CIMG7721.JPG
CIMG7727.JPG
CIMG7727.JPG
CIMG7728.JPG
Detail of core mattress
CIMG7729.JPG
CIMG7729.JPG

Also from Bob:

Attached I have one image of some old ceramic and gold processors,
produced some 30 odd years ago by AMI and Burroughs.

See Also:

The Digibarn's TDK Core Memory

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