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A computer memory core.

Our logo depicts a computer main memory (RAM) core from the 1960s. Thousands of such magnetic cores were in each core plane addressable (accessible) by their X and Y (horizontal and vertical) wire windings. The third, diagonal winding was the sense winding. Each X and Y was a separate wire, and to select a certain core, its own X and Y wires had to be activated. The sense winding was a single wire winding through the entire core plane. Each core was tiny and could barely fit on the tip of a sharpened pencil. Here is a rough sketch of a small portion of a single core plane. Many such planes were required for the RAM memory of a mainframe computer. (The winding pattern for the sense winding may vary. Another example is shown here, from Wikipedia.)

Sketch of core memory plane by author (c) 2024
Sketch of core memory plane by author (c) 2024

Sometimes I draw a memory core with wires extended vertically to form a cross or with a stylized core or windings to metaphorically depict something else (such as a caduceus for medical informatics), or for my book title pages.

Turquoise gradient core-cross.

29.June.2024

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