OT Don't read this (was Re: Altair MBL source)

[CRC]

> If things had worked out differently we might be using
> ultraminiature electron tubes. Imagine! An entire flipflop in one
> package!

In the '60s I saw a rocket control computer that was used in a high 
acceleration missile that was IIRC about 30 cm cubed. It was made up of 
layers of ceramic approximately 3-5 mm thick each containing around 
50-100 "tubes" separated by a thin 2-3 mm layer of ceramic insulation. 
Each "tube" consisted of an Americium cathode, the necessary grids 
(perforated plates), and a plate evaporated on the wall of the cavity. 
Everything was interconnected by metalization on the insulating layer. 
The necessary resistors/capacitors were placed in cavities between the 
"tubes".

What made this extremely interesting was that all circuitry was 
differential to exclude the common mode voltages that were generated by 
the compression of the ceramic block during launch. At that time, solid 
state devices self-destructed during the acceleration phase. I imagine 
that any "personal" computer made with that technology would 
self-destruct any savings one had...

	CRC