Core and ICs

[Billy Pettit]

Scott Stevens wrote:
>I have more machines with core + ICs that core + discretes only.... 
<snip>

>Core is also more 'radiation hardened' for certain applications.
>For space or military use, for instance.  Not as important now
>but it was for a long while.



No argument about there being ICs and core.  I only pointed out the time
frame wasn't long.  The first
core machine I remember seeing was the 1103 and it used vacuum tubes.  (1K
by 36 bits).  Using it as a 
reference up to the last Cray designs with core and transistors, there is a
long time frame, at least 2 decades .

Core and ICs made the transition.  But with ICs came the 1101, then the
1103.  After that, RAM exploded 
and it was a rare machine that stayed with core for very long.  Core died
quickly, relative to it's life span.

Core is still used in a few applications, mainly space.  But another
technology made most of the early 
trips to the planets, a variation of core called plated wire.  Some of those
are 30+ years old and still haven't
dropped a bit!

And then there are the EMP hardened technologies that still can't be
discussed, even today.

Billy