Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Alternatives to ROM. Magnetic vs. Electric

B

Bob Myers

Jan 1, 1970
0
SteveH said:
That would be bubble memory.

Hmmmm....and here I was thinking he meant a PROM
with fizzable links....

Bob M.
 
A

Alex Colvin

Jan 1, 1970
0
In order to make disscrete logic
This is what I would like. Hardwired logic as opposed to software

You'd have liked plugboard programming.
 
R

Radium

Jan 1, 1970
0
You'd have liked plugboard programming.

What is "plugboard programming"? I googled it but didn't receive a
clear definition.
 
T

The little lost angel

Jan 1, 1970
0
So now the no-ROM issue out of the way?

Yes. As long the ROM-signals are determined by the way the chip's
circuits are mechanically built. When an electric current is passed
through a certain of those circuits, specific signals [of instructions
and information] should be generated.

Oh, don't worry, mechanical is how all them ROM works, none of them
nonsensical magnetic whatchamacallit you hate so much. You send
specific amount of electron particles constituting a current moving
through nuclear-mechanical paths, it makes other particles move in
predetermined nuclear-mechanical pathways, makes holes so that actual
particles can move around and such, and finally all these
nuclear-mechanics causes specific amount of electrons constituting an
output signal to be produced at the output end.
The only thing I'd like to use magnetic signals for is described in
here:

http://groups.google.com/group/Crea...egen1+magnetic&rnum=15&hl=en#d57c8a76f8118694

Quotes from the above link :
This will cause sample playback MIDI
synths, softsynths, emulations, and soundfonts to be full of annoying
-- and perhaps even frightening -- auditory disruptions from
environmental magnetic interference**."

"**Note: The magnetic signals that interfere with those digital chips
should be purely-analog. I just love it when purely-analog magnetic
signals cause significant disruptions in purely-digital chip-based
parts of electronic devices that I don't like. Sample playback MIDI
synths, softsynths, emulations, and soundfonts are an example of
digital electronic devices that I don't like so I want to victimize
them in this manner -- i.e. via magnetic interferences."

In other words, you would like to effectively destroy the rest of the
world just because they don't follow your preferences. That sounds
like... your full name is really Osama Bin Radium, isn't it? :p
 
R

Richard The Dreaded Libertarian

Jan 1, 1970
0
In other words, you would like to effectively destroy the rest of the
world just because they don't follow your preferences. That sounds
like... your full name is really Osama Bin Radium, isn't it? :p

With a philosophy like that, it should be Radium W. Cheney.

Cheers!
Rich
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bob said:
Hmmmm....and here I was thinking he meant a PROM
with fizzable links....

Bob M.


Those are betweeen his ears and its sad to say but they are all
blown. :(


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
K

kony

Jan 1, 1970
0
*YOU* are wasting your time. Radium isn't.

Because you say so?
Sorry, but you have to ignore all the posts by Radium and
pretend a purpose before that would be true.


You're the one who has made the CHOICE to waste your time. You can
easily kill the entire thread.


Obviously you didn't read carefull, I never wrote it was
solely _my_ time. It's not just my time, it's everyone's,
including news server bandwidth.
It wasn't a *horrible* problem by any stretch, but then
people like yourself climb on board with opinions that don't
consider Radium's history, the repetitve posting of same
thing nor the conclusions.




Every participant is in exactly the same position as you.

Really? I expect some did know about Radium's posting
history but "every"? Doubtful.
They have
all decided that it was wort their wasted time to respond.

Yes, and it was worth my time to respond with the sane
answer instead of senseless wastes of time to coddle a
troll.
You have
a problem with that?

Apparently you have a problem, since I was as entitled to
point out Radiums' follies as it is a relevant context to
the posts.

If I've responded, it obviously does interest me. Unless you are a
complete idiot, you are no different.

See above, you obviously lack reading skills.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Because you say so?

No said:
Sorry, but you have to ignore all the posts by Radium and
pretend a purpose before that would be true.
No, *YOU* have to ignore all such posts if *YOU* don't want to "waste
your time" with him. You know, newsreaders have killfiles and
scoring for a reason. Use them so you don't waste your precious
time.
Obviously you didn't read carefull, I never wrote it was
solely _my_ time. It's not just my time, it's everyone's,

Are you "everyone's" keeper? Why don't you let people make such
decisions for themselves?
including news server bandwidth.
Bullshit.

It wasn't a *horrible* problem by any stretch, but then
people like yourself climb on board with opinions that don't
consider Radium's history, the repetitve posting of same
thing nor the conclusions.
I know Radium's history. I also know how to use killfiles and
filters. Perhaps you should learn.
Really? I expect some did know about Radium's posting
history but "every"? Doubtful.

They will make their own decisions.
Yes, and it was worth my time to respond with the sane
answer instead of senseless wastes of time to coddle a
troll.

Perhaps I missed something. Have you been appointed group moderator?
Apparently you have a problem, since I was as entitled to
point out Radiums' follies as it is a relevant context to
the posts.

No, you want to silence him.
See above, you obviously lack reading skills.

No, you're just a wannabe netcop.
 
M

MooseFET

Jan 1, 1970
0
I don't think CPUs (since the Intel Pentium FDIV debacle) use masked
ROM. Or at least, not exclusively.

"Not exclusively" are magic words. I wasn't speaking of any specific
processor except the one in the keyboard. I was trying to keep it
simple to make my point.

Some machines have "loadable control stores". We really don't want to
start taking about them, do we.

Large portions of microcode
are loaded by BIOS to permit relatively easy bugfixes. CPU mfrs
provide a binary lump to BIOS writers. AFAICS, the microcode gets
loaded each boot into something analogous to SRAM. (DRAM?).

I don't think this is what happens. It is more likely that it is a
structure like Flash memory. You really don't want to have to publish
the fact that your processor contains such stuff unless you really
need to.



Or if modifiability is important. It is for CPUs, and probably also
for GPUs.

The OP wants there to be a physical mechanical difference. He doesn't
like RAMs etc. Chances are he also doesn't like readheads.
 
M

MooseFET

Jan 1, 1970
0
Alex Colvin, why would I like plugboard? It's not a digital computer

Actually it can be digital. Plugboard is just a method for
programming things it can be used for digital systems too.

Many years back, I worked on a digital system that was programmed much
like that. There was a card with a bunch of posts on it. You
soldered wires between the posts to program the system as to what it
was to do.

It was all digital but the digital stuff largely predated TTL logic.

One edge of the programming board had a row of pins that were asserted
low one at a time in order. The other edge had a row of connections
that caused things to happen.

There were a couple of special pins that had special meanings. One of
them marked the end of the program and causes the sequence to start
over. The other was sort of like one layer of subroutine call. When
it pulsed low another circuit would run through its steps before the
next one on this card would be asserted. This allowed maybe a few
hundred steps of programming.
 
R

Radium

Jan 1, 1970
0
So now the no-ROM issue out of the way?
Yes. As long the ROM-signals are determined by the way the chip's
circuits are mechanically built. When an electric current is passed
through a certain of those circuits, specific signals [of instructions
and information] should be generated.

Oh. The other type of ROM I like is analog ROM in the form of variable-
density analog B&W monaural negative [no positive and no "reversal";
just the negatives] film optical tracks. This is similar to the
optical film audio tracks used in old B&W films.

In this type of film, the audio signal, in the form of light changing
its intensity in an analogous manner to the sound, is shined onto a
negative film. The film is developed and playback is accomplished by
shining light of a constant intensity onto the developed film. As the
light goes through the film, the patterns on the film will change the
intensity of the light that is received by a photoelectric cell. The
change in light intensity results in a changing electric current which
is sent into an amplifier and then to a loudspeaker.

My favorite analog ROM uses a similar process, except it's for storing
non-audio PC data [such as CPU instructions] in an analog form. Could
be used as a replacement for current HDDs, though it's extremely
impractical.

It is only in this analog film version of ROM, that I don't mind - and
actually prefer -- the moving parts.

However, even in is this analog film ROM, I still prefer optical over
magnetic. I still hate magnetic cassettes and wish optical tapes based
on film-negatives were used instead.

Last, but not least, the intensity-varying light shined onto the film
[during recording] should intentionally be [by my choice] too dim. So
the signal should be "amplified" within the film by using a stronger
concentration of film-developing chemicals.

In music, the audio characteristics of the film make my mouth-water.
Yes, for some weird reason, the film's audio makes me hungry.

Why not replace *Analog Magnetic Audio Tapes* with *Analog Optical
Audio Tapes*??

Analog optical audio is used in films and sound better than analog
magnetic audio.

Magnetic cassettes contain disgusting clicks whereas optical tape does
not.

Analog optical audio records and plays in the same manner as film
does.

The difference for me, is, I'd like to use only the negative film and
no positive.

Quotes from http://www.mtsu.edu/~smpte/twenties.html :

"The Tri Ergon Process uses a technology known as variable density,
which differed from a later process known as variable area. The Tri
Ergon process had a patented flywheel mechanism on a sprocket which
prevented variations in film speed. This flywheel helped prevent
distortion of the audio. Tri Ergon relied on the use of a photo-
electric cell to transduce mechanical sound vibrations into electrical
waveforms and then convert the electrical waveforms into light waves.
These light waves could then be optically recorded onto the edge of
the film through a photographic process. Another photo-electric cell
could then be used to transduce the waveform on the film into an
electrical waveform during projection. This waveform could then be
amplified and played to the audience in the Theater. The Fox Film
Corporation acquired the rights to the Tri Ergon technology in 1927."

Irrelevant but important notes: the only analogs that I like are the
optical film and AM radio.
Oh, don't worry, mechanical is how all them ROM works, none of them
nonsensical magnetic whatchamacallit you hate so much. You send
specific amount of electron particles constituting a current moving
through nuclear-mechanical paths, it makes other particles move in
predetermined nuclear-mechanical pathways, makes holes so that actual
particles can move around and such, and finally all these
nuclear-mechanics causes specific amount of electrons constituting an
output signal to be produced at the output end.

Thanks for the explanation.
In other words, you would like to effectively destroy the rest of the
world just because they don't follow your preferences.

No. I only want to effectively destroy the following scum of soundcard-
based MIDI synths:

A. Sample playback synths

B. Softsynths

C. Emulations

D. Soundfonts

I don't want to destroy soundcard-based MIDI synths other than A
through D - A&D included. In addition, I don't want to destroy sample
playback synths, softsynths, emulations, and soundfonts that are not
based on soundcard MIDI.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Not exclusively" are magic words. I wasn't speaking of any specific
processor except the one in the keyboard. I was trying to keep it
simple to make my point.

Some machines have "loadable control stores". We really don't want to
start taking about them, do we.

Why not? ;-)
I don't think this is what happens.

It is.
It is more likely that it is a structure like Flash memory.

It is.. BIOS flash. You don't have flash on a CPU die. The
processes are incompatible, by at *least* two generations.
You really don't want to have to publish
the fact that your processor contains such stuff unless you really
need to.

Since the FDIV, Intel really needs too. ;-) Others have done such
things for a *long* time.
The OP wants there to be a physical mechanical difference. He doesn't
like RAMs etc. Chances are he also doesn't like readheads.
Not like redheads! Who could possibly not like redheads?!!
 
R

Radium

Jan 1, 1970
0
The OP wants there to be a physical mechanical difference. He doesn't
like RAMs etc.

Actually, I do like RAM, as long as it's in the form of a purely-
electric silicon RAM chip. Now if it's a magnetic platter, then I
don't like it. I long for the day when Flash RAM chips replace
magnetic platters.

The issue was ROM. As I said before, I prefer any digital ROM
"storage" to be in form of chip circuits that freshly-generate
electric signals of information.

Now, if the ROM is analog, I prefer that it be stored in optical
negative B&W film material much the like optical audio tracks of old
B&W movies.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Alex Colvin, why would I like plugboard? It's not a digital computer

Eniac used a plugboard. It certainly was a digital computer.
and it has no silicon.

Depends. I used silicon (sand) to clean the plugboards on our analog
computers. ;-)
I am a fan of real-time digital hardware.

Eniac was a digital computer.
However, the plugboard is totally analog. Sure its hardware, but it
isn't digital.

Why not? Plug a wire or don't plug a wire. Sounds "binary" to me.
 
K

krw

Jan 1, 1970
0
Actually, I do like RAM, as long as it's in the form of a purely-
electric silicon RAM chip. Now if it's a magnetic platter, then I
don't like it. I long for the day when Flash RAM chips replace
magnetic platters.

Your longing will be for a *LONG* time. Flash is expensive, compared
to disk. Also note that flash has a fairly short life (100K - 1M
write cycles).
The issue was ROM. As I said before, I prefer any digital ROM
"storage" to be in form of chip circuits that freshly-generate
electric signals of information.

As has been pointed out before, you CANNOT "freshly generate"
information. It must be stored somehow.
Now, if the ROM is analog, I prefer that it be stored in optical
negative B&W film material much the like optical audio tracks of old
B&W movies.

No positive color film? Why would you want crude storage like that?
 
B

Bob Myers

Jan 1, 1970
0
Alex Colvin, why would I like plugboard? It's not a digital computer
and it has no silicon. I am a fan of real-time digital hardware.
However, the plugboard is totally analog. Sure its hardware, but it
isn't digital.

Of course the plugboard is digital - you put the plugs in with
your fingers, don't you? What makes you think it's "analog"?

Bob M.
 
R

Robert Redelmeier

Jan 1, 1970
0
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips Bob Myers said:
Of course the plugboard is digital - you put the plugs in with
your fingers, don't you? What makes you think it's "analog"?

Well, a plugboard can be used also to program an _analog_
computer. I had fun with those in college. Great at
solving certain problems. Wonderfully smooth output curves.

-- Robert
 
R

Radium

Jan 1, 1970
0
Your longing will be for a *LONG* time. Flash is expensive, compared
to disk. Also note that flash has a fairly short life (100K - 1M
write cycles).

True. Is there a way to increase the life span?

Also, why is it so expensive?
As has been pointed out before, you CANNOT "freshly generate"
information. It must be stored somehow.

Okay. So that's a definite "no".

However, I would like the storage to be as real-time and hardware as
possible. Like the hardware logic I mentioned earlier in this thread.

"Hardwired logic as opposed to software programming. In hardware
logic, the information "stored" and "programming" is determined by the
way the chip's circuits are mechanically built. When an electric
current is passed through a certain of those circuits, specific
signals [of instructions and information] are generated."

This is more what I meant. The above is ROM storage but it is more
dynamic than conventional ROM. This ROM is doing its own processing
right after it's the stored signals are being played back.
No positive color film? Why would you want crude storage like that?

I know it's impractical. Just fun to brainstorm about, though. Whether
the film is color or not, wouldn't matter because video isn't being
stored on the film. Computer data and audio would be. But again, this
is for analog storage only.
 
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