Uses for Bubble Memory
In the late 1960s, Bell Labs research scientist Andrew Bobeck developed a form of computer memory that stored data bits as tiny bubble-like magnetic fields. This so-called bubble memory had a density comparable to semiconductor RAM at the time; but, unlike RAM, it retained its data without electric power. Though the technology had several applications, improvements in hard drives and RAM made bubble memory obsolete by the 1990s.
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Embedded Processors
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Automated industrial control equipment uses custom computer circuits containing dedicated memory. Part of the memory has the device’s permanent program instructions; nonvolatile memory is necessary for this as it keeps its data even without power. Before the advent of bubble memory, embedded industrial control computers used ROM for nonvolatile, permanent memory and RAM to store temporary information. A single bubble memory chip could serve both purposes: like ROM, it is nonvolatile, and like RAM, the computer can write to it as needed.
Space
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NASA engineers proposed using bubble memory to replace magnetic tape in space-based data recording applications. Bubble memory is a solid-state technology with no moving parts and consequently a high tolerance for shock and vibration. IBM supplied NASA with a 52-bit prototype bubble memory chip, though the work went no further than feasibility studies.
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GRiD Compass Computer
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One of the first lightweight laptop computers, the GRiD Compass 1101 made its debut in 1982. The computer used 256K bytes of semiconductor RAM and 384K of bubble memory. In 1982, hard drive storage for personal computers was in its infancy; the GRiD had no internal floppy or hard drive, instead relying on the bubble memory as its main nonvolatile storage technology. Though low in capacity, the bubble memory was light and rugged. The computer also had an external hard drive unit.
Video Games
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In the early 1980s, arcade game manufacturer Konami developed video game systems that stored store the game software in bubble memory. At the time, most arcade systems stored games using ROM chips. Though bubble memory had the advantage of being reusable, it was also more expensive than ROM technology, and it was susceptible to data corruption problems caused by stray magnetic fields.
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References
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