General ceramics ferrite core memory

Abstract

Magnetic-core memory is an early form of random-access computer memory. It uses tiny magnetic rings, the cores, through which wires are threaded to write and read information. Each core represents one bit of information. The cores can be magnetically polarized in two different ways and that bit stored in a core is zero or one depending on that core's polarity. The wires are arranged to allow an individual core to be set to either polarity, and for its polarity to be sensed, by sending appropriate current pulses through selected wires. This represents 100 bits, and was originally contracted for use in early IBM computers.