*updating* 8088's

[Allison]

>
>Subject: Re: *updating* 8088's
>   From: Ray Arachelian <ray at arachelian.com>
>   Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:15:02 -0500
>     To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>Roy J. Tellason wrote:
>> On Friday 23 November 2007 19:05, dwight elvey wrote:
>>   
>>>> From: rtellason at verizon.net
>>>>
>>>> I notice that even those guys that are building relay computers "cheat"
>>>> and use a single small solid-state chip for RAM. :-)
>>>>       
>>> Hi
>>>  I've been thinking about how one could make a reasonable
>>> memory, using small reed relays. If one puts a magnet close
>>> to one end, it will cause the reed to close. Move it back
>>> some and it will hold until the field is too weak.
>>>     
>...
>>
>> Dunno if they still sell them or not,  but Radio Shack used to sell a pack of 
>> 20 reed switches for only a couple of bucks...
>>
>>   
>
>Hmm...  Wonder if it's possible to build a relay without a spring on the 
>switch.  That is, you have to send current with one polarity to set the 
>switch to a 1 and reverse polarity to set a zero - sort of what core 
>memory does with rings...  I suppose this could instead be done by 
>attaching a magnet to the switch, or using magnet as the thing inside 
>the switch body, or better yet maybe a relay with a ball with a set of 
>contacts as the switch and two magnets, one on each opposite side... 
>you'd energize one coil for a "1" and the other for a "0" 
>
>Hmm, could even be done with a solenoid and use the mechanical part of 
>it to touch a wire for output. :-)  Wouldn't really be a relay, but 
>pretty close.

Telco stepping switches.  I have a few.

Also you can get small relays that are dual coil, one to set and 
one to reset. Widely used in automatic antenna tuners to select
L and C as needed to resonate an antenna for most any frequency.
The idea of a latching relay is once set no more power is needed.

Allison



Allison