The Solenoid Array-A New Computer Element

A new semipermanent data-storage technique is described which can be used either as a fast multimegabit correlator or as a high-speed digital memory. It consists of an array of long, thin cylindrical solenoids and printed-circuit data planes perpendicular to these solenoids and magnetically coupled to them. Data is stored on the planes in terms of circuit paths which either enclose (1) or bypass (0) each solenoid. Data entry is achieved automatically by passing the planes through a gang punch which severs the unwanted parts of the circuit path. Planes may be easily removed individually or together in stacks. No sense or drive elements are interleaved with the data planes, so that the stack is an integral unit. Depending upon the application, either the solenoids or the planes are driven. As a correlator, the solenoids are driven in proportion to the cell strength of the input pattern, and an analog output appears simultaneously on each of the N data planes, where N is the number of stored signals or patterns ranging as high as 2000. Correlation time is less than 3 μsec in the current model, whose planes contain 1428 bits each. As a digital memory, the aforementioned solenoid-drive, plane-output configuration may be used, or the planes may be driven and data outputs taken from the solenoids. The memory is random access and address organized, with a cycle time of about 1 μsec, depending on memory size.