744 B
744 B
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Tuesday, September 17, 2024 |
Williams Tube memory
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One of the early attempts to create RAM in computers based on the EDVAC stored-program architecture.
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Worked by displaying a grid of dots on a cathode-ray tube ("screen")
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Due to the way CRTs work, this creates a small charge of static electricity over each dot. The charge at the location of each of the dots is read by a thin metal sheet just in front of the display.
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Each dot position could be written to and read from and the pattern was constantly refreshed as the dots would fade over time.