Magnetic core memory USB drive moves files
A researcher has used a homemade magnetic core memory USB device to transfer files between PCs for the first time.
A homemade magnetic core memory USB storage device has been used to transfer a text file from one computer to another, in what its creator calls "maybe the world's first" such use. Japanese researcher @dydt_Nao successfully employed the retro-modern flash drive as a sneakernet device.
The device is a dinner-plate-sized unit that looks roughly a foot square. It suffers from three key drawbacks: its massive size, incredibly tiny storage capacity of just 128 bytes, and a read process that erases the stored data. Tom's Hardware had previously covered the space science researcher's efforts to revive this archaic memory technology back in February.
How the device works
In a demonstration video, the unnamed USB Type-A gadget is shown at work. An attached 32 x 32 LED array glows a vivid red as data is read from or written to the device, with each LED corresponding to an individual magnetic core. Windows reports the drive as having a 6.5KB capacity, though this is likely related to the onboard Raspberry Pi Pico controller. The video concludes by showing the successfully transferred text opened in Notepad.
Not content with a text demo, @dydt_Nao followed up with a monochrome BMP image transfer. The device can store bitmaps up to 32 x 28 pixels, with some of its limited memory space potentially used by the image file header. For context on how far storage has come, you can compare modern fixtures with this antique technology.
The legacy of core memory
Magnetic core memory was once the dominant form of random-access storage in digital computers for two decades. Its patent was filed 75 years ago by inventor and MIT electrical engineer Jay Forrester. Today, the technology stands as a bizarre curiosity, a stark contrast to the components tracked in our current stats.
The project has drawn mixed reactions from readers. Some see it as a useless hack, while others ponder potential applications for its unique erase-on-read characteristic. Many simply enjoy learning about such odd builds, which they wouldn't encounter otherwise. The device's constraints highlight the monumental progress in storage density and reliability since the era of core memory.
