Mainframe Computer Component, Spinning Magnetic Drum Storage
date: label: date made
content: 1946
name: label: maker
content: Brush Company
notes: label: Description
content: This device was made for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships OP20G, a branch of the U.S. Navy charged with signals intelligence and cryptoanalysis during World War II. A prototype for a disk memory, it was tested and then sent to Engineering Research Associates in St. Paul Minnesota for further development. Navy work on the memory device was led by a team including Dr. Joe Eachus, Lt. Commander Robert White, Mr. Karl Ball, and Mr. Phil Bochicchio. Mr. Bochicchio, who donated the device to the Smithsonian, claims that it is the very first instance of computer disk memory storage.
label: Description
content: Information was recorded on the drum statically by advancing the drum about six to eight steps per second, by using a ratchet feed mechanism that moved on signals from an input puched paper tape reader. Thus coding holes on the paper tape were recorded as magnetic timing marks on the dircumference of the disk. When recording was completed, the disk was rotated around 200 to 235 RPM and signals could be read, erased, and rewritten on the same track at a rate of about 15,000 to 20,000 pulses per second.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: Accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Philip J. Bochicchio
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0622.01
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0622.01
label: accession number
content: 1989.0622
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Mainframe Component
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 11 1/4 in x 11 in x 7 in; 28.575 cm x 27.94 cm x 17.78 cm