John Scott Eggenberger

Column access of a bubble lattice: column translation and lattice translation

The use of a regular array. or lattice, of magnetic bubbles for the storage of information requires two kinds of functions: the read-write functions involving the generation and discrimination of bubbles with different wall structures, and the access functions involving the insertion and removal of bubbles at selected locations in the lattice. In a column-accessed bubble lattice device, accessing is accomplished by first translating the lattice to position the desired column of bubbles in an input-output access channel and then translating this column along the channel to a detector area outside of the lattice while simultaneously introducing new bubbles from a generator area at the other end of the channel. An analysis of the influence of device design parameters on access rate indicates that the most important parameters are the column translation rate and lattice capacity. A device is described that was designed to study the translation of a lattice of bubbles and of a single column of bubbles within the lattice. Quasistatic operating margins and dynamic measurements of this test device indicate that the column-access configuration provides feasible means for the rapid access of bubbles from a lattice.

Bubble lattice translation‐analysis

To access information stored in a bubble lattice effectively, it is necessary to translate the lattice to move the appropriate bubbles to the detector. One method of accomplishing this is by currents through appropriately spaced conductors on the surface of the bubble material. This paper presents a design for such a lattice translation system, including an evaluation of drive current requirement and power dissipation as a function of lattice translation rate.