Memory: Matthew Harrison

Delay Line memory was used in one of the earliest computers dated all the way back toward World War II. Delay line memory was a re-refreshable memory so when every it would get a line of data it could re-fresh the old data that it had collected from before. To access this data required a person to wait for the pulse of interest to reach the other side of the medium, thus being called delay line memory. Dynamic Random Access Memory stores each bit of information is a separate capacitor, but because this needed to be re-freshed periodically, it was labeled as dynamic not as static random access memory. One advantage of the DRAM is that is had every simple structure with only one capacitor and one transistor. DRAM today is basically used for every computer and electrical devices that has to store bit and pieces of information, although this soon could be replaced. If you are to unplug DRAM from its power source all of your data will be lost, unlike Flash memory (solid state) which can be unplugged and still keep its information. This new style of memory is starting to be introduced into computers today and soon could replace DRAM.

Memory – Alexander Skinner

The earliest digital computing devices used delay line memory.  Delay line memory, like our modern dynamic random access memory (DRAM), is a refreshable memory.  This means that information can be stored into a capacitator then be deleted to have new information stored into that capacitator.  The key difference between delay line memory and DRAM is the order at which information can be stored. 

In DRAM the order at which information can be stored into any capacitator is completely random and non-sequential.  If you were to look at a set of ordered capicators in DRAM, for this example I will use C1 through C3 meaning there are three capacitators, you could move information from C1 to C2.  Also, you can moved information from C1 to C3.  In DRAM you can move information to any capacitator in any order you like.  In delay line memory you can not do this random memory transfer technique that DRAM uses. Using the C1 through C3 example, delay line memory would have to move information from C1 to C2 and only then could that information make it to C3.  This means that delay line memory is completely sequential.

The main advantage that DRAM has over delay line memory is the requirements and efficiency.  Because of the random technique of DRAM, it only uses one capacitator and one transistor per bit of information being stored.  The delay line memory requires exponentially more capacitators and trasistors depending on the amount of bits to be stored in the memory.  Not only would the size needed to store the same information on the DRAM be incredibly smaller, but also the speed at which memory is accessed for computing is so much faster.

Memory – Michael Buettner

One of the major differences between Delay Line memory and DRAM is the fact that Delay Line is serial access while DRAM is random access.  Serial access means that the information must accessed in a predetermened sequence, most likely in the order the information was entered.  Random access means that the information can be accessed in any order.

Memory – Jonathan A

Delay line memory was used in early digital computers. Delay line memory was refreshable memory, but was serial access as oppose to DRAM. In early forms of delay line memory, electric pulses were transduced into mechanical waves which circulated relatively slowly through a medium. After reaching the other end of the medium, the waves were re-transduced into electric pulses. The process was the repeated going through the medium again, thus “refreshing” the memory.

Dynamic Random Access Memory on the other hand is a type of random access memory, that stores each bit of data in a capacitor. A capacitor is an electrical component that can store energy in the electric field between a pair of conductors. Because reap capacitors leak charge, the information eventually fades unless the capacitor is charged periodically. As oppose to flash memory, when memory can be stored then erased and reprogrammed, the data is removed when the power supply is removed.

Delay Line memory is different then DRAM in the fact that delay line memory uses tubes instead of resistors. A Signal would go through the tubes and through a medium, allowing for the memory to store because of the delay. Then the process would happen again, which is why it is called refreshable memory. Delay line memory also was huge compared to the memory used today. DRAM is found in many things today such as video games, cameras, and cellular devices.

Memory – David G

The differences between delay line memory and the random access memory used today, are great and numerous. The most obvious difference between the two, is the size of them. The r.a.m. that we use today is much smaller than the delay line memory that was used in the first computers. The delay line memory was massive compared to today’s ram which can be only a few inches long. A second difference is that the delay line memory used tubes, while today’s memory uses resistors. The delay line memory, would let a signal go through the tubes of the memory, and by doing this delay it long enough to copy the signal and store it. Today’s memory uses transistors, resistors, and other electronic devices to store information.  DRAM, which is used in a lot of computers today. Video games use this ram as it is extremely fast. Other electronics, such as televisions, camera’s, and phones also use dynamic RAM.

Memory-Keya Z.

Delay Line Memory was a type of computer memory that was used for the early computers. Just like modern memory, it is a refreshable memory. The delary line memory was serial access- which means a group of elements is accessed in an ordered sequence. Dynamic Random Access Memory stores each bit of data seperatley within a circuit. The advantages of DRAM are that it needs only one transistor and capacitor per bit. This allows it to have a very high density. We use Dynamic Random Access Memory in many ways today, including personal computers, workstations, and video game consoles such as the PlayStation and Xbox. The manufacturing process that I saw on the Micron Tour was first they would make the chips. Then they would clean it. Then they would package it. Finally they would send it to other sites so it can be put on the market.