EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff => Topic started by: FrankenPC on March 08, 2014, 11:12:59 pm
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Hello.
So, I bought this old Fanuc (Hitachi) bubble memory board on Ebay on a whim. I thought it would be interesting to figure out how bubble memory worked and try to make it work again in a micro controller project. I believe this is generically called the HItachi BMU 64 bubble memory board used in Fanuc CNC systems. Unfortunately, the bubble modules are only hand labeled and Google turns up squat. Anyone have any hints on where I can get info on this? Maybe a maintenance manual for the BMU, or a white paper on the architecture? Thanks for your help!
Some pics.
http://imageshack.com/a/img547/9850/6x7t.jpg (http://imageshack.com/a/img547/9850/6x7t.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img36/8575/sooj.jpg (http://imageshack.com/a/img36/8575/sooj.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img36/6637/7ovf.jpg (http://imageshack.com/a/img36/6637/7ovf.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img31/9489/1frb.jpg (http://imageshack.com/a/img31/9489/1frb.jpg)
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Located the Intel 7110 1Mbit bubble memory module which most physically resembles the no-name chip in question. Indeed the x and y coils seem to match up with the unidentified chip. But, alas, not mush else seems to match the pin out.
http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/pdf2/7110.pdf (http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/pdf2/7110.pdf)
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I had the Intel databook on those at one time. Might still have it around.
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I can help a little, but I don't have data I'm afraid.
Firstly, that card should have two Hitachi 64 Kilobit bubble memory modules on it - your images seem to only show one. You can tell what these old cards hold from two things - firstly the 'BMU 64-2' part of the number, and secondly the labels on the shielding plate.
64 Kbit was first generation bubble memory, it's quite old. The Intel 7110 is 1 Megabit, so has quite a different pinout. The closest equivalent you could try searching for is the TI part TIB0203, but it is 92 Kbits.
However, what do you hope to do with it? That whole card, including the LSI controller, is just dedicated to driving up to 4 of those modules. You won't be able to breadboard something yourself! You might be better trying to get data on the Fanuc bus that it connects to, and use the whole card that way.
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I can help a little, but I don't have data I'm afraid.
Firstly, that card should have two Hitachi 64 Kilobit bubble memory modules on it - your images seem to only show one. You can tell what these old cards hold from two things - firstly the 'BMU 64-2' part of the number, and secondly the labels on the shielding plate.
64 Kbit was first generation bubble memory, it's quite old. The Intel 7110 is 1 Megabit, so has quite a different pinout. The closest equivalent you could try searching for is the TI part TIB0203, but it is 92 Kbits.
However, what do you hope to do with it? That whole card, including the LSI controller, is just dedicated to driving up to 4 of those modules. You won't be able to breadboard something yourself! You might be better trying to get data on the Fanuc bus that it connects to, and use the whole card that way.
Thanks for your response. I came to the same conclusion and gave up on the unit. The driving electronics are too complicated for my level of knowledge. I was hoping to build a USB memory storage unit with it. I'm going to go with ferrous core memory instead. It's FAR simpler in operation.