silly question that we're curious about and can't immediately find an answer to
Voyage 1 uses core memory, right? not RAM on a microchip? we saw somebody refer to the flight data system's storage failure as being in a "chip" and we were like, that doesn't sound right... but for obvious reasons these old engineering documents aren't well-indexed and online
@irenes this website says it was the first spaceflight computer to use CMOS https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/voyager-mission-anniversary-computers-command-data-attitude-control/
@noiob ah! thank you!
and it also notes "However, a direct line from the radioisotope generators, which provided direct current, was used to ensure the CMOS ICs would never lose power unless something happened to the generators." which answers our next question :D
@irenes absolutely wild that it's still running, they don't make them like they used to
@noiob they sure don't
@irenes oh, the CCS is using plated-wire memory. which seems like an advanced form of core memory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_program#Computers_and_data_processing
@noiob oooo, right, we see. assembled by machine rather than woven by hand. neat.
@noiob yes, absolutely. the flight data system is the one that has the recent failure that they're now working around, though, so this does answer our immediate question.