Core Rope Memory, which contained the programs that landed man on the Moon in the 1960s, is insanely complicated. But that won't stop Mike from making a custom reader for it, so he can recover Apollo Guidance Computer programs lost to history.

Mike Stewart's Core Rope Visualizer: http://apolloguidance.computer/rope/

Apollo Guidance Computer Restoration Playlist:    • Apollo Guidance Computer Restoration  

Core Memory Videos:
   • Core Memory Explained and Demonstrated  
   • Playing with Soviet Era Ferrite Core ...  
   • IBM 9020 Core Memory Module from the ...  

Look Mum No Computer Core Rope Drum Machine:    • DRUM MACHINE USING NASA TECHNOLOGY  ...  

Mike's Electric Stuff Soviet Dialer:    • Russian phone dialler using interesti...  

Stuff that supports the channel:
Amazon links for the tools I use in the lab (supports the channel if you buy from there)
https://www.curiousmarc.com/amazonlinks'>https://www.curiousmarc.com/amazonlinks
Channel merch on Teespring: https://teespring.com/stores/curiousm...
Support us on Patreon:   / curiousmarc  

Our lovely sponsors
PCBWay: fast turn PCBs, https://www.pcbway.com
ElectroRent: https://www.electrorent.com
Keysight: test instruments: https://www.keysight.com
Samtec: connectors: https://www.samtec.com
R&D Microwaves: https://rdmicrowaves.com

Get more technical info on the companion site: https://www.curiousmarc.com
Contact info: https://www.youtube.com/curiousmarc/a...

00:00 Intro: Apollo Guidance Computer restoration
02:21 What is core rope memory?
05:16 Previous core rope recoveries with our AGC
06:44 Our AGC is sold at auction
07:36 Mike's core rope reader prototype
11:09 Last minute core rope "hack" for Apollo 11
14:04 Software recovered so far
14:48 Trying the reader for the first time and error
17:56 Core rope explanation: data encoding
20:13 Transformer rope is not core rope
21:24 Core rope explanation: reading using bistable cores
26:09 Core rope explanation: molybdenum permalloy cores
28:22 Experimental demo of moly cores
31:49 Core rope explanation: addressing with inhibits
33:59 Apollo core rope simulator, inhibit wires
35:56 Set and reset wires
37:45 Parity wires and the design error
45:02 Mike fixes the reader and tries again
47:38 Success! Congrats Mike!