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This is a core memory unit from an IBM 9020 computer. It stored data in a three-dimensional array of donut-shaped "cores" of magnetic material. Each core stored a binary number one or zero, depending on the direction of its magnetization.

The IBM 9020 was a large, mainframe computer configured for real-time operation and programmed to handle en-route air traffic control functions at about two dozen centers across the continental United States. The 9020 consisted of three standard commercial mainframes, the IBM System/360 Model 50. All three ran in tandem to ensure high reliability. Unlike standard IBM mainframes of the day, the 9020 was programmed to operate in "real time": that is, to compute and generate results as fast as or faster than data were fed into it.

A full system consisted of this computer coupled to air traffic controllers' consoles, with data fed into the system from long-range radar and other ground stations. IBM 9020s were in use at en-route centers from about 1967 through 1997. This system was used at the FAA en-route center in Leesburg, VA.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type INSTRUMENTS-Computers, General Purpose Manufacturer IBM Corporation
 Dimensions 3-D: 33 x 20.3 x 20.3cm (13 x 8 x 8 in.)
Storage (Aluminum pallet and frame with fabric dust cover): 1232.5 × 121.9 × 109.2cm, 140.6kg (40 ft. 5 1/4 in. × 48 in. × 43 in., 310lb.)
 Materials Plastic, Foam, Gold Plating, Steel, Phenolic Resin, Paper, Adhesive, Paint, Nylon, Mylar (Polyester), Aluminum, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Synthetic Fabric
 Inventory Number A19970494000 Credit Line Transferred from the Federal Aviation Administration Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.