Re: Signetics 25120 WOM

On 11/20/2024 2:10 PM, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

Back in the 1970s, Signetics put out a joke data sheet for a “Write-Only
Memory” chip. Basically any data you sent to it would be simply thrown
away,

Why throw the data away? Write it.

and attempts to read from the chip would never return anything.

Right. Cannot read it, but it stores data anyway? lol. ;^D

They
were surprised to get a few serious queries from prospective customers
wanting to make use of this component.
 Bitsavers has just included a multi-page ad that the company put in an
issue of “Electronic Design” from 1973, for a competition where entrants
would submit a description of the most creative use for a WOM they could
think of, with the winner being featured in upcoming ads. The ad even
included the data sheet.
 Even entrants that did not win (a limited number, obviously) would receive
a “WOM Kit” containing a set of Groucho Marx fake glasses, a bumper
sticker, a button and a fortune cookie. But no mention of an actual 25120
WOM chip ...