THE APPLICATION OF A BUBBLE MEMORY TO A BALLOON-BORNE DATA SYSTEM

Abstract

This paper describes an eight megabit bubble memory used as a mass memory storage device on a high altitude helium filled balloon flight package. The balloon flight designated as Gamma Ray VI, a coordinated effort of Sandia National Laboratories and Bell Laboratories, was conducted in the fall of 1981 at Alice Springs, Australia. Eight onemegabit Intel bubble modules were mounted on a custom designed multilayer printed wire board to maximize the memory in the available space. A microprocessor based data interface was designed to test and control the bubble memory. The selection of bubble memory modules for this application, the design considerations of the bubble printed wire board and the microprocessor interface are discussed. The flight test and results of Gamma Ray VI are described. Future developments and applications are briefly presented.