Mellon optical memory was an early form of computer memory invented at the Mellon Institute (today part of Carnegie Mellon University) in 1951.[1][2] The device used a combination of photoemissive and phosphorescent materials to produce a "light loop" between two surfaces. The presence or lack of light, detected by a photocell, represented a one or zero. Although promising, the system was rendered obsolete with the introduction of magnetic-core memory in the early 1950s. It appears that the system was never used in production.
Computer memory and Computer data storage types
General
Memory cell
Memory coherence
Cache coherence
Memory hierarchy
Memory access pattern
Memory map
Secondary storage
MOS memory
floating-gate
Continuous availability
Areal density (computer storage)
Block (data storage)
Object storage
Direct-attached storage
Network-attached storage
Storage area network
Block-level storage
Single-instance storage
Data
Structured data
Unstructured data
Big data
Metadata
Data compression
Data corruption
Data cleansing
Data degradation
Data integrity
Data security
Data validation
Data validation and reconciliation
Data recovery
Storage
Data cluster
Directory
Shared resource
File sharing
File system
Clustered file system
Distributed file system
Distributed file system for cloud
Distributed data store
Distributed database
Database
Data bank
Data storage
Data store
Data deduplication
Data structure
Data redundancy
Replication (computing)
Memory refresh
Storage record
Information repository
Knowledge base
Computer file
Object file
File deletion
File copying
Backup
Core dump
Hex dump
Data communication
Information transfer
Temporary file
Copy protection
Digital rights management
Volume (computing)
Boot sector
Master boot record
Volume boot record
Disk array
Disk image
Disk mirroring
Disk aggregation
Disk partitioning
Memory segmentation
Locality of reference
Logical disk
Storage virtualization
Virtual memory
Memory-mapped file
Software entropy
Software rot
In-memory database
In-memory processing
Persistence (computer science)
Persistent data structure
RAID
Non-RAID drive architectures
Memory paging
Bank switching
Grid computing
Cloud computing
Cloud storage
Fog computing
Edge computing
Dew computing
Amdahl's law
Moore's law
Kryder's law
Volatile
RAM
Hardware cache
CPU cache
Scratchpad memory
DRAM
eDRAM
SDRAM
SGRAM
LPDDR
QDRSRAM
EDO DRAM
XDR DRAM
RDRAM
DDR
GDDR
HBM
SRAM
1T-SRAM
ReRAM
QRAM
Content-addressable memory (CAM)
Computational RAM
VRAM
Dual-ported RAM
Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)
Historical
Williams–Kilburn tube (1946–1947)
Delay-line memory (1947)
Mellon optical memory (1951)
Selectron tube (1952)
Dekatron
T-RAM (2009)
Z-RAM (2002–2010)
Non-volatile
ROM
Diode matrix
MROM
PROM
EPROM
EEPROM
ROM cartridge
Solid-state storage (SSS)
Flash memory is used in:
Solid-state drive (SSD)
Solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD)
USB flash drive
IBM FlashSystem
Flash Core Module
Memory card
Memory Stick
CompactFlash
PC Card
MultiMediaCard
SD card
SIM card
SmartMedia
Universal Flash Storage
SxS
MicroP2
XQD card
Programmable metallization cell
NVRAM
Memistor
Memristor
PCM (3D XPoint)
MRAM
Electrochemical RAM (ECRAM)
Nano-RAM
CBRAM
Early-stage NVRAM
FeRAM
ReRAM
FeFET memory
Analog recording
Phonograph cylinder
Phonograph record
Quadruplex videotape
Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus
Magnetic recording
Magnetic storage
Magnetic tape
Magnetic-tape data storage
Tape drive
Tape library
Digital Data Storage (DDS)
Videotape
Videocassette
Cassette tape
Linear Tape-Open
Betamax
8 mm video format
DV
MiniDV
MicroMV
U-matic
VHS
S-VHS
VHS-C
D-VHS
Hard disk drive
Optical
3D optical data storage
Optical disc
LaserDisc
Compact Disc Digital Audio (CDDA)
CD
CD Video
CD-R
CD-RW
Video CD
Super Video CD
Mini CD
Nintendo optical discs
CD-ROM
Hyper CD-ROM
DVD
DVD+R
DVD-Video
DVD card
DVD-RAM
MiniDVD
HD DVD
Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Holographic Versatile Disc
WORM
In development
CBRAM
Racetrack memory
NRAM
Millipede memory
ECRAM
Patterned media
Holographic data storage
Electronic quantum holography
5D optical data storage
DNA digital data storage
Universal memory
Time crystal
Quantum memory
UltraRAM
Historical
Paper data storage (1725)
Punched card (1725)
Punched tape (1725)
Plugboard
Drum memory (1932)
Magnetic-core memory (1949)
Plated-wire memory (1957)
Core rope memory (1960s)
Thin-film memory (1962)
Disk pack (1962)
Twistor memory (~1968)
Bubble memory (~1970)
Floppy disk (1971)
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^Mellon Institute of Industrial Research: Computer Component Fellowship #347, Quart. Rep. no. 3 (Apr.–July 1951) Sec. I–VI; Quart. Rep. no. 5 (Oct.–Jan. 1952) Sec. I–V; Quart. Rep. no. 6 (Jan.–Apr. 1952) Sec. II, III, VI; Quart. Rep. no. 9 (Oct.–Jan. 1953) Section III.
^Eckert, J. P. Jr. (1998-10-01). "A Survey of Digital Computer Memory Systems". IEEE Ann. Hist. Comput. 20 (4): 15–28. doi:10.1109/85.728227. ISSN 1058-6180. S2CID 17823128.
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