Intel 1103 DRAM
About this Artwork:
This artwork is of an early memory chip that stored 1,024 bits of information, 1K. Memory circuits are very repetitious since the circuit patterns for the individual memory bits are repeated over and over. When you look at the picture of the chip, you will notice the chip is broken up into four rectangular areas. Each of these is a memory array of 256 bits. The arrays are further broken down into 16 rows and 16 columns of bits. The image to right is a closeup of some of the bits. You can see the layers of the chip.
This chip is an Intel 1103 Dynamic Random Access Memory chip. The actual chip is a the center of the artwork. Released in 1970, the 1103 was the first DRAM. Most computer memory prior to the 1103 was implemented as magnetic cores which where arrays of tiny donuts of iron that were magnetized, or not, to represent ones and zeros. The DRAM used a totally different approach to storing bits. The 1103 DRAM used silicon transistors and capacitors to hold bits. The DRAM was much smaller, lighter, and less expensive. It is the 1103 that established Intel as a successful memory company, which is what it was before it became a microprocessor company. The 1103 had the nickname of the "Core Killer". By 1973, fourteen of the eighteen mainframe computer makers were using 1103 memory chips.
Framing:
The artwork is framed in an 8"x10" black shadow box frame, with glass. All framing materials are acid-free. A narrative about the artwork that includes the artist’s signature is placed on the back of the artwork.
Please note: The look of the artifacts in the artworks may vary, each piece is unique.