ChipScape Bloom - RCA 4061 Memory Chip - 8x8

About this Artwork 

This artwork is inspired by the RCA 4061, an early CMOS memory chip introduced in 1974. This 256-bit memory chip was a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) organized as 64Kx1 bit. Bits could be read or stored in about 380 nanoseconds. The 4061 was the first solid-state memory chip in space used on the Voyager 1 & 2 missions.

In 1972, RCA was the leader in developing CMOS logic and memory chips. RCA’s developmental TA6335 256-bit CMOS static RAM memory chips were selected for the design of the Flight Data System (FDS) computers for Voyager 1 & 2. Prior to the RCA 4061, all NASA spaceflight computers used some form of non-volatile magnetic memory. Using volatile 4061 CMOS memory on the Voyager spacecraft was a risk. To ensure the 4061 memory chips would not lose their bits, they had a dedicated power line fed by the radioisotope generators. By the time the FDS was built for Voyager 1, the production version of the TA6335 was ready for use. It was named the CD4061A. The FDS used an 18-bit word-length memory with a capacity of 4K words, or 72 kilobytes, and required 288 4061 chips. The original developmental 6335 number on the chip die was never changed and is found on all 4061 chip dies. In fact, there is no discernible difference between the TA6335 chips and the production CD4061A chips.  

The artwork is based on the memory cell logic (indicated by the yellow box above-right). Once made into a regular ChipScape artwork, this strip of memory cells is bent into a circle, forming the artwork. An actual RCA 4061 chip die is attached to the front side, in the lower-right corner.

ChipScape Blooms

ChipScape Blooms are among the most enjoyable pieces I make, partly because they let a hidden world open in an unexpected way. Each one begins with a traditional ChipScape—an image of a silicon computer chip photographed through a microscope, using carefully angled light to reveal patterns that normally stay buried inside the chip.

When I turn a ChipScape into a Bloom, I take that rectangular slice of technology and “bend” it into a perfect circle. The change is simple, but the effect is striking: the hard lines of the microchip suddenly arrange themselves into something soft and organic, like a cathedral’s Rose Window or the petals of a flower just beginning to open. It’s technology reshaped into something familiar and human, and people are often surprised by how warm and alive it feels.

Framing

This artwork is an 8"x8" in a black shadowbox frame. All framing materials are acid-free. The actual memory chip used as the basis for this artwork is attached to the lower-right corner of the artwork. A backstory about the artwork, including the artist’s signature, is affixed to the back.

Please note:  The look of the artifacts in the artworks may vary; each piece is unique.