memristors

[taks]

than if i put it in tech. once we have a few people commenting, maybe it should be moved.

 

anyway, i'm browsing the SBIR list today and i notice this topic under the navy list:

 

N093-222 Memristor Implementation in Software Defined Radio Hardware Architecture

 

the description can be found here.

 

a funny line from the description:

 

Memristors are easy to fabricate, the limitation to manufacturing hybrid chips with memristors is that only a small number of people have any idea of how to design circuits containing memristors.

 

indeed.

 

taks

[Humodour]

Always an interesting piece of technology, but I've not really got anything new to add since the last thread you made on this.

 

Good to see people attempting to actually use it for a realworld purpose though instead of yet another prototype.

[taks]

i don't have anything to add, either - at least, nothing specific to the technology or applications that i already discussed. what i found interesting is that now the government wants in on it. they're going through the SBIR venue which is puzzling. small businesses are driving the SDR world, however, so maybe that's why.

 

taks

[Aristes]

I think you're crazy, mark. The article (more of a proposal from the looks of it) is way too technical for most of us forum monkies in these parts. However, I will say that I'm quite interested in solid state technology. If they can increase the speed by a substantial margin, then we'll be one step closer to that fleet of space colony ships Krezack is proposing in the other thread.

[Humodour]

I think you're crazy, mark. The article (more of a proposal from the looks of it) is way too technical for most of us forum monkies in these parts. However, I will say that I'm quite interested in solid state technology. If they can increase the speed by a substantial margin, then we'll be one step closer to that fleet of space colony ships Krezack is proposing in the other thread.

 

What do you mean 'if'? Physical demonstrations of memristor memory already exist. HP has built some. They have massive storage density and high speeds (one tenth the speed of DRAM for the HP prototypes). You should see them replace flash memory within 10 years I'd say, since they can be produced on current chip fabrication facilities with few modifications. But if you ask me, the real benefits of memristors extend far beyond mere storage - you might've noticed they have some powerful synergy with neural networks.

 

I don't see how that relates to space colonies though. The fundamental requirements for a space colony are not difficult: space travel, radiation shielding, and sustainable systems. While supercomputing power would certainly help, I doubt it'd be vital, and it's certainly already available via current technology.

 

Edit: If your interested mainly in the solid state storage side of things, Ariste, here's a decent rundown of current competitors vying for the crown: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Data-Storage/Futu...r-Cases-137482/

Edited August 20, 2009 by Krezack

[Aristes]

See, I told you it was too technical for me. I got it mixed up with the solid state memory debate. That 1/10th the time of DRAM looks pretty sweet, though. Hey, anything that can run faster and cooler sounds good to me!