non-binary hardware

[Henry Spencer]

In article <3473 at phri.UUCP> roy at phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
>	I vaugely remember reading about a new RAM technology in which each
>memory cell stored one of 4 different voltage levels.  This was converted
>on-chip to two convention binary bits.  Unfortunately, I can't remember
>anything about it...

4-state *ROMs*, not *RAMs*, are already in use to a modest extent.  It's
one more way of getting somewhat higher memory density, and apparently it
does work all right.  Nothing but the on-chip circuitry ever sees it.
-- 
NASA is into artificial        |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
stupidity.  - Jerry Pournelle  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry at zoo.toronto.edu