Apollo Guidance Computer: Dipstiks and reverse engineering the core rope simulator

1 · Ken Shirriff · July 14, 2019, 5:15 p.m.
Onboard the Apollo spacecraft, the revolutionary Apollo Guidance Computer helped navigate to the Moon and land on its surface. The AGC's software was physically woven into permanent storage called core rope memory. We1 are restoring an Apollo Guidance Computer (below), which is missing the core ropes, but instead has core rope simulator boxes. These boxes were used during development and ground testing to avoid constantly manufacturing ropes. The core rope simulator is undocumented, so I revers...