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Building a computer — Parallax Forums

Building a computer

SailerManSailerMan Posts: 337
edited 2009-11-06 22:13 in General Discussion
Is my search for building a really basic computer using basic logic gates and stuff I came across this link

http://retrocomputer.eventbrite.com/

It mentions using the propeller chip ... It's an event in Brooklyn, NY and I thought it would be useful for some people.

But back to basic computer building.. I'm not looking for anything magical.. just information on how a computer is put together at it's most basic level before the microprocessor. I just like reading about this stuff.

Thanks,
Eric

Comments

  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-11-05 14:37
    Vince is semi-regular here in the forums.

    Looks like a great session!

    OBC

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Visit the: The Propeller Pages @ Warranty Void.
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2009-11-05 14:53
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-11-05 15:21
    One of the ENIAC panels is located at the University of Pennsylvania. Dang it! I was just in the neighborhood last month.

    Thanks for that PJ Allen!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Visit the: The Propeller Pages @ Warranty Void.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2009-11-05 17:30
    Eric,

    If you're retro computers, one book you'll definitely enjoy reading is Tracey Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine. It chronicles the development of the Data General "Eclipse" computer in the 1970s.

    -Phil
  • waltcwaltc Posts: 158
    edited 2009-11-05 18:14
    You can look at Brad Rodriguez's PISC(pathetic instruction set computer) built entirely of TTL logic - no microprocessor.

    http://www.bradrodriguez.com/papers/piscedu2.htm

    Then there's Steve Chamberlin's BMOW 1(Big mess of wires) another computer built out of TTL.
    http://www.stevechamberlin.com/cpu/bmow1/
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2009-11-05 18:31
    It's much easier to use an FPGA. Here is a nice design:

    www.arl.wustl.edu/~jst/cse/260/processorTutorial/washu-1.html

    It'll run on the $99 Digilent S3 kit.

    Leon

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-11-05 18:46
    If you really want to learn how a computer is designed, look at the various data path components, how they are built, and how they stick together. A college textbook is a good source. One is www.cs.ucr.edu/~vahid/dd/, but there are many others. An FPGA is also a good place to learn more. I've used the Spartan 3E along with xilinx ise software and it's fairly straight forward. Digilent has some textbooks (a bit like parallax in that respect) for their boards: www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,400,790&Prod=BASYS2
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2009-11-06 04:06
    The PISC computer (http://www.bradrodriguez.com/papers/piscedu2.htm) described here is similar in construction to several mini computers I serviced early on. Many of them used the same 74181 alu and 74172 register chips as the heart of the system. The AM29000 series chip set was an improved faster more integrated version of this. Building an 8 or 16 bit computer using these parts would be quite a learning experience.
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited 2009-11-06 21:25
    Oldbitcollector said...
    One of the ENIAC panels is located at the University of Pennsylvania. Dang it! I was just in the neighborhood last month.

    Thanks for that PJ Allen!

    I know where it is located and it is considered a museum but they don't have regular hours so I wouldn't just post the address because I don't think non-students can just walk in.· I heard the other panels are at the Smithsonian.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-11-06 21:37
    Just confirmed! My son Matt and I will be attending and doing a talk about the Propeller.

    Anyone else from here going?

    OBC

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Visit the: The Propeller Pages @ Warranty Void.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2009-11-06 22:13
    Chuckz said...
    I heard the other panels are at the Smithsonian.
    When I was doing CS graduate work at U. Michigan (Ann Arbor), Art Burks kept a rack of ENIAC panels in a room adjacent to his office. Dr. Burks has since passed away, but the panels are still on display in the foyer of the new CS building.

    -Phil
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