Domain: man.ac.uk
Stories and comments across the archive that link to man.ac.uk.
Comments · 323
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How about an army of mice?
Here is how I used a mouse to power an ARM based CPU. I cant see it taking a whole human to power a PC.
Maybe they should use lower power chips? -
Resolution
" If they succeed the SKA will be so big and precise it will jump the world's current best, the American Very Large Array in New Mexico, by a factor of 100, both in sensitivity and resolution."
Fortunately it's only compared to the VLA in regards of resolution. Single radiotelescopes have no chance in hell to get to extreme resolutions. Resolution is all in the diameter, or baseline. Nothing you can do about, it's just basic physics. Fortunately you can have big holes in your telescope, or inversely just a few parts of the surface. Excactly the principle of the VLA and VLBI in radio frequencies and the VLTI for light. You can even find a simulation applet here
In fact the earth itself is getting too small to get more resolution. Going into space is indeed being looked into, but not in the sense of a satellite like the Hubble orbiting the earth. That would hardly be worth the effort where radio astronomy is concerned. Having a baseline as long as the distance between the earth and the moon, now that would be an improvement. Plus, if it's built on the side that's always turned away from the earth, the telescope will be shielded from all the annoying interference created by all the radiochatter on earth, while it's still possible to look at the same piece of sky as an earth based telescope.
In the visual spectrum, Darwin from ESA looks set to become the next record holder . A first technology demonstration/development flight in the form of SMART-2 is currently under development.
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This might help
My computer keeps crashing and this might help it stay "running" for longer.
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Power it of the tape cogs
When the original one of those was released me and my friend were wondering if we could make a copy which was powered by the cogs moving the tape.
We needed one of the Amulet chips which were silly low power and no power consumpton between playing samples.
But instead I decided to make one powered by a hamster.
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Power it of the tape cogs
When the original one of those was released me and my friend were wondering if we could make a copy which was powered by the cogs moving the tape.
We needed one of the Amulet chips which were silly low power and no power consumpton between playing samples.
But instead I decided to make one powered by a hamster.
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Re:Our censorship is better than yours!
What an idiot. Firstly, there's the false impliction that since a guy at CERN wrote the first specs for the WWW that this means the internet was made by Europeans. (First off, it was the university of illinois that was communicating with CERN that worked on actually making mosaic and httpd to implement the spec, and secondly there's the fact that "the internet" != "the WWW".)
Yeah, yeah, we know. Just because the original graphical web client was written at CERN (in Switzerland, not the United States) by Tim Berners Lee (an Englishman, not an American), and the original HTTPD was written at CERN, isn't important because it's the first American implementation that goes in the history books. The American history books can comfortably ignore the fact that the University of Manchester (that's Manchester, England) had a programmable computer before anywhere in the United States, because, hey, England's a long long way away and probably doesn't really exist anyway. I could go on.
Bill Thompsons article is over the top and fundamentally wrong headed, but this is exactly the sort of blind, ignorant, narrow, uneducated US arrogance which makes you so disliked in the rest of the world, and which irritates people like Bill enough to make them go over the top.
For the record: no, you didn't invent the Internet. You didn't invent packet switched networking. You did build ARPAnet, at about the same time as the UK built JANET (and other European countries developed similar initiatives); and later, ARPAnet, JANET and several other networks were linked together to form the Internet. For the record, my first email address was @uk.ac.lancs.csvax, because the UK equivalent of DNS ordered name segments from the most general to the most particular.
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LCD + OHP
We got loads of these 640x480 lcd screens for £1 each ($1.50). They work really well when they're placed an OHP. Here are some things we did with them. I am currently thinking of placing four of them in a circle and having a powerful light in the middle. Then a simple GAL or FPGA to control it. then have funky colours shining on your wall. Or the time/wather and so on.
Fat boy Matt made a network controled version. -
LCD + OHP
We got loads of these 640x480 lcd screens for £1 each ($1.50). They work really well when they're placed an OHP. Here are some things we did with them. I am currently thinking of placing four of them in a circle and having a powerful light in the middle. Then a simple GAL or FPGA to control it. then have funky colours shining on your wall. Or the time/wather and so on.
Fat boy Matt made a network controled version. -
One Mouse power
Or you can use one mouse to power an asynchronous microprocessor.
We never found the need to use any bigger animals. -
Re:Works great, but......
This is what happens if you dont!
Or you culd catch them and make them pay for their evil deeds -
You cant scare rats away!
If I scared rats away then who would power my computer?
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Async Links
Sorry I didnt post these sooner but I am at a asynchronous computing workshop.
If you are intrested in async then here is a list of cool websites:
Async home is the main website with resources events and background.
Amulet group have a selection of resources and news.
And if you want a laugh then check out rat powered cpus -
Async Links
Sorry I didnt post these sooner but I am at a asynchronous computing workshop.
If you are intrested in async then here is a list of cool websites:
Async home is the main website with resources events and background.
Amulet group have a selection of resources and news.
And if you want a laugh then check out rat powered cpus -
Async Links
Sorry I didnt post these sooner but I am at a asynchronous computing workshop.
If you are intrested in async then here is a list of cool websites:
Async home is the main website with resources events and background.
Amulet group have a selection of resources and news.
And if you want a laugh then check out rat powered cpus -
Re:1 Million reward
To aveclock an asynchronous cpu you spray it with CFC. We have a couple in the office and its cool to see them speed up.
Or you can attach a faster hamster. -
Re:Didn't Intel already develop one?
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Re:Small scale, and then larger
You've hit the nail right on the head. Async circuits aren't harder to design; they're harder to verify and debug. Historically the tools just haven't been up to it and, despite some recent breakthroughs, I'm not sure they are now. Check out the work at CalTech, Manchester, and Theseus Logic for the current state of the art.
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What should I make next?
As a buzy research student currently writing his thesis I have no time to sit about and play with LEGO all day.
Oh wait no. Thats what I do all day every day while avoiding work.
Anyway after making a internet controllable camera and an internet controllable robot, I have run out of inspiration.
The research group lego has two motors and I want to make something that people can control over the internet. Any suggestions? -
My flat mate has nearly made one
My flat mate Matt has allready got the game boy to play Amiga MOD files using only 3% CPU time in this demo.
He is now working on a MP3 player along with other demos.
When he makes it ill slap him about and release te code. -
MIPS did the same thing to me
I made a MIPS compatable CPU and they told me off for it and threatened a lot of legal action.
After pointing out I didnt break any of their IPs they started complaining that I was calling it a MIPS reather than a MIPS microprocessor. Apparently this dilutes their TM.
They didnt want to conseed on the fact that MIPS stands for "Microprocessor without interlocking pipelines". -
Re:Cheap and nasty
Sorry the link is wrong it should be this one.
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Problems to come
When you get transistors the size of 1nm the time it takes for a clock signal to travel from one side of a 10mm chip to the other gets to millions of gate delays.
Current high speed processors have about 10 gate delays between clocks (and dropping).
The only way to keep devices increasing in speed along with the technology is to move to non clocked systems at least for long distance communication. This can be
done by GALS (Globally Asynchronous Locally Synchronous).
Also at that size transistors become rather unpredictable. Comes take a ps to switch sometimes three times more. You will no longer be able to say this pipeline stage
will be completed by x ps because sometimes it might not be. So margins become so large that most operations take only 50% of the time allocated.
My research is into Delay Insensitive circuit conversion. Basically you know when the pipeline stage is completed. This improves speed and copes with fluctuations in
voltage, heat or lazy transistors.
I tried it out on a MIPS R3000 clone and got 30% speed improvement. I'm hoping for 50%. -
Re:Reconfiurable Computers
Rotary processors by Simon Moore is the sort of thing. My flatmate is looking at it now but more for performance reasons than power.
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Re:Low power - Asynchronous
You might have seen it already but this is me powering an Amulet2 off a mouse wheel. They are very robust.
Oh, it was that kind of mouse wheel! I thought you meant the one between the two mouse buttons.
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Re:Low power - Asynchronous
Well actualy I am working on a method of converting standard synchronous designs into asynchronous ones.
My method requires no skills and is a simple push button conversion and on a sample design (MIPS R3000 clone) gave 30% higher speed.
It simply takes an EDIF of your synchronous design and creates an asynchronous EDIF. -
Re:Low power - Asynchronous
Well actualy I am working on a method of converting standard synchronous designs into asynchronous ones.
My method requires no skills and is a simple push button conversion and on a sample design (MIPS R3000 clone) gave 30% higher speed.
It simply takes an EDIF of your synchronous design and creates an asynchronous EDIF. -
Re:But when can I have a....
Or a mouse
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Low power - Asynchronous
If you want low power than asynchronous is the way to go. Amulet processors use much lower power than synchronous processors. They are asynchronous so they will slow down when the voltage drops or you go somewhere hot. When they are not working they don't use any power. There is no messing about with software controled clock control, you just stick it into a branch on spot and it freezes. This is great for things like pagers or handhelds where you dont even need to power the clock nets while you are not doing anything. A large processors clock power consumption can be as high as 80%.
You might have seen it already but this is me powering an Amulet2 off a mouse wheel. They are very robust. -
Low power - Asynchronous
If you want low power than asynchronous is the way to go. Amulet processors use much lower power than synchronous processors. They are asynchronous so they will slow down when the voltage drops or you go somewhere hot. When they are not working they don't use any power. There is no messing about with software controled clock control, you just stick it into a branch on spot and it freezes. This is great for things like pagers or handhelds where you dont even need to power the clock nets while you are not doing anything. A large processors clock power consumption can be as high as 80%.
You might have seen it already but this is me powering an Amulet2 off a mouse wheel. They are very robust. -
This is what we made
My flatmate has been working on this system which shows any image you want. All you need to do is write a script which picks an image and then run a program to transmit it over the network to the display every few seconds. Things like weather, news or mail.
I wanted to link it with my camera robot and have a few buttons on the side to control it. -
This is what we made
My flatmate has been working on this system which shows any image you want. All you need to do is write a script which picks an image and then run a program to transmit it over the network to the display every few seconds. Things like weather, news or mail.
I wanted to link it with my camera robot and have a few buttons on the side to control it. -
Amulet cores
The Amulet group has been working for year to make a low power yet high speed asynchronous ARM processors.
The Amulet 3 runs at 120 MHz and consumes very little power. Most of all its asynchronous so when you dont have mych processing to do it just sits there consuming "no" power.
They take a hell of a beating and still run. I connected one to a hamster wheel and you can see it here running despite the power fluctuating madly.
The only reason it only goes at 120MHz is because the memory isnt fast enough.
Its a little strange that only three ARM production lisences were given out. One to intel one to motorola and one to Amulet group. -
Amulet cores
The Amulet group has been working for year to make a low power yet high speed asynchronous ARM processors.
The Amulet 3 runs at 120 MHz and consumes very little power. Most of all its asynchronous so when you dont have mych processing to do it just sits there consuming "no" power.
They take a hell of a beating and still run. I connected one to a hamster wheel and you can see it here running despite the power fluctuating madly.
The only reason it only goes at 120MHz is because the memory isnt fast enough.
Its a little strange that only three ARM production lisences were given out. One to intel one to motorola and one to Amulet group. -
Amulet cores
The Amulet group has been working for year to make a low power yet high speed asynchronous ARM processors.
The Amulet 3 runs at 120 MHz and consumes very little power. Most of all its asynchronous so when you dont have mych processing to do it just sits there consuming "no" power.
They take a hell of a beating and still run. I connected one to a hamster wheel and you can see it here running despite the power fluctuating madly.
The only reason it only goes at 120MHz is because the memory isnt fast enough.
Its a little strange that only three ARM production lisences were given out. One to intel one to motorola and one to Amulet group. -
Old Phones plus Lego
There are currently millions of old phones which people would not be seen dead with. I don't own a working phone just pay per use ones which my friends didn't want. The cool thing is they still get free messages.
Anyway I did strip a philips phone and connected all buttons and I/O pins to a FPGA and microprocessor.
When the message comes in the ringer wire flips so you start driving the buttons to get the message. The message is the output to the LCD so i connect the lcd wires to the FPGA which latches the message.
There are lots of webstes that allow you to send free SMS messages. A bit of pearl and lego and you have yourself remote controlable car.
I can recognise when the message comes in but I still need to work on decoding the LCD screen by looking at the wires. For the time being the car drives on requests directly from the internet reather than from the phone. -
Old Phones plus Lego
There are currently millions of old phones which people would not be seen dead with. I don't own a working phone just pay per use ones which my friends didn't want. The cool thing is they still get free messages.
Anyway I did strip a philips phone and connected all buttons and I/O pins to a FPGA and microprocessor.
When the message comes in the ringer wire flips so you start driving the buttons to get the message. The message is the output to the LCD so i connect the lcd wires to the FPGA which latches the message.
There are lots of webstes that allow you to send free SMS messages. A bit of pearl and lego and you have yourself remote controlable car.
I can recognise when the message comes in but I still need to work on decoding the LCD screen by looking at the wires. For the time being the car drives on requests directly from the internet reather than from the phone. -
Re:Obvious Headline
Is it just me or is everyone nowdays trying to make money out of adverts on sig lines?
Come and see hot lego sex . $5.95/month! -
Mine's better
Thats nothing compared to my classy joypad
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Re:Success
I've had 100Mhz designs running. If you pipeline them well then they they can go very fast. I'm currently running Delay Insesitive (DI) Asynchronous designs and they go really fast.
The software can be free from Xilinx but I would prefair an open source project to have a linux version.
The boards we make in the university cost £100 each with a spartan or £300 with a Virtex 300 (damn big I got 14 MIPS R3000 CPUs on one ).
As for the spartan you can still make some cool stuff with it. These are some of the things I made with it. -
Re:Success
I've had 100Mhz designs running. If you pipeline them well then they they can go very fast. I'm currently running Delay Insesitive (DI) Asynchronous designs and they go really fast.
The software can be free from Xilinx but I would prefair an open source project to have a linux version.
The boards we make in the university cost £100 each with a spartan or £300 with a Virtex 300 (damn big I got 14 MIPS R3000 CPUs on one ).
As for the spartan you can still make some cool stuff with it. These are some of the things I made with it. -
Avoiding work
Can anyone suggest what should I do with my lego that can be controlled over the net?
I already made a controllable webcam and hamster powered an asynchronous processor during my pathetic efforts to avoid writing my thesis.
I was thinking of motorizing the limbs of a stuffed toy we have in the group. -
Avoiding work
Can anyone suggest what should I do with my lego that can be controlled over the net?
I already made a controllable webcam and hamster powered an asynchronous processor during my pathetic efforts to avoid writing my thesis.
I was thinking of motorizing the limbs of a stuffed toy we have in the group. -
Just showing off
Just wanted to show off my creations.
My webcam
You can see it working or play with ithere
And my hamster powered 32bit microprocessor -
Just showing off
Just wanted to show off my creations.
My webcam
You can see it working or play with ithere
And my hamster powered 32bit microprocessor -
Just showing off
Just wanted to show off my creations.
My webcam
You can see it working or play with ithere
And my hamster powered 32bit microprocessor -
My webcam
I built a cool webcam out of lego and you can control it over the web.
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~brejc8/camera.html
This is how i built it -
My webcam
I built a cool webcam out of lego and you can control it over the web.
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~brejc8/camera.html
This is how i built it -
Re:I keep finding mouse droppings in my machine
Instead of typing it in just click
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~brejc8/ -
Manchester Mark 1Reading about this reminded me of the Manchester Mark 1 programming contest in 1998, to find the most interesting program that could be run on the world's first stored-program computer; the winner getting to run the program on the recently-revived hardware. For any hackers who missed it at the time, it's worth looking at the details of the machine: 32 32-bit words which were simultaneously instructions and data.
When the contest came around I played with it for a while, then something took over my time and I never got to check on the results until reminded by this story. For those who don't feel like clicking through all the links, there were some nice mathematical runners up, but the winner was an unusually interesting instant noodle timer.
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Manchester Mark 1Reading about this reminded me of the Manchester Mark 1 programming contest in 1998, to find the most interesting program that could be run on the world's first stored-program computer; the winner getting to run the program on the recently-revived hardware. For any hackers who missed it at the time, it's worth looking at the details of the machine: 32 32-bit words which were simultaneously instructions and data.
When the contest came around I played with it for a while, then something took over my time and I never got to check on the results until reminded by this story. For those who don't feel like clicking through all the links, there were some nice mathematical runners up, but the winner was an unusually interesting instant noodle timer.