Developer Creates DIY 8-Bit CPU

MaizeMan writes "Not for the easily distracted: a Belmont software developer's hand-built CPU was featured in Wired recently. Starting with a $50 wire wrap board, Steve Chamberlin built his CPU with 1253 pieces of wire, each wire wrapped by hand at both ends. Chamberlin salvaged parts from '70s and '80s era computers, and the final result is an 8-bit processor with keyboard input, a USB connection, and VGA graphical output. More details are available on the developer's blog."

Comments

I can do 2^1 better

[physicsphairy]

I own a two-bit computer. My dad gave it to me. I know it is two bits because before he gave it to me he would often remark "I hate this ******* two bit computer."

(Yes, it is also reproductive.)

But does it run Vista?

[VampireByte]

Sorry, I just had to ask.

Re:But does it run Vista?

[Zero__Kelvin]

"not a single version of windows was designed to run on 8 bit cpus."

Which is only logical, given that no version of Windows was developed to run on 32 bit or 64 bit CPUs either. Which versions of Windows were designed to crash on various CPUs is another matter ;-)

(Lighten up over-sensitive Windows Weeinie's with mod points. It is a joke)

Re:But does it run Vista?

[wisty]

Are we still talking about 8 bit machines?

Re:A lenient definition of "make"

[jcr]

The functional components are all off-the-shelf TTL ICs.

Well, he is only one person, after all. Even if he was studly enough to build it from vacuum tubes, he probably wouldn't be winding his own filaments.

-jcr

Correct! Six thousand cores

[Dachannien]

built his CPU with 1253 pieces of wire

Farnsworth: Let me show you around. That's my lab table, and this is my work stool, and over there is my intergalactic spaceship. And here is where I keep assorted lengths of wire.
Fry: Whoa! A real live space ship!
Farnsworth: I designed it myself. Let me show you some of the different lengths of wire I used.

Watchout Intel

[mgblst]

It is about time that Intel has some competition.

Re:A lenient definition of "make"

[morgan_greywolf]

I'm gonna get off his lawn for sure!

Re:That's how we used to make all hobby computers

[frdmfghtr]

Then, as a private project, I built a half adder with washing machine relays but it never worked properly because of power supply problems (which was the 12v transformer from my train set).

Did you try using the "permanent press" cycle?

Love that it is on wired

[WindBourne]

Sounds like the right mag for this project, though make is the more appropriate one.

Re:That's how we used to make all hobby computers

[thomasdz]

Ummmm... whoever modded me funny: I was being serious. (except for the "get off my lawn" part)
I cringe whenever I hear a young whippersnapper say "I built my own computer over the weekend" because "building a computer" to me doesn't mean slapping together pre-built parts.
(yeah, yeah, and I'm sure someone will respond to my thread saying when they were young, they built their own transistors from the sand in their backyard and smelted their own copper wires and I should get off THEIR lawn. :-)

Re:A lenient definition of "make"

[hattig]

Damn right, the lazy fucker should have dug the iron ore up himself, then dug up the coal to fire his home-built kiln so that he could create his own iron. Of course he would have had to hand-build bellows to create steel, and maybe he should have home built EVERYTHING ELSE in the production pipeline, including hunting his own food every night from his homebuilt house. Luckily he invented his own language to communicate with other people so that he could coordinate things!

That reminded me of a Microsoft joke...

[RudeIota]

"Windows: A thirty-two bit extension and graphical shell to a sixteen bit patch to an eight bit operating system originally coded for a four bit microprocessor which was written by a two-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition."