Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#1

Post by girvo » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 12:12 PM UTC

Hi all. First ever Ask HN :)

I've been researching hobby and retro computers from the 70's and 80's, and want to expand both my rudimentary electronic skills as well as my knowledge of computers at their very core.

What I'd like to do is build a computer around the Z80 processor (or the 68k, unsure yet). I mean, from scratch. But I'm unsure where to start!

There are some books on Amazon that cover this hobby, do you recommend any in particular?

The plan is to build my own homebrew computer, just like you had to in the 70's, and then build a rudimentary operating system for it (I have bult toy OSes for x86 already).

Where do I get started?

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#2

Post by ColinWright » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 12:24 PM UTC

I built my own Z80 based micro to power a micro-mouse. Shoot me an email telling me what you already know, and I'll tell you what you need to read up and and get started with.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#3

Post by lifeisstillgood » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 12:33 PM UTC

Google "NAND2tetris" or NAND to Tetris A professor from tel aviv university has done just this - using a virtual hardware emulator there are twelve courses (Approx one full term of study) starting with NAND gates and building nor gates etc, progressing to arithmetic units, CPUs, compilers and eventually writing a game based on a oo language. It's exciting for me (there is a book and I am still early days) but really it's where I would recommend starting

There are a couple of ted talks too

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#4

Post by X4 » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 12:48 PM UTC

imho: Stop wasting your time understanding PCs. If you're still curious just follow the link trails: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer

You'll land here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann_architecture or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_architecture

1) Create your own computable language or understand binary

2) Think of ways to store/load and process the data in that language

2.1) Think of ways to add/remove data from the storage

3) Create different concepts that embody that idea

4) Now you can start building it, or 3D-Printing your idea

If you're a developer, you can even write a simulation before building it physically. There are many tools for this, two I know are: http://www.monolithic3d.com/simulators.html and http://ozark.hendrix.edu/~burch/logisim/index.html

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#5

Post by partomniscient » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 12:59 PM UTC

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #3

Google "NAND2tetris" or NAND to Tetris A professor from tel aviv university has done just this - using a virtual hardware emulator there are twelve courses (Approx one full term of study) starting with NAND gates and building nor gates etc, progressing to arithmetic units, CPUs, compilers and eventually writing a game based on a oo language. It's exciting for me (there is a book and I am still early days) but really…

The google talk video is like a more detailed version of the TED talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlPj5Rg1y2w&feature=gv

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#6

Post by EliRivers » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 1:43 PM UTC

Petzold's "Code" starts at pretty much nothing and ends up with a programmable computer made using transistors. It's far more primitive than what you want to end up with (that is, you intend to start with an OTS microprocessor and build around that) but it's certainly useful knowledge.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#7

Post by JoeAltmaier » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 1:53 PM UTC

Pretty fun, but maybe not as educational as it might be. No modern microprocessor looks or functions much like the Z80. You could build a 'telephone' with a carbon mike and diaphram speaker and it would tell you as much about the cellular telephone system.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#8

Post by orangethirty » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 1:58 PM UTC

You should head over to hackaday.com . They have posts about people doing this type of thing.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#9

Post by girvo » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 2:38 PM UTC

X4 wrote: post #4

imho: Stop wasting your time understanding PCs. If you're still curious just follow the link trails: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer You'll land here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann_architecture or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_architecture 1) Create your own computable language or understand binary 2) Think of ways to store/load and process the data in that language 2.1) Think of…

Hehe followed that train of thought through to #3 already :) cheers for the links, I'll check the simulation stuff out :)

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn how to build a computer

#10

Post by girvo » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 2:39 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #7

Pretty fun, but maybe not as educational as it might be. No modern microprocessor looks or functions much like the Z80. You could build a 'telephone' with a carbon mike and diaphram speaker and it would tell you as much about the cellular telephone system.

Ahhhh, I meant educational in the embedded device sort of realm... Although ill be honest, it's more for fun than anything else :)