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Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

eater.net

51–56 of 56 posts

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#51
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s channels like Ben Eater, Great Scott, Bitluni, and Andreas Spiess that have gotten me into tinkering more with physical electronics lately. It’s such an accessible hobby thanks to the abundance of online information/ideas, cheap components, and simple tools. Plus you learn so much even with the most basic of projects, and considering how much our world now depends on electronics and technology, I think it’s prac…

Ben Eater, https://www.youtube.com/user/eaterbc Great Scott, https://www.youtube.com/user/greatscottlab Bitluni, https://www.youtube.com/user/bitlunislab Andreas Spiess, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7_D0o48KbfhpEohoP7YSQ

Thanks, I should’ve linked them. Will remember to in future.

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

imagine finding such amazing content and then being mad that it was built with modern tools. what about the site violates accessibility? JS generated sites should be usable on screen readers. you can violate accessibility, but you can do that without js too

It's literally just a static page that's dumped out of a JavaScript file, Shopify iframes excluded. But if you want accessibility issues: * The header image, saying “Ben Eater”, has no alt-text. That would be fine, except the letters are individual SVG paths. * Likewise, the social media sharing buttons also have no alt-text. A screenreader will just see four images with links at the beginning of the page. * The YouT…

Thanks for the free a11y audit!

I fixed a number of the low-hanging a11y issues that you identified.

As for using modern web tooling, keep in mind there are many business and technical tradeoffs that go into any engineering decision. In this case, dynamically rendering the content makes it easier in the future to require aspiring hardware engineers to pass a test demonstrating knowledge of WCAG 2.0 standards before unlocking any educational hardware content.

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#53

Ben Eater is without a doubt in my top 10 youtubers. His videos are so in-depth and explained in such a great way that I come away learning huge amounts every time he posts. I’m sure a lot of this stuff is basic to people here, but to a software guy, I’ve found his channel invaluable for understanding how computers work at an electronics level and also just wildly fascinating.

share some others like him. i would like to explore other youtubers

Louis Rossmann does in depth component level Macbook motherboard repairs and circuitry explanations. If you're into good (and comedic) explanation on mechanical stuff, I highly recommend AvE and This Old Tony.

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#54
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ben Eater, https://www.youtube.com/user/eaterbc Great Scott, https://www.youtube.com/user/greatscottlab Bitluni, https://www.youtube.com/user/bitlunislab Andreas Spiess, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7_D0o48KbfhpEohoP7YSQ

Thanks, I should’ve linked them. Will remember to in future.

No worries, happy to help.

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's literally just a static page that's dumped out of a JavaScript file, Shopify iframes excluded. But if you want accessibility issues: * The header image, saying “Ben Eater”, has no alt-text. That would be fine, except the letters are individual SVG paths. * Likewise, the social media sharing buttons also have no alt-text. A screenreader will just see four images with links at the beginning of the page. * The YouT…

Thanks for the free a11y audit! I fixed a number of the low-hanging a11y issues that you identified. As for using modern web tooling, keep in mind there are many business and technical tradeoffs that go into any engineering decision. In this case, dynamically rendering the content makes it easier in the future to require aspiring hardware engineers to pass a test demonstrating knowledge of WCAG 2.0 standards before u…

It's much better now; thanks. Most of my remaining complaints are now obsolete or easily avoidable. I think the only remaining issue is the contrast on the Projects, Shop, About, FAQ, Support text, but your existing design might be pretty enough to justify that.

… Wait, those changes applied to all of the pages‽ I'm starting to finally see the appeal of those web frameworks.

Re: Build an 8-bit computer from scratch

#56

The description says: > I built a programmable 8-bit computer from scratch on breadboards using only simple logic gates. Sorry, but this is slightly incorrect. First, he is using ready-made adders in ALU which are not "simple logic gates", second he seems to use ROM in control logic which replaces tens or hundreds of logic gates one has to use of they don't have a ROM and a programmer. If I was building a CPU, I woul…

Translation: I like to crap on other peoples accomplishments. I don't realize that adders are simple logic gates for the people who were actually there when 7400 TTL was a new thing and building ALUs out of adders is one of the oldest ways of building them (unlike "cheating" using a 74181, for example). Or that using PROMs to replace logic is just as old. I propose my "better" way of doing things that unlike the OP I'll never actually do, but I get to crap on him. I'm so disconnected from reality (or went to such a low grade school) I don't know that people actually learn how to build CPUs in school, as opposed to this knowledge being imparted from mystical higher beings directly into CPU architects skulls, or some such.

But mostly, I like to crap on other peoples accomplishments.

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