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A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

valve.computer

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Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#81
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that for solid-state logic, the heat is purely a waste byproduct, whereas for thermionic valves, the heat is the energy used by the electrons to move between the electrodes, hence the name. If the valves are cold, you have to wait for them to warm up before they can do anything.

All the same, "cold boot" doesn't refer to letting tubes cool down. If power is restored while the tubes are still hot, it's still a "cold boot". The electrons are not moved by heat; they are moved by the electric potential between the electrodes. The heat goes into maintaining the cathode at a certain temperature , at which the electrons "boil off" in sufficient numbers, but that requires only a smidgeon of the ener…

"Conversely, thermionic tubes for a hot environment could be built without heating filaments. If the ambient temperature is 500°..."

There's a lot of physics and engineering behind thermionic emission in a typical vacuum tube and the subject shouldn't be overlooked just because tubes are less commonplace than they once were.

Until the transistor became popular in the latter half of the 20th C. essentially all of electronics relied upon thermionic emission so much effort went into understanding it. Moreover, it's still very important in specialized areas such as in scientific instruments, high power transmitting tubes, TWTs (Traveling Wave Tubes), CRTs, etc.

Thermionic emission obeys Richardson's Law—after physicist Owen Richardson who received the Nobel Prize for his work in 1928, and its study is an essential part of thermodynamics: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermionic_emission.

When I was learning about this stuff I had a little book titled Thermionic vacuum tubes and their applications by Sir Edward Appleton (who is more famous for his wartime research into radar). Still, for anyone who's interested in thermionic emission then this could be a useful reference.

I'd add that when it comes to practical methods of manufacturing thermionic cathodes, info on low work function oxide emitters etc. then there are references that are better or more practically orientated (but offhand I cannot remember the names of any).

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Silicon. Silicone is the plastic used to make crummy kitchen utensils

I'm amazed I made the typo twice in the same post. Kazinator comments containing "silicone": https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu... Kazinator comments using "silicon" https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

Take heart, you're not alone, my WP's speller has automatically corrected to 'silicone' on more than one occasion and I've not noticed the embarrassing mistake. ;-)

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#83
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hold out for the partner that cheers you on when you're doing what you love. If only it were that easy. Those kinds of people are few and far between. I’m almost 50 and I don’t think I’ve ever even met a woman who has actively encouraged me about a single thing. I’ve been married twice and have 4 daughters.

It's not easy. I missed once but struck gold the second time. I'm sorry you haven't felt supported. It's really hard when you don't feel like you can just be yourself.

The problem is that you don’t know that you did struck gold until long time in. After having dates a lot of women, I found that just telling things straight like; religion/conspiracy theories etc are off the table, no alternative shite, I want no kids, ever, I like beer, I believe in friends before family etc did converge much faster than anything else. I know that I cannot work with anyone that doesn’t have the same ideas, however then still, on a multi decade scale, it has to prove itself and there the love and respect comes in I think. Everyone has issues, but if they don’t change the fundamentals stated in the first date as said above, it has a good chance. I would only leave if my wife got religious or wants kids; the rest we can fix.

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hold out for the partner that cheers you on when you're doing what you love. If only it were that easy. Those kinds of people are few and far between. I’m almost 50 and I don’t think I’ve ever even met a woman who has actively encouraged me about a single thing. I’ve been married twice and have 4 daughters.

You must advertise to potential mates who you are from the start, so that you naturally attract those who like your deal and chase away those who don't. I met my second wife this way, and our 6 years together were the best of my life. She was killed by a Russian tank in Ukraine in January, and I miss her more than anything.

You're not correct, and I could go into detail as to why the things that happened in my past happened, but I can say with complete confidence that you are wrong.

Putin is a cancer on the Earth and if Trump wins he will be in control of the US as well.

Humans, generally, are absolute shit creatures, and I dearly hope that our species goes extinct.

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#85
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hold out for the partner that cheers you on when you're doing what you love. If only it were that easy. Those kinds of people are few and far between. I’m almost 50 and I don’t think I’ve ever even met a woman who has actively encouraged me about a single thing. I’ve been married twice and have 4 daughters.

If you've had 6 women close to you in your life and not one of them has supported you, the problem might be you and not them.

I think the problem is that I expect human beings to be nice and supportive.

I've never personally witnessed anyone being truly supportive of anyone else, ever in my entire life. Everyone just makes fun of everyone else, and blames others for the problems they are having, just like you just did.

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#86
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you've had 6 women close to you in your life and not one of them has supported you, the problem might be you and not them.

I think the problem is that I expect human beings to be nice and supportive. I've never personally witnessed anyone being truly supportive of anyone else, ever in my entire life. Everyone just makes fun of everyone else, and blames others for the problems they are having, just like you just did.

There’s a saying, if everywhere you go smells, check your shoe.

I have had the opposite experience in life. There are people out there who I would support through what they’re doing, and those people support me no matter how silly it is. I’m in a band, and we’re recording an album at the moment. It’s costing us money and an enormous of time to do it but my partner supports me doing it because she knows i enjoy it.

Re: A modern 8 bit design, built using 1950s thermionic valves

#87
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the problem is that I expect human beings to be nice and supportive. I've never personally witnessed anyone being truly supportive of anyone else, ever in my entire life. Everyone just makes fun of everyone else, and blames others for the problems they are having, just like you just did.

There’s a saying, if everywhere you go smells, check your shoe. I have had the opposite experience in life. There are people out there who I would support through what they’re doing, and those people support me no matter how silly it is. I’m in a band, and we’re recording an album at the moment. It’s costing us money and an enormous of time to do it but my partner supports me doing it because she knows i enjoy it.

I am really tired of being blamed for the behavior of other people. are you going to blame me for what you said above, too? "It's your fault I said that it was your fault."

humans suck and it is proven to me again every single day.

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