Building a computer processor

*You* can''t make a microprocessor. You can buy a programmable one, an LED and a flash memory chip and put them together, but you cannot make a processor yourself. Go here for an introduction to how processors are made in billion dollar clean labs.

well, you can make a limited functionality processor from a few parts from Jameco or something like that... but you're basically just assembling a processor from some components.

Get a 1502 (motorolla) processor, I think that's enough juice to handle running an LED display.

You'll still have to add on your timing (555 timer) and logic, but it's a place to start.

[edited by - aegrimonia on August 9, 2002 6:17:05 PM]

You need lots of these:



Guy

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Original post by Witchcraven
Stuff I built (the thing I can remember):
4 bit processor. I designed it all myself, but it had 100 bytes of ram, and 3 whole instructions!!!!
add
sub
mov

It had 16 LEDs that were the "monitor"

Of course, I couldnt put it in my computer so I had a lot of binary switches in which you input each bit. it was pretty cool though. it was probably pretty fast though, as it had no clock to inhibit it. I didnt have time to benchmark it.

A 3 stage rocket.

small explosives

Death ray( just ended up blowing batteries, so I guess it could kill you)

A parralel port controlled relay switch hub that controlled a virtual human body. I was assigned to build the brain. Then someone stepped on it and broke the tip of my really cool soldering iron.

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oh, and arion, we dont use flash tubes anymore, although i do have around 500.

You could build a *very* simple ''macroprocessor'' that is made completely of transistors(i mean the big ones). Or you could buy chips that do things like memory adding etc then put them together. It may cost a lot take lots of time and lots of banging your head against a wall when your chips keep blowing(if you make a mistake)

I suggest learning about logic gates and stuff. Possibly look at the history of very early computers and find out how they work. Oh this site may have something

epanorama

It won''t have anything on making a processor in the way I have described but it will have info on logic stuff and how to use different chips that may be useful

I think there exists software (I can''t think of any names though) to emulate electronic circuits so I suggest you try to build one on that before you blow up real transistors (me done that few times already)

Well Transistors don''t cost that much so blowing them up isn''t much of a problem. Anyway a circuit as complex as a macroprocessor will probably run very slowly on simulation software.

Oh has anyone every blown a transistor so a piece flies out of the side and hits a wall. I did this once. a couple of years ago I was playing with one of those electronic lab things where you have a lot of components and you connect them together with wires acording to a guide book thing. Anyway I made a circuit out of the guide book that made LED segement display 2 numbers(or letters if you could do them) and it flashed between the two. I changed it so the things is flashed where different but I made a mistake. I flicked the on switch and nothing happened. Then I heard a high pitch whine slowly get louder then a small bang and a piece of a transistor flew across the room!

Binary Adder and other Circuits

It really depends what you ant to do.

You can get most gate chips rather cheaply, and low memory RAM chips as well. You could get a small processor, an EEPROM( Electricaly Eraseable Programable Read Only Memory ) but you would need an EEPROM programmer with that, perferably one that could connect to the parallel port of a computer.

I would use a bread board for designing/testing purposes. A good sized one helps, but gets a little pricy. A good multimeter/logic probe as well.

Many other circuits are needed. Binary to LED drivers or BCD to LED, counters, timers etc. The project could really grow. It depends what you are after.


Guy

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Original post by Lode
I think there exists software (I can''t think of any names though) to emulate electronic circuits so I suggest you try to build one on that before you blow up real transistors (me done that few times already)

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I know what kind of software you speak of. I used to mess around with it in high school. Old DOS based, can''t recall the name tho.

And the price of transistor, which is not that much, isn''t a problem. I have a couple of Toy Transformers , as they are called in my electronics book, that can be adjusted to control the power going through the circuitry, instead of with a normal one where it just cuts off a limited amount.

And im not talking complex, im talking like a 4 bit processor, not a 1.2 ghz AMD here! Just simple crap.

We''ve got some at our school called crocodile clips. It''s Windows software but''s it''s fairly crap. I can do the stuff we have to do in electronics i.e. egg timers for a whole f**king term. If you just want to simulate transistors then it could do it

quote:

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Original post by aegrimonia
well, you can make a limited functionality processor from a few parts from Jameco or something like that... but you''re basically just assembling a processor from some components.

Get a 1502 (motorolla) processor, I think that''s enough juice to handle running an LED display.

You''ll still have to add on your timing (555 timer) and logic, but it''s a place to start.

[edited by - aegrimonia on August 9, 2002 6:17:05 PM]

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Now you know what i mean. The Jamco parts idea mainly. Any good sites where i can order online?

www.jameco.com

i''m not sure about a source for the 1502, they were used in a machine i used to build for a company a few years ago.. they were tough to come by back then.. dunno how easy they will be to come by now.

Maybe take a look at www.howstuffworks.com, in the computer section is has a bunch of stuff from processors to gates. It''s a good read and could get you started on building your own, especially with the links they supply at the end of the article.

How Stuff Works also has articles on relays. If you make them small enough and have the resources to make enough you can make something.

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I will not make a list of links... I will not make a list of links... I will not make a list of links...
Invader''s Realm

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Original post by Michalson
*You* can''t make a microprocessor.

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Yes, you can.

It''s possible to design processors by hand. It''s been done for simple 8-bit chips (some MIT student did a 32-bit RISC processor.) For most of these projects, even the simple one, languages like Verilog and VHDL are used.

You can use FPGAs to implement your microprocessor.


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Bart

Code by Charles Petzold.

.elendil67

quote:

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Original post by Michalson
*You* can''t make a microprocessor. You can buy a programmable one, an LED and a flash memory chip and put them together, but you cannot make a processor yourself. Go here for an introduction to how processors are made in billion dollar clean labs.

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you can make a mechanical processor if you wanted to. Babbage did (the adding machine).

you could probably even make an electic transistor processor if you had access to the transistors, a clock, and a bunch of solder and patience.


it will be slower than your brain, however, but it is still possible with the proper know-how.

Go get a microscope with a reasonable magnification (x50) and some elements (Carbon, Silicon, Copper, Gold, Silver, etc...) Also, get two very thin pieces of glass, plastic, or another non-conducting material. Use carbon for resistors, silicon for transistors, copper for wires, gold for connection pins, etc. Place them on the material in the desired circuit, place the other material on top, clamp the thin materials together, and place the "chip" in a circuit which can use it. Try NOT to use combustible materials in any of this, because in my experience, the chip can build up heat quickly and catch fire.

Just my suggestion. Try it out.




Current Project: OS

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To triumph over enemies requires power, to forgive requires a soul.

You should use a software package of some sort to design the hardware first. LogicWorks is the only one I have experience with, and may I suggest that you use a better package.
As far as actually knowing how to make simple circuits, work your way up. Learn logic gates first then move on to simple circuits like adders, multipliers, multiplexers, and flip-flops (to name just a few). Using the basics you can create registers, ALUs, and eventually (simple!) processors.
Materials can be bought at your local Radio Hack. Since I myself have never implemented anything in hardware more complicated than a 4-byte register, I can''t say exactly what you''d need. A solderless breadboard, a bunch of wires, and the appropriate TTL or TTL-compatible CMOS ICs were the materials used in my first computer hardware class. The simple gate ICs range anywhere from 50¢ to $2. Breadboard pricing depends on the size, naturally, but I saw some smaller ones for around $7. I personally would get a board that has a power source built in, whether it runs on batteries or an AC adapter is up to you.

Here''s a schematic of an old Apple processor, circa 1976.

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