I want to build a computer from scratch

[USSEnterprise]

No, I do not mean by going out and buying a P4, a motherboard, and a video card. I want to completely build a functioning computer from scratch, as a learning experience in both computer and electrical engineering, so that when I start applying for colleges next year, I can say that I built my own computer (without lying :-)
After looking at an online project called the Magic 1, I believe I want to build the processor from scratch as well out of transistor-transistor logic circuits. I'd want it to be able to hook up to a terminal, possibly to something similar to the TV typewriter, and eventually, be able to program it. I know, its a big project, but I believe this is something I could really learn from. Does anyone have any suggestions, book recommendations, etc?

Thanks
Joe

By the way, I would be open to using a pre-packaged processor, such as a 6502 or a Z80. Honestly, I have to think about it some more and get some more information on the whole thing.

[lynchaj]

Hi,

You too can build your own Z80 or 6502 computer from scratch. It is a lot of fun and best of all there are many examples on the internet to help out.

The hard part is deciding what you want to build. There are many examples such as this

http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~ehwang/courses/cs61/ez80.pdf

There is a book on just the EZ-80 design (I forget the title but have it at home).

I am in a Yahoo! group dedicated to building Z80 computers to run CP/M and have built my own.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alpaca_designers/

Of course, you could do S-100 machines or follow the example of Steve Ciarcia's "build your own Z80 computer".

Of course, there is the whole 6502 world as well which is just as good. They claim to have 30 homebuilt projects on that sight alone. There are at least that many Z80 projects kicking around in one form or another.

6502.org

My advice, think about what you want to do and then start doing it. Get a breadboard/prototype board and some simple circuit designs and build out from there. Honestly, it is not that hard and a lot of fun.

Jump in! Best of luck!

Andrew Lynch

[Druid6900]

Well, if you want to start from scratch, first you have to create the universe...:)

[USSEnterprise]

Well, I know the answer is 42, but what is the question?

[USSEnterprise]

On a serious note, I really need to do some reading on the subject to fully understand things. I'd like to eventually be able to connect it to a terminal and fiddle with it through a full keyboard, as opposed to through a hex keypad. If it could run something Like CP/M, or possibly some form of UNIX, that would be terrific. I suppose I could code my own OS, but not until after quite a while machine language. I know some, but not much.

[atari2600a]

Thrashbarg built an 8086 breadboard computer. If that's the path you go, you might be able to get some firmware from him, although you'd also have to use the same IC's & memory map...

Also, learn ASM. It's virtually required.

[nige the hippy]

I built a minimal BBC micro on breadboard, it worked, sometimes ;-(>

For starters, especially if you haven't done any assembler I'd start messing around with a cheap kit, or possibly a microcontroller development kit (e.g. Pic or Atmel) It's minimal parts count, and all the "support chips" are on the one device in the same package as a tested system
Believe me, getting a complete microcomputer designed, built, tested, programmed, and debugged can leave you wishing you had never started, and that's with lots of test equipment & experience.

To start with, leave only one variable quantity, i.e. yourself, and once you've tested that, move on to a more adventurous project:- gentler learning curve!

[prw411]

Here is a possible site for learning Assembler:

http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AoA/Windows/HTML/AoATOC.html

Would love to build one myself as well.:lightbulb: