I love this quote by UK engineer James Newman:
"I just got suckered into it bit by bit." This story about Mr. Newman's effort to build
a 16-bit computer using discrete components appeared in Popular Science magazine.
Newman wanted to create a functional, programmable computer that would provide a visual
indication of how data flow and computation occurs within a microprocessor; the result
is his "Megaprocessor." To
do that, he constructed this 10-meter-long by 2-meter-tall rack of circuits consisting
of more than 40,000 discrete transistors (for creating the logic gates). An Intel 8086
microprocessor has ~29,000 transistors by comparison. He estimates he has invested about
$50k (US) and about four years in the project. Visual keys as to its operation come from wiring
an LED at the input and output of every gate - about 10,000 in all. The end result is
a machine that looks a lot like the futuristic computers used as props in early science
fiction shows like Star Trek. Until I saw Mr. Newman's discrete component computer running, I used to dismiss
the blinking lights on Mr. Scott's instrument panels as a hokey attempt at representing
computer activity, but now I see it in a different light (pun intended).
To date, the only programs written for the computer are the games of Tetris and
Tic-Tac-Toe. A home-built joy stick provides user input. Mr. Newman hopes that a
museum will want The Megaprocessor for use in a children's discovery exhibit as a
motivation for future computer engineers and programmers.
You can read and see many photos on James' the
Megaprocessor website.
James Newman Built This
16-Bit Computer with 40,000 Discrete Transistors
Incredibly, some morons have left nasty comments on the YouTube page criticizing
him for wasting time on such a "useless" endeavor. What a bunch of slugs there are in
the world!
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