Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

On 20/01/17 12:15, whisky-dave wrote:

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

Spotted some time ago, Elektor is late to the party.

James is single and lives in Cambridge


Nothing to hold him back. Go Geek, go!!

--
Adrian C

On 20/01/17 12:15, whisky-dave wrote:

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

Not in the same league but back in 1963-4 I wrote the engineering manual
for the English Electric KDN2 computer. Similar spec, same size and
similar price (but 40,000 1963 pounds). By the time I'd finished I could
have told you the function of each transistor, resistor, magnetic core
and relay (yes relay). Then silicon chips came along and I don't think
that was possible any more.

Another Dave

--
Change nospam to techie

whisky-dave wrote:

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

A teeny bit obsessive, but I can think of much more useless things that
people do. And it might well have some usefullness for teaching.
Well done keeping the power down to 500W though.

--

Roger Hayter

Hmm, reminds me of a transistor version of colossus.
I think the latter probably gets a lot hotter having seen it up close.
Strange idea.
Brian

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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"whisky-dave" wrote in message
...

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see. It was quite boring having
lots of diodes and the same value resistors all over the place.
Some years later I saw a russian copy of a Spectrum. Although it used a
clone of the z80, the logic array was made from discreet logic chips and
used up most of a pcb twice as big as a normal Spectrum!
Bit power hungry also.
I bet the person who reverse engineered ten the logic array was almost mad
by the end of that job!
Brian

--
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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Another Dave" wrote in message
news
On 20/01/17 12:15, whisky-dave wrote:

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

Not in the same league but back in 1963-4 I wrote the engineering manual
for the English Electric KDN2 computer. Similar spec, same size and
similar price (but 40,000 1963 pounds). By the time I'd finished I could
have told you the function of each transistor, resistor, magnetic core and
relay (yes relay). Then silicon chips came along and I don't think that
was possible any more.

Another Dave

--
Change nospam to techie

On Friday, 20 January 2017 14:35:30 UTC, Brian Gaff wrote:


I bet the person who reverse engineered ten the logic array was almost mad
by the end of that job!
Brian

I would have said he was mad before he started the job.

On 20/01/2017 13:06, Roger Hayter wrote:
whisky-dave wrote:

Record: 10-meter wide 16-bit megacomputer from discrete parts
256 bytes of memory (27,000 transistors)
15,300 transistors in CPU of which 8,500 as LED drivers.
20 kHz clock speed absolute max., 8 kHz typ

James is single and lives in Cambridge


from Elektor
http://tinyurl.com/gsgapow

A teeny bit obsessive, but I can think of much more useless things that
people do. And it might well have some usefullness for teaching.
Well done keeping the power down to 500W though.


When I watched the video, I was surprised how normal he appears. He even
smiled at the end.

On 20/01/17 17:55, GB wrote:

When I watched the video, I was surprised how normal he appears. He even
smiled at the end.


And many have smiled back at him. I applaud.

Now I have a fascinating hobby of collecting pizza delivery leaflets put
through the door. Completely useless occupation for which I'll surely
get a certificate ...

--
Adrian C

Brian Gaff wrote:

Hmm, reminds me of a transistor version of colossus.
I think the latter probably gets a lot hotter having seen it up close.
Strange idea.
Brian

I don't have the details of colossus, but I imagine the current one is
several orders of magnitude more powerful.

--

Roger Hayter

On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 20:16:51 +0000, Roger Hayter wrote:

Brian Gaff wrote:

Hmm, reminds me of a transistor version of colossus.
I think the latter probably gets a lot hotter having seen it up close.
Strange idea.
Brian

I don't have the details of colossus, but I imagine the current one is
several orders of magnitude more powerful.

If by that you mean the Colossus rebuild...my understanding is that it is
built from original components.



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My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
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On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:35:24 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see.

snip

We built a few of the Slinclair projects in an electronics class at
College, one of which being the ZX81. Two of them worked first time
weg and I spent the next term repairing (assembling correctly) all
the others. ;-)

The most compact kit was the Micromatic radio and the thing that
consumed the most batteries, the Cambridge calculator. ;-)

No, a mate built the Sinclair 'Black Watch' kit and that may have
beaten the calculator on battery consumption. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Bob Eager wrote:

On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 20:16:51 +0000, Roger Hayter wrote:

Brian Gaff wrote:

Hmm, reminds me of a transistor version of colossus.
I think the latter probably gets a lot hotter having seen it up close.
Strange idea.
Brian

I don't have the details of colossus, but I imagine the current one is
several orders of magnitude more powerful.

If by that you mean the Colossus rebuild...my understanding is that it is
built from original components.

No, I mean the transistor one currently being discussed!

--

Roger Hayter

On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 21:35:32 GMT, pamela wrote:



Years ago when my old company opened an office in Bulgaria some of
my colleagues went over to see the local staff and heard how one
local in a former job had to reverse engineer a chip by a set up
which they had rigged where they listened for various tones to
determined what was happening in the chip. I think it was a
processor chip which sounds a bit ambitious but maybe that's my
memory playing tricks.


How long have we had ECU equipped cars now, 30 ish years?

A mate at work I recall was horrified at the cost of getting a faulty
one replaced on his Renault 5 Turbo, while talking about it another
work colleague said wish I'd known as I know a chap who repairs ECUs.
He went on to say he did it by "listening to them".
I did not stay interested enough to bother if this was true or not but
it sounds as if he was doing a similar thing.


G.Harman

T i m wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:35:24 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see.

snip

We built a few of the Slinclair projects in an electronics class at
College, one of which being the ZX81. Two of them worked first time
weg and I spent the next term repairing (assembling correctly) all
the others. ;-)

The most compact kit was the Micromatic radio and the thing that
consumed the most batteries, the Cambridge calculator. ;-)

No, a mate built the Sinclair 'Black Watch' kit and that may have
beaten the calculator on battery consumption. ;-)

Cheers, T i m




I still have a cambridge calculator. Not used.

On Sat, 21 Jan 2017 10:24:36 +0000, damduck-egg wrote:

On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 21:35:32 GMT, pamela wrote:



Years ago when my old company opened an office in Bulgaria some of my
colleagues went over to see the local staff and heard how one local in a
former job had to reverse engineer a chip by a set up which they had
rigged where they listened for various tones to determined what was
happening in the chip. I think it was a processor chip which sounds a
bit ambitious but maybe that's my memory playing tricks.


How long have we had ECU equipped cars now, 30 ish years?

A mate at work I recall was horrified at the cost of getting a faulty
one replaced on his Renault 5 Turbo, while talking about it another work
colleague said wish I'd known as I know a chap who repairs ECUs. He went
on to say he did it by "listening to them".
I did not stay interested enough to bother if this was true or not but
it sounds as if he was doing a similar thing.

I know someone who does a lot of stuff with ECUs (as does a friend of
his).

He was describing some car made in the USA about 30 years ago, whose ECU
was in a metal box in the boot (box slightly corroded by acid from the
battery next to it). Two (or more, I forget) big boards samdwiched
together; didn't dare interfere. Apparently one of the signals needed for
starting was too weak to get to the front of the car reliably. They ended
up cobbling together a buffer circuit for this one signal (luckily it
wasn't too time critical). Before that, they were doing something
strange, plugging in a PSU to the front of the car just for starting.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 21/01/17 00:18, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:35:24 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see.

snip

We built a few of the Slinclair projects in an electronics class at
College, one of which being the ZX81. Two of them worked first time
weg and I spent the next term repairing (assembling correctly) all
the others. ;-)

The most compact kit was the Micromatic radio and the thing that
consumed the most batteries, the Cambridge calculator. ;-)

No, a mate built the Sinclair 'Black Watch' kit and that may have
beaten the calculator on battery consumption. ;-)

Cheers, T i m



sinclair was a criminal **** and deserves to be in prison.

but toss a few million to charity and get a knighthood.

On Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:19:34 +0000, Capitol wrote:

T i m wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:35:24 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see.

snip

We built a few of the Slinclair projects in an electronics class at
College, one of which being the ZX81. Two of them worked first time
weg and I spent the next term repairing (assembling correctly) all
the others. ;-)

The most compact kit was the Micromatic radio and the thing that
consumed the most batteries, the Cambridge calculator. ;-)

No, a mate built the Sinclair 'Black Watch' kit and that may have
beaten the calculator on battery consumption. ;-)



I still have a cambridge calculator. Not used.

Does it still work?

Cheers, T i m

On 21/01/17 18:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 21/01/17 00:18, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:35:24 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

I built the zx81 from a kit when I could see.

snip

We built a few of the Slinclair projects in an electronics class at
College, one of which being the ZX81. Two of them worked first time
weg and I spent the next term repairing (assembling correctly) all
the others. ;-)

The most compact kit was the Micromatic radio and the thing that
consumed the most batteries, the Cambridge calculator. ;-)

No, a mate built the Sinclair 'Black Watch' kit and that may have
beaten the calculator on battery consumption. ;-)

Cheers, T i m



sinclair was a criminal **** and deserves to be in prison.

but toss a few million to charity and get a knighthood.



Why?

On 2017-01-20 18:25, Adrian Caspersz wrote:

Now I have a fascinating hobby of collecting pizza delivery leaflets put
through the door. Completely useless occupation for which I'll surely
get a certificate ...


I seem to have had that hobby forced on me by an apparently never-ending
stream of fast-food start-ups from the cheaper end of my local high street.

Fortunately my paper recycling box lives near my front door so my
collection turns over quite rapidly.


--
Graham Nye
news(a)thenyes.org.uk

On Sat, 21 Jan 2017 18:40:17 +0000, T i m wrote:

I still have a cambridge calculator. Not used.

Does it still work?

Mine did the last time I tried it but that was a good few years ago
and I'm not sure where it is now. I very much doubt I'd have chucked
it out as it worked.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 01:09:06 +0000, Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jan 2017 18:40:17 +0000, T i m wrote:

I still have a cambridge calculator. Not used.

Does it still work?

Mine did the last time I tried it but that was a good few years ago and
I'm not sure where it is now. I very much doubt I'd have chucked it out
as it worked.

I built my own computer, although it wasn't quite so much of an effort:

http://www.tavi.co.uk/sbc6120.jpg



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor