Comment on 8-Bit Homebrew Processor

screwtape@mastodon.sdf.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Silicon foundries use a lot of water and raw materials and contaminate the ground. Full degrowth may involve abandoning semiconductor technologies and making computers out of simpler parts, such as electromagnetic relays. They’ll be a lot slower and simpler, but with the right knowledge, one can make them from raw materials without bootstrapping a complex technology chain.

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  • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    abandoning semiconductor technologies and making computers out of simpler parts

    I remember reading an article a while back about basically computing using cards which block or allow light to flow as a series of logic gates. Another way to think of it is reinventing the punch card.

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• me@social.jlamothe.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Oh yeah, I can't see any practical use outside of educational, but for that purpose, it's a fantastic resource.

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• curtosis@mastodon.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  @screwtape @me @retrocomputing Tbh if you’re gonna go FPGA, why not go 36-bit and keep the tag bits? (This is what I keep thinking of doing, anyway.)

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  • screwtape@mastodon.sdf.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    @curtosis
    Unlike me, you should talk to @amszmidt. What do you think about the existing port/emulation of the 1985 LM-3 #MITCADR to #HDL as a starting point for a modern lisp computer (instead of the scheme things that happen sometimes). (I've tried and failed to get involved because of excuses. ;_;).

    I forgot the LM discussion of Actually Using The Extra Bits Available.
    @me @retrocomputing

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    • curtosis@mastodon.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      @screwtape @amszmidt @me @retrocomputing I do vaguely recall it was an interesting question, though not the details. I will admit at least partial interest in the Because I Can factor of historical recreation. ;-)

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