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8-Bit Homebrew Processor
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this post was submitted on 03 May 2024
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retrocomputing
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@me @retrocomputing
I think hand-wired 8 bit computing is an educational rather than practical thing. (Obviously 8 bit AVR MCUs are a practical thing). 32 bit physical lisp machines on fpgas! (Eventually)
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.
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.
Oh yeah, I can't see any practical use outside of educational, but for that purpose, it's a fantastic resource.
@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.)
@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
@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. ;-)