DUO ADEPT: An 8-bit Homebrew Computer

The DUO Adept is an 8-bit homebrew TTL CPU + GPU I have designed and built. As a challenge I used only basic kinds of logic chips; no microcontroller or video card. It has a black and white TV monitor and keyboard, and is generally awesome!

Oh, and I forgot to mention: I made this when I was a highschooler with no formal education in electronics. :)

For more information about the machine, please go to this page:
http://web.mac.com/teisenmann/iWeb/adeptpage/menu.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• DUO
• Adept
• bit
• homebrew
• TTL
• CPU
• GPU
• processor
• graphics
• computer
• electronic
• circuit
• operating
• system
• OS
• after

[nsaarela]

How have you implemented the instruction fetch from memory? I mean you have 1-byte opcodes and 3 bytes of arguments, right? So if the memory is byte addressable, how can you access all the 4 bytes during a single instruction? This issue has been troubling me in my own CPU implementation. Any tips would be appreciated!

[Esperantanaso]

@nsaarela The clock has several steps for loading an instruction. The CPU first loads the opcode, then enters a loop wherein it loads 2 or 3 arguments (1 per step). After that is done, the CPU executes the instruction. Look on my site for a more thorough description.

[nsaarela]

Oh, and what software did you use to do the schematics with?

[Esperantanaso]

@nsaarela MS Paint. :>

[jdflyback]

I can't belive that you wired and programed such simple chips I didn't think these chips were capaple if it. How many transistors do each chip have and how long did it take to write muffins?

[Esperantanaso]

@jdflyback Most of the chips have around 50-100 transistors, I think. Muffins took a few days to make. Machine code isn't very convenient!

[Daver14X]

In the future, EMPs from nuclear wars wipe out all electronics and we will be again reduced to simple technology, this man will design simple processors to run machines built to survive the post-apocalyptic world. Eventually, this essential survival skill will be a common trade among the few who scavenge the earth for sustenance and rebuild civilization. However, the necessary resources used to build more advanced processors will be lost and thus a new age dawns : Eightbitopia.

[KlingonOG]

Epic! How well does Crysis run on it?

[nsaarela]

This is just incredible work! I'm designing my own 8-bit CPU with Logisim at the moment, while learning the stuff from a book. How did you come up with this design? I mean could you possibly link the schematics for the GPU, CPU or both, just to give me some idea how this stuff works? And how did you learn this much advanced electronic during highschool? I'm currently studying electronics in college and I still can't come up with such ideas as this.

This is simply some amazing work you did :D

[lovelplants]

amazing.. i dont know those stuff so i want to learn it.

[Groose1972]

Pretty cool, good job.

[SuperBunkerbuster]

Awesome, it runs and calculates fast for a homemade computer with TTL chips !

If you were 40 years older, you would have been the 70s computer star instead of Steve Jobs and his Apple I

[OldTimeyJunk]

That is seriously the most awesome thing I've ever seen...

[SeestarSunrunner]

wow...