My 8-bit Computer

For those not electronically minded, here are some key terms:

CMOS: (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), a type of transistor circuit which uses FET's, and so is very static sensitive.

IC: (Integrated Circuit), a single packaged circuit, or 'microchip'.

TTL: (Transistor Transistor Logic), another type of transistor circuit, much more robust though.

This started off as just another one of my projects. I have spent around two years researching the subject of digital electronics, that is, just on the topic of computers. I have been interested in electronics since I was around eight or nine. The research is more or less complete, and construction has just about started. I had some initial problems with an order of electronics (I managed to accidentally order some tiny surface mount CMOS chips, don't ask me how!), and I'm still trying to find all the TTL parts. CMOS and me don't appear to mix, I take one look at them and they get zapped, so I opted for TTL, which always seems to work, even if it does gobble up power like nobody's business. I shall post some schematics on this page soon, but I will have to draw them out first (I tend to keep everything in my head, it's the only way I can keep track of the changes!).

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