The Simple 4-Bit Computer
A modular computer with a vintage look.
Prizes
- First prize in “Senior Solo” category at the 2018 Monts’ Young Inventors and Creators Show: 300 € given by the UTAI, 300 € given by STMicroelectronics and a gold medal of the Concours Lépine. Showcased alongside the Kenbak-1 Replica and the GilDev Breadboard Computer projects
Informations
- Presentation poster for Monts’ Show (in French)
- Atmel AVR microcontroller (ATmega328P) programed in pure AVR C
- TLC5940 IC to drive the LEDs
- 3D modeling with Fusion 360
Details
What I like most in computing is the low-level stuff. Thus I have always been attracted by the computer’s beginning era, with its TTL logic circuits, its assembly languages, its various architectures…
After making the Kenbak−1 Replica, I saw Galactic Electronics’ “4 bit CPU”. I now wanted to make my own 4 bit retro computer, with LEDs and switches (because that’s just the coolest way to interact with a computer), programmable in machine code (in assembly language by extension). No wired logic inside but only a simple microcontroller.
I hope I will later find the time to make a computer entirely made of logic integrated circuits like this one, very raw, or the Magic−1, quite complex or even that one from Ben Eater, entirely made on breadboards, with excellent explanations. I made it: the GDBC!
This project has evolved and should probably be called “The Simple Modular Computer”, as it can now emulate other computers like Galactic Electronics’ 4 bit CPU or that good old Kenbak−1.
This computer was showcased at the 2018 edition of the Monts’ Young Inventors and Creators Show, this is the second time I participated, the first time was in 2016 with the IntelliCasier.
I won first prize with my three showcased projects about vintage computing, the two others being GilDev Breadboard Computer and the Kenbak-1 Replica.
Making of the case
