More on TTL Computer

I'm not the only one with a home built TTL computer.  Some other folks have spent years and done incredible work.  Check out projects like the Gigatron and Magic 1 from the links here

Here's a couple better pictures of the front panel of my silver box TTL computer.

One front panel light (LED) is connected to a 3909 circuit.  That's a special low power blinker that just blinks the light every second or two for over a year.  That's the first thing to get running.

Homebuilt Computer

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away (Montana) I built a computer.   Not plugging in boards but rather building the boards themselves.   No microprocessors - just basic TTL integrated circuits.   I saw the diagram for an old HP computer and thought - if that's all there is, I can do that.

So I did.

It worked - very slowly.

Then I took most of it apart to save the IC's.  (silly silly silly...)

Now that the Force has rewoken and the last Jedi returned - it's time to rebuild the old computer.

There's a lot to this and it's going to take several forms of both hardware and software.  So it's going to take a while.   That's part of the fun.

Here's my computer and I at a computer show of sorts in Bozeman back in 1978...

The SWTP CT-64 terminal and cassette deck are misleading.  The homebuilt TTL computer in the silver box with the rows of lights never did have a serial interface.  That's yet another challenge for the new versions.