Why build an entire computer on breadboards?

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Published 2020-04-04
More on breadboards: www.eater.net/breadboards
More on the 6502 project: www.eater.net/6502

Here are the graphing calculator models if you'd like to play with them:
www.desmos.com/calculator/txls6jc88c
www.desmos.com/calculator/i75gnzi3jb


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All Comments (21)
  • @Churchgrimm
    Jokes on you sir, you're assuming that electronics work after I solder them
  • I have been using oscilloscopes for around 15 years and today is the day that I find out what is that spring for. Thanks.
  • @LiamLimeLarm
    "ITS NOT ABOUT WHY, ITS ABOUT WHY NOT" -Cave Johnson, CEO of Aperture Science
  • @SpinelessCougar
    Thirty years ago I was in a computer architecture class listening to a lecture about Andrew Tanenbaum and his MIC machine. (Sienna College, a liberal arts type college) I thought it was cool and decided to write a simulator in Turbo Pascal. I worked real nice with lots of blinky lights and traces lighting up when active. The Prof was so impressed he used it for a few in his architecture classes. Each student received a floppy disk with my simulator on it. I learned sooooooooo much while writing that program.
  • @rickperez8044
    I had wanted to do this about 40 years ago. An older, more experienced friend told me, "No way: it won't work", citing complications like capacitance and inductance. You've proven that it can, in fact, be done Thank you.
  • @felipe_lopez
    Ok man, it's time to talk seriously. You need to start making videos about the math involved in electronics, signals etc. This video is outstanding but what I loved the most is that you explain the clock signal and the fourier transform with ease. I loved that you use a plotter to explain how to get a perfect square wave from the sum of signals. Really, I learned more from this video than from my entire college years. Keep up with this excellent content!
  • @StCreed
    This actually provides great insight in why a high frequency microprocessor is really hightech.
  • "very good chance things won't work the first time" Yeah, sometimes you incorrectly wire an op-amp and end up both burning it out and melting your board. Fun stuff.
  • @paradox9551
    >Is it a good idea to build a computer on breadboards? Heck yeah it is, without you executing out that idea we wouldn't have this goldmine of a channel.
  • @proxy1035
    0:34 yes and no... if you have a premade PCB sure it's not really great at showing how it works and it will likely work first try. but when you design them yourself it's a completely different story. that would actually be an amazing expansion of your Breadboard computer, showing the process of designing the Schematic, the PCB, and soldering it together... that would be really sweet. especailly with your really great way of explaing things i would assume it would bring a lot more people to make their own PCBs
  • @ifaiful
    Used a small breadboard in secondary school 20 years ago. Thought I’d excel in electronics but I hated it; bad class of students. But this could be worth looking into again.
  • @Flying1Panda
    Ben! I went to school for EE, but mostly took classes on the EM/analog circuit side of things. I want to thank you so much for satisfying my curiosity about how the digital world works! Your videos explain at the perfect level for someone who has a basic level understanding but wants to know how things scale up as logic circuits get larger!
  • So what's next? Build an OperatingSystem for that computer! Hell yeah!
  • @wouterj6879
    Never thought I'd get turned on by breadboard connections
  • @bamgm14
    Yo, wtf. This is incredible Finally, youtube recommendation gives me something good
  • @leprotto89
    I'm very happy I discovered your kits. I have always been interested in your projects. I finally found a job as software engineer and now I'm able to afford them so I ordered the 8 bit one. It's going to be fun!
  • @sobertillnoon
    I always try to go off weight when selecting breadboards. Also, I have no idea why but I loved when you put your multimeter probes on your capacitor drawing.
  • This channel is a gold standard in teaching methods. Should be standardized across as many educational institutions as possible. I don't believe viewers truly appreciate the effort that you've invested in these videos to stay on point! No meandering diversions, no unnecessary references, not explaining mundane things, having just the right amount of expectation from your viewers and so much more!
  • @th3cub350
    I really like your approach of "feed a man, it last for a day, teach him to hunt/fish/cook, he'll be taught for life", this is really a lost art for people to try and understand what they're using in depth and be able to troubleshoot or improve, even when something may not be related to what's they're working on but something related/attached to it. Kudos for all your videos, it taught me alot.