Computer collector
John Honniball shows Ellie Gibson how to recreate a computer from days gone by
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Chances are that you are reading this
article on a computer screen. Most would agree that a modern 32 or 64 bit
machine is a pretty complicated piece of equipment.
While it is easy to buy the parts of a
modern PC - motherboard, graphics card and processor - the sheer complexity
would defeat any attempt to build one starting with electronic components such
as resistors, capacitors and chips.
But what about earlier generations of
computer? The technology that brought us the BBC Micro, Sinclair's ZX series
and the Commodore 64 and Vic 20?
Is it still possible to construct an
8-bit machine from a pile of parts?
Bit
parts
Programmer and "maker" Julian
Skidmore has done just that with his creation of a novel 8-bit computer called
the Fignition. Even better, his homebrew machine is designed to DIY. Anyone
with a modicum of experience in electronics should be able to put it together.
His inspiration for the project was the
work of the 8-bit pioneers, such as ZX80 hardware designer Jim Westwood, who
created those much-loved machines almost entirely by themselves.
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