Hotsolder - Electronics & Other Geeky Pursuits: Old School Computer

I have a thing for the old computers of my youth. In fact, I just built a new RCA 1802 computer to replace the one I built as a kid (which was lost in hurricane Katrina). If you are old enough, you might remember that there were serveral "computer" kits for kids back in the 60s and 70s. These weren't really computers, but some sort of mechanical or electromechanical logic demonstrators.

The Digicomp was one of the more sophistcated of these, implementing registered logic (that is, flip flops). It was practically a small mechanical CPLD. Someone is actually making these again! I think I'll ask someone to get me one for my birthday.

Check out http://www.mindsontoys.com/kits.htm?dc1_main.htm.

If you don't want to build one, you can play with a virtual one at http://www.scoopsfolks.com/digicomp1/. I noticed the full adder isn't right -- not sure if that's from the "program" or a bug in the emulator.

Labels: old computer