= = = BUILDING YOUR OWN DUO COMPACT = = =
By Jack Eisenmann
Building a TTL computer is both fun and educational! This guide will help you construct your own DUO Compact and install software. You will learn a lot about CPU architecture and digital logic. You will also gain a flexible platform for developing programs.
Why create a DUO Compact and not a modern Intel machine? Intel processors are prefabricated and execute over 400 kinds of instructions. Unless you investigate every corner of the architecture, your Intel computer will be a mysterious black box. The DUO Compact only executes 1 kind of instruction! By building a DUO Compact, you will get your hands "dirty" with low level logic. You will learn the DUO Compact architecture from the inside out. Even with a minimal instruction set, your DUO Compact will run useful programs and nifty games.
The project should cost about $160 to complete. My price estimations are below:
- Breadboards: $30
- Chips: $40
- Wire: $20
- Alphanumeric screen: $25
- Miscellaneous components: $15
- Arduino UNO: $30
If you already have some electronic components, you can save money.
= GUIDE OUTLINE =
Please follow these steps in order. If you have any questions or problems, please contact me at esperantanaso at gmail.com. I should respond within a week.