HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

⬐ bartread

This thing is awesome. Been lucky enough to have a play on it a couple of times. Highly recommend the Centre for Computing History, where it lives, to anyone with an interest in both retro and modern computing. Lots to be learned that is still surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly) relevant today.

⬐ dang

From 2016: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12317217

⬐ satysin

Another (that I submitted) from 2016: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12035522

⬐ ruslan

I admire people who designed and assembled this machine. So much of fine scrupulous work multiplied by enless hours of debugging.

⬐ djmips

If this interests you, you'll probably really like or already have seen Ben Eater's great YouTube series on building an 8 bit computer. (2016 as well) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyznrdDSSGM&list=PLowKtXNTBy...

I think that making semiconductors is unfortunately out of the reach of hobbyists. You'd have to grow purified crystals (or buy them), slice and polish them, etc. The various processes needed for lithography involve toxic chemicals too AFAIK. That being said, if you want to make your own large-scale CPU, you can still build one out of discrete 74-series logic, individual transistors, or relays. Takes a lot of dedication, but that is entirely within your reach.

A fun example of a CPU built with discrete SMD transistors, the monster 6502 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQIwS2GzXLI

There's also the MegaProcessor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNa9bQRPMB8

Zusie relay computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXeBR-lbnjI

⬐ frozenport

Or you can make it in HDL and pay somebody to fab it

⬐ chocolatebunny

So what's the cheapest fab in the world?

Maybe I should just stick with FPGAs.

⬐ sbierwagen

Wikipedia says prototype runs are done MPW or MLM, with many different chips printed on a single wafer. Nobody quotes actual prices, of course, so guess "a lot"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-project_wafer_service

⬐ nickpsecurity

These do multi-project wafers (aka shuttle runs):

https://www.mosis.com/

http://www.europractice-ic.com/

⬐ frozenport

FPGA conversion has a 50k nre. Anything else and you need a team of people on your end to do things like verify quality.

The fun part is that you can sometimes sneak an trial design into a shuttle service. ( but good luck making that initial design!)

⬐ None

None

⬐ mavendependency

https://youtu.be/Pt9i2ABe_mE

http://ifdl.jp/make_lsi/

http://hackaday.com/2016/10/13/blinking-an-led-extreme-editi...

http://www.slideshare.net/junichiakita9/intorudction-to-make...

There some projects to realize low-cost, short turn-around-time LSI fabrication at slightly old process, such as 1um, in Japan, whose name is Minimal Fab. This will enable the (commercial) LSI fabrication service at a few hundred USD cost and 1-week TAT. I believe this a revolution similar to that happened in PCB world in ten years ago.

⬐ russdill

No worries, I heard this guy on an electronics podcast predicting that we'd all have chip printers. It's only a matter of time…right?

⬐ ant6n

Startup idea!

⬐ agumonkey

A guy on hackaday.io ygdes IIRC (https://hackaday.io/whygee) does a lot of these, even changing designs (somehow having async memory access at the arch level)

IIUC he worked in the cpu business in the past but is too idealist to enjoy doing it now.

⬐ ori_b

My curriculum in school involved creating our own integrated circuits on wafers. There are lots of nasty chemicals involved, but it's not out of the reach of a dedicated hobbyist.

The biggest challenge is ion implant, which you can probably outsource to a lab.

⬐ mfeldheim

If you ever wondered how a processor operates - James Newman in Cambridge scaled one up to roomsize so you could walk in and watch it working.