this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
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Edit :

1-bit CPU complete kit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zRU_UNabU

all 47 comments
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[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 62 points 10 months ago (5 children)

What's the purpose of this thing?

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 107 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's a computer in almost its simplest form.

There's almost nothing to it, the circuit diagram is easy to read, you program it literally by flipping a couple of dip switches.

It's kind of an experiment for someone wanting to get into retro computer or hardware design.

That said it's essentially useless and I would much rather buy a kit from Ben Eater start with a 6502 and make something that can actually run complex programs.

[–] darkpanda@lemmy.ca 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Even with just one bit and a few switches this seems like the sort of thing Picard could use to send an encoded message to Riker and Data in the future should the need arise.

[–] SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Why not use well placed gold plate with impressions? Times gonna march on anyway, no need for power either.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago

Fun. It does not much, really. Two instructions (add, jump), parameters either 0 or 1, two instructions in total. It just shows how a computer works in general. All key signals are visible (Clock, Program Counter, Accumulator).

About as useful as a quantum computer, just way cheaper.

[–] Crul@lemm.ee 12 points 10 months ago (2 children)

AFAIK, they are used as relays.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-bit_computing#1-bit

Computers and microcomputers may also be used, but they tend to overcomplicate the task and often require highly trained personnel to develop and maintain the system. A simpler device, designed to operate on inputs and outputs one-at-a-time and configured to resemble a relay system, was introduced. These devices became known to the controls industry as programmable logic controllers (PLC).

See also the playlist linked in the other comment with more explanations:
1-Bit Breadboard Computer - Usagi Electric (YouTube)

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Actual PLCs in the wild are industrial cabinets with a lot more capacity. Price-wise if you have a DIY project in mind you're better off buying a RISC-V microcontroller, under 10 bucks including board, with vastly more IO and processing power. Still not enough to replace one of those industrial cabinets, though, especially when it comes to IO capacity, do you have any idea how many sensors and actuators rollercoasters have.

This thing is so limited you have to engineer your problem to fit. Maybe something like switching your doorbell from normal to quiet to silent to flash lights. On the upside it's dead-simple.

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 10 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

1-Bit Breadboard Computer - Usagi Electric (YouTube)

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[–] doubletandard@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

mee seek and destroy…what’s is my purpose again?

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

Sorry, one bit isn't even going to pass butter...

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago

Perfect school project thing. Imagine you have an electronics/computer course and present your students with this circuit (without the print mask!). "See? Power supply, power LED, three other LEDs, four DIP switches. Here is the circuit diagram, if you cannot figure it out. Your task: Find out what this thing is and how it works. Bonus: give a meaningful description for the settings of the switches."

[–] Fisk400@feddit.nu 37 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It will run doom before boxing day.

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 2 points 10 months ago

I'm glad we all had this thought together. "Can we make this run doom...?" It's rare that the answer is truly no, but this is probably a case.

[–] Chobbes@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Am I the only one super unimpressed by most “it can run doom” things? It’s either some beefy arm CPU or a total hack where it isn’t really running doom and they shoved a raspberry pi in it or something.

[–] Fisk400@feddit.nu 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That is because most things can't run doom without modification. I'm fine with adding stuff but displays and inputs need to be on the hardware and the thing must look like its untampered with. For me it's just a funny magic trick so I'm not that bothered if it's faked

[–] Chobbes@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

I feel almost entirely the opposite about this. I feel like adding a display or inputs is fine, but if you want to say you have Doom running on a toaster then it damn well better be running on a chip that's actually in the toaster! If you just stuff a Pi in a toaster then it's not really the toaster running Doom at all, it's a Raspberry Pi in a toaster suit. I feel like "can it run Doom" is interesting when it shows that common devices have more powerful chips in them than you realize and that somebody hacked it to run arbitrary code. It's sort of an interesting metric to show how far we've come with computers, and how optimized Doom can be... I personally don't find it that interesting if you're just shoving a single board computer into a weird form factor, and it always just feels like clickbait to me.

[–] Mandy@sh.itjust.works 31 points 10 months ago (1 children)

With scalpers being especially prevelant in the tech scene (hello pi), being sold out just doesn't have the same ring to it anymore you know?

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Eh, for the company making them it still has that same old Ca-ching sound

[–] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

Just the one time though.

[–] soulfirethewolf@lemdro.id 25 points 10 months ago

This seems like a great computer to use in schools to teach how a computer works

[–] cooopsspace@infosec.pub 23 points 10 months ago

Can't wait for the Skyrim release

[–] SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Sometimes you just want a nibble

[–] steal_your_face@lemmy.ml 8 points 10 months ago

Just a lil bit

[–] 7of9@startrek.website 1 points 10 months ago

What is this a computer for ants? It should be at least ... four times bigger.

[–] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

This is gonna be on a “rate my setup” post any minute now.

[–] Municipal0379@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Okay, but will it run doom??

[–] IHeartBadCode@kbin.social 9 points 10 months ago

IDK about Doom but someone is likely already working on a VLC port for it.

[–] JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They mention in the article that it won't :(

[–] jmd_akbar@aussie.zone 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm not mad... I'm just disappointed...

[–] Plopp@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

You just wait!

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately it's about 15 bits short.

[–] CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] midori@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Imagine having to build a hardware cluster just to run Doom.

I hope somebody reads this and does it lmao

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Somebody wrote an FPGA that plays level 1. No processor, just a great big mess of programmed wires.

[–] bruhduh@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Now make it in hardware (asic)

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

I mean if the FPGA is done an asic would be doable, but someone would need to REALLY want to do it.

[–] Hyperreality@kbin.social 17 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Why do these articles always go on about stuff being sold out like it means something? Even if it's true, that almost certainly means they've simply been bought up by resellers.

I recently needed a plumbing part. Obviously no one's getting excited about plumbing parts. That was also 'sold out' on the manufacturers website.

In reality there are a thousand resellers selling the thing. Manufacturer doesn't need to have large warehouse or deal with a large number of customers. Resellers get to make a profit by selling for more than the large order unit price they paid. Customers like me get to buy the product at less than the original small order price the manufacturer was asking.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 7 points 10 months ago

Sorry. That was me. I can't get enough of 'plumbing part', and am bathed in as I type this. Hahaha good point.

[–] Crul@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago (2 children)

For those curious about 1-bit computers, see Usagi Electric's playlist:

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 7 points 10 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

1-Bit Breadboard Computer - Usagi Electric (YouTube)

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[–] downhomechunk@midwest.social 1 points 10 months ago

Oh man, I just discovered this guy recently. I'm way into his bendix project. I really hope he gets the thing running and shows us what he can do with it.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 10 months ago

That's cute. Fun.

🐻‍❄️

[–] BlackSkinnedJew@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 10 months ago

To anyone interested in SBCs look for Orange Pi at AliExpress.