14 Nov
2012
14 Nov
'12
3:04 p.m.
On 29 Apr 2012 at 18:46, Richard Smith wrote:
This thread reminds me of a computer we built at
school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W.
Any info about your school or the specific teacher might help track it
down. Or maybe someone here can remember it?
Cheers
Ed
14 Nov
14 Nov
3:36 p.m.
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 8:04 PM, Ed Spittles <ed.spittles at gmail.com> wrote:
On 29 Apr 2012 at 18:46, Richard Smith wrote:
How about the magazine wireless World
http://www.fano.co.uk/history/WWcomp.html
I do believe I have the set of articles here somewhere
Dave Caroline
This thread reminds me of a computer we built at
school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W.
6:09 p.m.
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 8:36 PM, Dave Caroline
<dave.thearchivist at gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 8:04 PM, Ed Spittles
<ed.spittles at gmail.com> wrote:
Now found and scanned but due to the state of the paper are scanned in
greyscale
The article above refers to it continuing into 1968 but the stuff I
have found ends in December 1967
pm me for url as the files are large and cannot handle a download swarm.
Dave Caroline
On 29 Apr 2012 at 18:46, Richard Smith wrote:
How about the magazine wireless World
http://www.fano.co.uk/history/WWcomp.html
I do believe I have the set of articles here somewhere This thread reminds me of a computer we built at
school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W. 
15 Nov
15 Nov
1:30 p.m.
Hi,
I'm interested in what you have found, I'd love it to be an article about the
computer. It's a long time ago and I have only vague memories of soldering the logic
units - some of the older boys got to assemble the actual machine!
Best regards,
Richard
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
Sent from my iPad
On 14 Nov 2012, at 23:09, Dave Caroline <dave.thearchivist at gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 8:36 PM, Dave Caroline
<dave.thearchivist at gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 8:04 PM, Ed Spittles
<ed.spittles at gmail.com> wrote:
Now found and scanned but due to the state of the paper are scanned in
greyscale
The article above refers to it continuing into 1968 but the stuff I
have found ends in December 1967
pm me for url as the files are large and cannot handle a download swarm.
Dave Caroline On 29 Apr 2012 at 18:46, Richard Smith wrote:
How about the magazine wireless World
http://www.fano.co.uk/history/WWcomp.html
I do believe I have the set of articles here somewhere This thread reminds me of a computer we built at
school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W. 
14 Nov
14 Nov
4:03 p.m.
This thread
reminds me of a computer we built at school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W.
4:28 p.m.
On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 9:03 PM, Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
A book which it isn't, but which is till intersting is 'We built our own
computers'. IIRC, this describes switch and relay logic machins (no
er nonono
This thread reminds me of a computer we built at
school from discrete
transistors. Each transistor was a NOR gate with three resistors on
the base and a collector resistor. All soldered onto squares of tag
board. We put a bunch of them together to build a shift register with
small laps as output. That would be about 1969 or 1970. Does anyone
remember any more? It must have been a published design somewhere.
Richard, I think I read the book this project was based on - in the school
library, mid-to-late 70's. I've been looking for it, but my recollection
is so vague I haven't found it yet. I think it may have kicked off with
some physical computing based on wood and ball bearings, but anyhow it
worked up to a full serial CPU. My searches have been based on the
recollection that the author was Wilkinson (but maybe Wilkins, Watson,
Wilson, Watkins, Watkinson, ...) and, of course, it might not even have
starte with W. transistors, the odd diode, though) built by some
school students in
Exeter (England) in the 1960s. I remember the painted metal drum with
contacts as the control sequencer.
I must dig my copy out and re-read it..
You better then you will see transistors
starts page 368 August Wireless world
Dave Caroline
15 Nov
15 Nov
4:39 p.m.
A book which
it isn't, but which is till intersting is 'We built our own
computers'. IIRC, this describes switch and relay logic machins (no
er nonono transistors, the odd diode, though) built by some
school students in
Exeter (England) in the 1960s. I remember the painted metal drum with
contacts as the control sequencer.
I must dig my copy out and re-read it..
You better then you will see transistors
starts page 368 August Wireless world
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ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
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