milesdavidsmith
- Aug 28, 2012
- 7
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2012
- Messages
- 7
I'm a computer programmer by trade, but I also dabble in electronics as a hobby (because it's the perfect hobby).
One project I've had in mind for a while is building a simple 8 bit CPU out ICs. I would be piecing this together with chips on the order of latches, decoders/encoders, basically just above discreet logic gates, plus a basic ROM chip with a microcoded instruction set. I have the basic architecture set up in a noodling program called LogiSim, but that's about it. So I know HOW they work and WHAT they are, that's not the issue.
I've tried once to assemble a CPU, but I'm not actually very good or experienced at real life electronics. I put together a register unit out of CMOS 8 bit latches, soldered directly to the board, with a decoupling capaciter at every chip and 1M Ohm pull down resistors at every contact.
The thing obviously didn't work.
My question is: What kind of methodologies / testing habits / tools tips techniques should I implement AT THE BEGINNING to get a circuit like this off the ground? What are some of the obvious things I should be doing that I'm not realizing initially? I thought about buying IC Sockets to protect my chips from the hot iron (I think that's what killed it last time) but they're so damned expensive for the amount of chips I need.
I'm a circuit noobie!
EDIT:
I can post pictures of the board after I get out of work.
I just need some help on assembling generally larger logic circuits.
Thank you very much in advance.
One project I've had in mind for a while is building a simple 8 bit CPU out ICs. I would be piecing this together with chips on the order of latches, decoders/encoders, basically just above discreet logic gates, plus a basic ROM chip with a microcoded instruction set. I have the basic architecture set up in a noodling program called LogiSim, but that's about it. So I know HOW they work and WHAT they are, that's not the issue.
I've tried once to assemble a CPU, but I'm not actually very good or experienced at real life electronics. I put together a register unit out of CMOS 8 bit latches, soldered directly to the board, with a decoupling capaciter at every chip and 1M Ohm pull down resistors at every contact.
The thing obviously didn't work.
My question is: What kind of methodologies / testing habits / tools tips techniques should I implement AT THE BEGINNING to get a circuit like this off the ground? What are some of the obvious things I should be doing that I'm not realizing initially? I thought about buying IC Sockets to protect my chips from the hot iron (I think that's what killed it last time) but they're so damned expensive for the amount of chips I need.
I'm a circuit noobie!
EDIT:
I can post pictures of the board after I get out of work.
I just need some help on assembling generally larger logic circuits.
Thank you very much in advance.
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