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Discrete transistor computers

Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 16:49
by marcelk
Homebrew CPU wisdom dictates that discrete transistor computers must be much slower than TTL computers. "Due to capacitances and noise levels", as people usually put it. The MT15, Megaprocessor and Monster6502 are then given as examples. After all, each of those max out well below 1 MHz.

However, back in 1964 the CDC 6600 ran its resistor-transistor logic gates (RTL) at 10 MHz. How come?

Here's a really nice blog post about how that works, and why it is so hard to do the same today: https://cpldcpu.wordpress.com/2020/02/1 ... 6600-fast/


Inside the CDC6500 at LCM+L
Inside the CDC6500 at LCM+L
CDC6500.jpg (219.48 KiB) Viewed 6859 times

Q1 Discrete transistor computer

Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 19:25
by ECL
http://joewing.net/projects/q1/

from the guy who wrote the JWM window-manager

Re: Q1 Discrete transistor computer

Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 07:11
by marcelk
ECL wrote: 16 Feb 2020, 19:25 from the guy who wrote the JWM window-manager
The site doesn't give an operating speed for the Q1. But it appears to use slow transistors also.