Homemade Computer: Creating an Affordable Computer Using Unconventional Computer Components

Overview

Objectives/Goals Computers are expensive. It would be good to have computers that are affordable for everyone. Two methods to make them more affordable are to use less expensive, non-computer components, and to make them yourself while customizing the components and writing software to fit your needs. It will be possible to construct a computer (non-IBM PC compatible)using non-computer components (such as a $7.00 microcontroller for the CPU), and to write an operating system for the required functions, including word processing, calculations, and games. Methods/Materials Identify the requirements; design the electronics and identify needed components; design the circuit; solder the components; program the tests; and write the complete program (the operating system (OS)). Materials: serial 20x4 OLED display $30.00; picaxe 28X2 microcontroller (2) $6.80 ea.; plain stripboards (perfboard) (3 - 4) $1.50 ea.; single AA battery holder (3) $1.09 ea.; Alfat SD card reader $44.95; resistors (22k (2), 10k (2), 4.7k (2) negligible ($10.00 for 500 pieces); various wires (negligible;) ps2 keyboard $5.00; ps2 stripboard adaptor $.95; power switch $1.00; sd card (up to 32 GB) (lower capacity acceptable) $6.95 for 2 GB $15.00 for 16 GB; programming adapter (headphone jack) $0.10. Results (see conclusion/discussion) Conclusions/Discussion In conclusion it is possible to construct a computer and write an operating system using cheap, non-computer components (totaling $129 for all features) that I designed, built, and programmed myself. The PICAXE 28X2 microcontroller worked well as an inexpensive CPU. I successfully programmed it to support a word processor (that I named Wordedit), full reading and writing of .txt (plain text)files from the SD card (including files added to the SD card by other computers). It also has a calculator allowing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and square rooting. It has an I2C bus that acts like the PCI and PCIe busses on normal computers.

Awards (1)

• Fourth Place

Competition history

• CSEF 2013 Electronics & Electromagnetics · Entry J0913

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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