How to build a computer video series

Project date:

March 2017

Project contributors:

I am the sole project designer

In this video series, I explain how to build a computer from electronic circuits. I explain how to make a simple computer that can display the word "HI" on a seven-segment display that I made from RGB LED strips on the back of my bedroom's door.

Note that this does not use any Arduino or other microprocessors. This is just pure electronics and logic circuits. These videos start from very simple concepts but later develop to complex logic topics.

In the first video, I explain different types of computers and introduce you to logic gates and flip-flops:

Now that you know about logic gates and flip-flops, I can begin to explain how to build a very simple computer. I explain about state diagrams, truth tables, Karnaugh Maps and how to derive logic equations:

Now that you know how to make logic equations, I can explain how to build an actual circuit based on those logic equations. I use the Xilinx ISE software to do this:

Now that you know what circuit to build, I can explain how to build the actual circuit. I used two 555 timers as my reset and clock inputs. I used 74LS174 D flip-flop chip. This chip has six D flip-flops but we only need two of them. I also used HD74LS04 chip as my invertors. This chip has six invertors, but we only need two of them. I used SN74HC08N chip as my AND gate. This chip has four AND gates, but we only need one of them. Finally, I used seven LM358N op-amps to amplify the output signals from 4.5V to 12V. I build wired the seven-segment display with RGB LED strips on the back of my bedroom's door:

Once I built the seven-segment display, I used the same concepts to build a more complicated logic circuit that can say my name "HAbIb":

Here, the circuit also says my name "HAbIb" but also makes a more complicated pattern:

History and future of computers

Project date:

August 2017

In this video, I talk about the history of computers. Then I talk about Alan Turing, one of the most influential figures in computer science. Finally, I talk about the future of computers.

Although, some predictions that I made back in 2017, turned out to be too optimistic! I predicted that by 2020, there would be full self-driving cars but 2020 came, and it turned out that fully self-driving cars are still a few years ahead. I also talk about the inherent dangers of AI which is still relevant today.