Logic Gates?

[samuel1]

Howdy everyone.

When explaining how a computer works -- I can do a pretty decent job until I get to the CPU. Yes, the "brain" of the computer.

I am not a math guy. I have a really difficult time explaining this in general terms to anyone.

I understand they employ the use of "logic gates" and outrageously small transistors. I sorta get it. But not really.

Do any of you know of a really good video or website that can explain from the very beginning how a CPU works? Both mathematically and physically over the course of its extremely long evolution?

What I find is that most videos skip over the beginning part and then blather on about how amazing all the tech is these days. That's great -- but I don't get the beginnings.

I've watched hundreds of videos. So, please, don't tell me to "search youtube" or anything like that.

Thanks everyone! D:

 

[Pilum]

How about a book? "Code" by Charles Petzold. It starts with the evolution of Morse code and ends with assembly programming. I've only read the first couple dozen pages, but it seems to be an excellent guide to understanding the basics of computers. I only wish I'd had a book like that 26 years ago when I started programming...

 

[Blitzvogel]

Basic electronics knowledge is a must, especially to understand the different types of gates involved with building parts of an integrated circuit.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

OP, are you looking to understand how transistors work in detail (voltage and current relationships, gain, ft, device physics, etc.), or are you just looking to understand them from a switch model perspective?

 

[CTho9305]

This book explains it very well. I don't know of any websites that will really get you to the point of understanding what you want to understand. You'll probably get most of what you want from the first few chapters. It may look intimidating, but it's really not bad. If you're serious about it, there are many people here who can answer questions it may raise for you.

I don't think you actually need to understand electronics if you're willing to accept either logic gates as magic (which behave in simple ways... e.g. output is 1 when both inputs are 1), or transistors as magic (which behave in simple ways... e.g. pin "D" is connected to pin "S" when pin "G" is 1).

 

[jhu]

Play Minecraft. Then download the Minecraft 6502 emulator. Or play Little Big Planet and look for calculator levels.

 

[BrightCandle]

How about a book? "Code" by Charles Petzold. It starts with the evolution of Morse code and ends with assembly programming. I've only read the first couple dozen pages, but it seems to be an excellent guide to understanding the basics of computers. I only wish I'd had a book like that 26 years ago when I started programming...

+1 This is "the" way to learn about this. There is enough information contained in this book to design your own basic CPU and it starts right at the beginning.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Howdy everyone.

When explaining how a computer works -- I can do a pretty decent job until I get to the CPU. Yes, the "brain" of the computer.

I am not a math guy. I have a really difficult time explaining this in general terms to anyone.

I understand they employ the use of "logic gates" and outrageously small transistors. I sorta get it. But not really.

Do any of you know of a really good video or website that can explain from the very beginning how a CPU works? Both mathematically and physically over the course of its extremely long evolution?

What I find is that most videos skip over the beginning part and then blather on about how amazing all the tech is these days. That's great -- but I don't get the beginnings.

I've watched hundreds of videos. So, please, don't tell me to "search youtube" or anything like that.

Thanks everyone! D:

Try design something out of logic gates that will add two 2-bit numbers. It's not that hard, it just requires a bit of thinking to get started.

 

[Arkadrel]

I am not a math guy. I have a really difficult time explaining this in general terms to anyone.

Just because you can do something with math, doesnt mean you should do it, with it.

You can probably go up to a chalk board and put out some complex formula for a 3D model, and most would know its some type of 3D object, but most people wouldnt be able to visualise it, without first drawing it.

In short, your makeing things really hard on yourself if your trying to use math like that,
for things its not really good at. Exsample; drawing a circle on a chalk board, kids understand better than you writeing a formula for a circle, and saying "imagine what that looks like".

(there is a reason they use circuitry diagrams, and not math, when they design things. Its just much easier to understand something you can see infront of you, instead of haveing to "think" you way too)


Instead I think you should start with the "physic's" behinde why The logic gates work as they do.
Tell them of the differnt types and then show them a truth table, and draw the circuitry for it.

Mr Pedantic 's idea of showing them how a calculator works, is probably a good idea.

And go from there, going from small to big.

 

[jhu]

You can also play with Legos.

 

[Borkil]

here is the class webpage of the intro to digital logic i took a couple years ago. https://engineering.purdue.edu/ece270/ if you click on videos link, there are class lecture videos. not all the videos are uploaded yet. module 4 is the one that explains the simple computer. here is the lecture slides https://engineering.purdue.edu/ece270/Notes/PDF/2-Mod4_CP_IMPACT_2012.pdf pg 158 is the section where it steps through what a cpu does.

 

[piasabird]

Yeah just go read a book. I could explain some of it in theory, but it is way complicated. It gets into wave design, the HHZ clock, BUS movement, Instruction register, Cache, Size of the register, Number of Pipes or pathways, Out of Order Processing, ALU, Hard wiring instructions vs stored comples instrutions, DMA, ETC.