Digital computer electronics
by Albert Paul Malvino · first published 1977
50% recommend50% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Starts from logic gates and builds up step by step to a working CPU, giving an undergraduate-level view of computer architecture. It serves as a helpful, clear reference for learning how hardware is designed.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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There are less dangerous ways to explore "building a CPU from scratch" that hit on the really interesting bits. "Digital Computer Electronics" by Malvino and Brown. You are given logic gates (and, or, nor, nand etc) and build up from there to a working CPU. The articles referenced about HF are terrifying. I am a programmer, but, have worked…
on “A home-made lithographically-fabricated integrated circuit” ↗I found “Digital Computer Electronics” by Malvino and Brown really helpful. It starts from scratch. Was also a recommendation from Ben Eater, but you will only find used copies, since the book is not in print no more.
on “Show HN: 1.5kb Microkernel for Ben Eater's 6502 Computer” ↗Check out Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold for a slightly romantic take, or Malvino's Digital Computer Electronics for an undergraduate view of computer architecture.
on “Ask HN: recommend a book that explains how computers work down to the silicon” ↗Very nice! I had the same idea, and had started laying out the designs he was using in KiCAD as well. If you haven't already I suggest picking up a copy of Digital Computer Electronics [0] by Malvino, which he uses as a basis for his designs. It's a great reference and lets you dive a little deeper into the design as well. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Computer-Electronics-Albert-M...
on “The Min-T Processor” ↗Reminds me of the book that taught me computer architecture, Malvino & Brown's "Digital Computer Electronics". Especially the block diagrams. I do wonder why we weren't taught about stack machines in my university courses, they seem practical for low-level data handling.
on “Stack Computers (1989)” ↗I really liked Digital Computer Electronics by Albert Paul Malvino.
on “Ask HN: Technical Summer Reading List” ↗Never heard of this but the comments here are piquing my interest. I'm currently reading Digital Computer Electronics (1977 edition, current here: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Computer-Electronics-Albert-Ma...). Would others agree this might be a nice follow up for me, especially if I'm looking for more current material…
on “The Art of Electronics, 3rd Edition, to be released April 2015” ↗…simple CPU from TTL parts, and suggested I read it. Over the next few weeks, I tracked down those articles, as well as Mims' "Understanding Digital Computers" and a textbook by Albert Paul Malvino, "Digital Computer Electronics." I read them all, and when I next had lunch with Ken at Vito's I reported back that it all seemed much clearer now - so much so that I thought I could even build a CPU myself. Then Ken said, "well,…
on “MyCPU – Homebrew Computer from Discrete Logic Gates” ↗I actually just started breadboarding an 8-bit CPU inspired by Ben Eater's project of the same nature [0]. The book he makes reference to "Digital Computer Electronics" by Malvino provides plans for a complete 'Simple As Possible' CPU using 74LS chips. [0] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLowKtXNTBypGqImE405J2...
on “32-bit homebrew CPU using 74' series logic” ↗This was so cool as a book. Ben Eater did a fantastic job of making these videos, explaining each concept, but the computer he builds (the SAP, or Simple As Possible) is directly from "Digital Computer Electronics" (c) 1977 by Albert Paul Malvino. He even goes so far as to mention it and shows a copy of the book in his first video: https://youtu.be/HyznrdDSSGM?t=49 I stumbled across the book 4 years ago when…
on “Build an 8-bit computer from scratch” ↗In Ben Eater's breadboard-computer videos https://eater.net/8bit he recommends Digital Computer Electronics by Malvino and Brown. (I haven't read it yet myself.) https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Computer-Electronics-Jerald-M...
on “Crazy Circuits: An Open Source Electronics Learning System” ↗Is the book you're referring to Digital Computer Electronics by Albert Paul Malvino?
on “From Nand to Tetris (2017)” ↗Ben Eater's SAP came from "Digital Computer Electronics" by Albert Paul Malvino and Jerald A. Brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple-As-Possible_computer
on “Show HN: We built an 8-bit CPU as 2nd year EE students” ↗