TTL cookbook
by Don Lancaster · first published 1974
13mentions
9recommended by
13HN commenters
2013–2025first – last mentioned
69% recommend31% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Hands-on introduction to TTL digital logic built around practical circuits to breadboard. It builds real understanding and suits hobbyists and students learning digital electronics.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I spent the better part of high school with a copy of Lancaster's TTL Cookbook in hand (still have my dog-eared copy). Then as an undergrad in 78 I re-read this primer for success. While I was more inclined towards the 'enterprise' track, this book nonetheless helped shape my attitude…
on “Incredible Secret Money Machine” ↗…how-to guide, the Z80 book by William Barden and published by Howard Sams, has been placed online. I believe the same book was printed and sold by Radio Shack. I read that book after Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook, also published by Howard Sams. That was around 1981, while I was in high school, and I had practically no electronics knowledge before that. Those books were extremely clearly written, and even today…
on “My Homebrew Z80 Microcomputer” ↗Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook and CMOS Cookbook would be good companions for the Ben Eater series. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0672210355/ref=dbs_a_def_r... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0750699434/ref=dbs_a_def_r... Actually…
on “Show HN: 1.5kb Microkernel for Ben Eater's 6502 Computer” ↗I grew up with Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook and spent a lot of fun hours breadboarding things that beeped and blinked. He has now made it and many others like his Active Filter and CMOS Cookbooks available on his quirky, old school website. https://www.tinaja.com/ebksamp1.shtml
on “Don Lancaster's electronic cookbooks available for download” ↗Maybe it is generational but Don Lancaster Cookbooks was far more influential on me. His books were far more useful and instructive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lancaster RTL Cookbook, TTL Cookbook, CMOS Cookbook, Active Filter Cookbook, TV Typewriter Cookbook, Cheap Video Cookbook, Son of Cheap Video, Apple books, Assembly Cookbook for Apple II/IIe, Enhancing Your Apple II - Volume 1, Enhancing…
on “Forrest Mims and RadioShack” ↗…versions of the Sather book, for the II and //e. I bought the Apple when I decided these computer thingies were catching on, and I wanted to learn how they worked. I had to drop back to Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook to get a basic understanding of logic blocks. I always found it useful to have a question in mind when you start tearing into something. In my case, it was "how does it know that an "A" on this TV should…
on “The Apple II Circuit Description” ↗…this is a way to play with technology found in computers in 1972 / 1973. As a stepping stone to digital logic and FPGA work, Ben Eater's tutorial isn't bad. Just get yourself a copy of Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook or CMOS Cookbook to bring his tutorial up to best practices.
on “Build an 8-bit computer from scratch (2016)” ↗> he’s well known for his TTL Cookbook and CMOS Cookbook. Those two books were my best purchases back in the day, they helped immensely to grasp the technology. I see they're now free for download at Don's page, and they're still relevant…
on “Don Lancaster's Guru's Lair Home Page” ↗I stil have several of his books within a few feet: the TTL Cookbook was an inspiration back in the day, followed the CMOS version and in particular "The Cheap Video Cookbook" when VT100's were mad expensive things. The book that still get used on a moderately frequent…
on “Don Lancaster's “Guru's Lair” Archive” ↗I can't find record of this anywhere. I'm talking about Don Lancaster of TTL Cookbook fame, and yes of Guru's Lair.[1] The quote, or perhaps the more PG version "don't mess with the eagle", appears in his later book The Incredible Secret Money Machine. That one is more of a philosophy…
on “Malware and Hacking Forum Darkode Is Shut Down; Dozens Arrested” ↗I've read the book (and TTL Cookbook, of course) and met Don Lancaster a couple of times at social gatherings. I think the biggest message of this book is how to bootstrap yourself in making money doing something you love to do. This book…
on “Incredible Secret Money Machine” ↗I have to ask, owning both Don Lancaster’s TTL Cookbook and Walt Jung’s IC Op-amp cookbook, how many of the devices described in those books are available today? Does it make sense to think about 74xx series devices (I guess the 555 timer is still around).…
on “World Radio History: Tab Books” ↗The author of ISMM, Don Lancaster, just passed away earlier this week. He was also an electrical engineer by trade, and made a good chunk of bread in the 70s and 80s by self publishing books like The TTL Cookbook and selling them by mail order.
on “Turning My Passion/Hobby into a Business Made Me Hate It” ↗