Tag Archives: wiring

Electronics

DIY 8-bit Computer: Big Mess o’ Wires

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Steve Chamberlin created an 8-bit computer from discrete logic and called his project the Big Mess o’ Wires.

The BMOW runs at 2MHz and has 512K RAM and 16K ROM.  It is constructed with primarily 7400 series logic and over 1048 wirewrap connections.

The feature list is very impressive:

Here’s a video of a music test from his site:

I am completely blown away by this project.  Has someone invited Steve to the Maker Faire??  I want to see this thing in person!

Check out his site and prepare to spend at least an hour looking at all of his plans and construction photos.

Totally amazing.

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Electronics, Projects, Tutorials

Learn how to make a wiring harness

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“Wiring harnesses are an essential and often overlooked part of any electrical system. On a car, a good wiring harness can make the difference between a weekend joyride and a long tow home. Building a quality wiring harness requires a couple inexpensive tools and the right techniques…”

The Maker Faire is an event held twice a year (alternating between San Mateo, California and Austin, Texas) by the folks at Make Magazine, one of my favorite publications from O’Reilly. The event centers on DIY culture, covering everything from making combat robots to felting and needlepoint.

This year I participated in the 2008 Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo and showed people how to make better wiring harnesses for things like cars and electronic projects.

During the Maker Faire I handed out a one page tutorial with information about where to buy the tools and supplies as well as the steps needed to create a template and make a wiring harness from scratch.

Here is a pdf version of the  handout.

Or grab it in .png format, click on the image below for a full size version.

Learn how to make a wiring harness!
Make Professional Quality Wiring Harnesses

Check it out and let me know what you think.