PCB data sheet of a custom 4-bit microcontroller

Building A Microcontroller From Scratch: The B4 Thinker Project

[Marius Taciuc’s] latest endeavor, the B4 Thinker, offers a captivating glimpse into microcontroller architecture through a modular approach. This proof-of-concept project is meticulously documented, with a detailed, step-by-step guide to each component and its function.

Launched in 2014, the B4 Thinker project began with the ambitious goal of building a microcontroller from scratch. The resulting design features a modular CPU architecture, including a base motherboard that can be expanded with various functional modules, such as an 8-LED port card. This setup enables practical experimentation, such as writing simple assembly programs to control dynamic light patterns. Each instruction within this system requires four clock pulses to execute, and the modular design allows for ongoing development and troubleshooting.

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Motherboard Walls

[Chris Harrison] and a friend created these motherboard walls for Carnegie Mellon professor [Scott Hudson]. According to [Harrison], he amassed over 150 pounds of motherboards, most of them off of eBay, to create this surreal project. Nearly every inch of the lab is covered with motherboards, of different lengths and varying shades of green, silver, and black. We think it’s pretty festive.

[via Neatorama]