ZedRipper: A 16-core Z80 laptop
Tangentially related question: how does one learn "computer architecture" or "computer engineering" as a <i>hobbyist</i>? I'm actually not even sure what those terms really mean.<p>I'm amazed that people can build homebrew computers using Z80, MOS 6502/6510, or Motorola 68k series microprocessors.<p>I could buy one of those homebrew Z80 kits and assemble it, but I don't think I'll gain much real <i>understanding</i> just from the act of assembling the kit.<p>I have long wondered how things work down to the bare-metal level. What does it take to be able to design (and program?) a homebrew computer? Let's say I leave out the FPGA route and only focus on using real, off-the-shelf ICs.<p>I'm mostly just a software guy (I write Python, I've learned automata theory at University) but I haven't learned any real electronics beyond things like Ohm's law, KCL, KVL, capacitance, impedance as a complex number. I don't even know my transistors or diodes.