Creating a computer from scratch is like building a skyscraper from grains of sand. Each layer of technology translates simple electricity into complex logic, eventually resulting in the software we use daily. From Electricity to Intelligence: The Computing Stack
When logic gates are combined, they form circuits capable of performing specific tasks. These circuits are categorized into two distinct types. From Switches to Software: A Comprehensive Hierarchy of
Sequential circuits possess "state"; their output depends on the current input and the history of past inputs. This is achieved through feedback loops. MIT OpenCourseWare (6
| Layer | Example | |-------|---------| | User/Apps | Web browser, game | | OS / Libraries | Linux kernel, glibc | | Compiler/Assembler | GCC, LLVM | | Machine Code | Binary executable | | Microarchitecture | Pipeline, branch predictor | | Logic Gates | NAND, NOR, Flip-flops | | Transistors | MOSFETs | | Silicon | Doped crystalline lattice | Creating a computer from scratch is like building
MIT 6.004 gates PDF → direct from ocw.mit.eduinst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61c/sp21/lectures/lec02.pdf