Mechanical CPU Clock simply demonstrates how the CPU works

Mechanical CPU Clock is a DIY tool from Lior Elazary to teach his children how the Central Processing Unit of a personal computer works. The CPU Clock is a simple effort to demonstrate the logic behind the functioning of a CPU in a physical form. The designer has chosen this simple method rather than telling his children the history of transistors, microprocessors and other complicated components inside a CPU and computer.

Mechanical CPU Clock

The Mechanical CPU Clock is built of all important elements of a CPU. It features the arithmetic processing unit, RAM, buses, a control unit and others. Though a bit confusing to understand, the clock well demonstrates how the CPU works, Elazary says. The Mechanical CPU Clock mainly contains a pinball-style ball and several ‘flip-flops.’ The programming of the tool also resembles the pinball action as the ball moves along the flip-flops to indicate the various functions of CPU.

Functioning of the Mechanical CPU Clock is fascinating, indeed. Various data and figures are displayed on three registers; A, B and C with the movement of the ball. The register A comes in the center of the red parts and it is set with the LSB on the top and MSB on the bottom. The ball makes a sound while moving along the flip-flops and it will provide an insight to the performance of CPU.

According to Lior Elazary, it is a clock everyone can shape up easily. The designer has presented the step-by-step processes of building the DIY project on the Instructables.com. For more information regarding the project, just get into the site where Elazary explains how it can be made easily.

Via: Slashdot/Liorelazary