Relay-based projects

Project Logs

Collapse

Falstad's Circuijs now has relays !
Yann Guidon / YGDES • 06/27/2021 at 21:51 • 0 comments

I was trying to simulate my incrementer's new carry logic and noticed a new feature in http://www.falstad.com/circuit/circuitjs.html : configurable relays !

You can edit the coil's inductance and resistance, the contact's on and off resistances, the coil's on current and the number of contacts. Still missing is the off current so this is not yet ready to simulate hysteresis. I sent a bug/feature request ;-)

This page already has some links to relay simulators but circuitjs stands on its own and does many things, moderately well but well enough for most cases. I used it a lot to simulate many types of circuits and now even more !

What else do you think is still missing from circuitjs ?

(And for those who might wonder, here is the new circuit for the carry logic, using coils in series instead of parallel as in a previous attempt, so now the current is constant for each slice of 4 bits)

And the link to play at home.
UPDATE
Circuitjs now handles hysteresis ! Here's my first test with the experimental code :-) The new features will be soon integrated in the main dev branch.
Rory's computer
Yann Guidon / YGDES • 09/08/2018 at 09:55 • 0 comments

The TIM machine was featured at EMF !
You too can build your own machine :-)
April 1st video
Yann Guidon / YGDES • 03/28/2017 at 04:02 • 2 comments

Sweet music composed by @Al Williamsl :-)
Relays are so simple :-)
Relay calculators on youtube
Yann Guidon / YGDES • 12/11/2016 at 16:51 • 0 comments

Covers the early electromechanical calculators :-)
The Harwell Dekatron / WITCH calculator, uses Dekatron tubes for storage and telephone relays for the rest. The oldest electronic computer that is still working !
The computational speed is crazy and tested "live" !
More links welcome !

View all 4 project logs

Discussions

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 03/21/2024 at 18:07

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT664Mcjypk Pi calculated by bit-serial relay logic

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/22/2023 at 23:47

How come I missed this one ??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZwGbe_eyxo Usagi Electric's relay-based calculators !

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/16/2023 at 23:17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93PHxVpPLxA

9 minutes for an arithmetic shift left ?...

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 09/03/2023 at 14:57

How come I have forgotten @Dr. Cockroach ?

https://hackaday.io/project/21451-uglytech-the-cardboard-relay

https://hackaday.io/project/112078-cardboard-relay-uglytech-is-getting-better

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 06/09/2023 at 19:27

https://hackaday.io/project/174585-libre-gates/log/220106-the-taxonomy-of-setreset-latches

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 06/02/2023 at 03:47

https://hackaday.com/2023/06/01/hackaday-prize-2023-building-a-relay-alu/#comment-6648565 :

https://hackaday.io/project/180742-relay-alu

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/15/2021 at 07:11

More relay computing history :
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPREMA
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.09549.pdf

A dual-redundant computer with about 17K relays used at the soviet-controlled Karl Zeiss Jena plant.

Konrad Zuse was the German pioneer of computing and the communists really wanted to catch up... And they claimed that Oprema drew only 40 Watts ? vs 5KW for the Z5... see https://www.vde.com/de/geschichte/karte/thueringen/gedenktafel

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 08/09/2021 at 23:16

http://www.electronixandmore.com/projects/relaylogic/index.html

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 07/27/2021 at 03:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hReCPMIcLHg Excellent video from Dave, every relay user should know this already !

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 03/03/2020 at 22:55

#Super Micro Relay Computer :-)

Are you sure? yes | no

Stefano wrote 12/29/2020 at 11:29

Now with the completion of the main unit can go into the list! :)

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 12/29/2020 at 11:41

done :-)

Good luck !!!

Are you sure? yes | no

Stefano wrote 12/29/2020 at 13:16

Thank you!

PS: looking at projects noted that "RELAY COMPUTING https://hackaday.io/project/163254-relay-computing" link is not working

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 07/31/2019 at 01:04

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907280007.html

Are you sure? yes | no

Mr. Piay wrote 01/10/2019 at 03:13

Hi, I'm also getting into relay computing: https://hackaday.io/project/163254-relay-computing

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 01/10/2019 at 04:20

Welcome ! have fuuuuun !

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 12/29/2020 at 11:42

oh, your project has disappeared :-(

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/11/2018 at 01:52

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE2F9dvAI-Q

just a flip-flop turned into a frequency divider :-D

Are you sure? yes | no

roelh wrote 11/10/2018 at 20:30

For simulating your relay project, I recommend the Falstad simulator: http://www.falstad.com/circuit/

The relays can be selected in the "Draw" menu under "Passive components".

An example of using the Falstad simulator for relays can be found in my Simple Relay ALU project, https://hackaday.io/project/162246-simple-relay-alu (Scroll to the end of the Details section).

Advantages of the Falstad simulator:

1) It will also simulate 'backdriving', current that flows through a contact in the direction that was not intended,

2) It shows the actual position of the contacts.

3) You can edit the relay symbol to set the resistance and attract current.

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/11/2018 at 00:38

ah the memories... *pun*
https://hackaday.io/project/20864-ygrec-15-bis/log/58292-i-can-see-now
I used falstad to test my DRAM array and its excellence was challenged by my naughty circuit :-P But yeah it's a cool and useful tool :-)

Are you sure? yes | no

roelh wrote 11/08/2018 at 18:40

The simplest Relay ALU ever ! Only 2 DPDT relays (or 3 SPDT relays) and a few diodes provide 10 functions, including shift-right. See https://hackaday.io/project/162246-simple-relay-alu !

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 11/01/2018 at 17:23

More relays ! (thanks @nbloqs )
https://www.waitingforfriday.com/?p=529
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/how-to-build-your-own-discrete-4-bit-alu/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy9v_VgCVtc&feature=PlayList&p=B0260D7D3339F825
https://www.ludd.ltu.se/~ragge/vtc/
http://www.antimath.info/electro/4-bit-relay-computer/

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 08/21/2018 at 18:10

More old relays !
The ARC is a pioneering electromechanical automatic calculator designed by the Booth spouses in UK.
http://www.chilton-computing.org.uk/acl/literature/manuals/cambridge/p005.htm
First use of a drum high-speed magnetic memory, first electromechanical and fast computer with 20 bits of fixed points, addition in 1/50th of a second... Very interesting :-)

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 06/06/2018 at 14:39

Old relays !
http://www.vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=460

http://www.vintagecomputer.net/cisc367/thm_Radio-ElectronicsDec56Cover.jpg
www.vintagecomputer.net/cisc367/Radio%20Electronics%20Dec%201956%20Relay%20Moe%20Plays%20Tic-tac-toe.pdf

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 05/04/2018 at 17:45

Yet more relays, for beginners : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minivac_601

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 05/04/2018 at 17:48

With the associated HaD rebuild : #HOMEBREW MINIVAC 601 COMPUTER

Are you sure? yes | no

Yann Guidon / YGDES wrote 04/23/2018 at 01:23

More relays !
https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/lost-generation-the-relay-computers/

Are you sure? yes | no

YGREC16 - YG's 16bits Relay Electronic Computer https://hackaday.io/project/18757 (superseded by #YGREC-РЭС15-bis)
SPDT16: 16-bits arithmetic unit with relays hackaday.io/project/10889 (superseded by the above project)
Kalin-Burkhart Logical Truth Calculator hackaday.io/project/7871 (project vanished ?)
4 bit relay adder hackaday.io/project/3802
RISC Relay CPU hackaday.io/project/11012
Simple Relay ALU https://hackaday.io/project/162246-simple-relay-alu
Relay Puzzle Box hackaday.io/project/2075
Swifty's Relay Clock Project https://hackaday.io/project/55956
Relay Logic Clock hackaday.io/project/8683
Relay Computer hackaday.io/project/10303
RelayRepRap https://hackaday.io/project/11914-relayreprap
Brainfuck relay computer https://hackaday.io/project/18599-brainfuck-relay-computer
4 bit relay adder https://hackaday.io/project/3802-4-bit-relay-adder
4-bit Relay ALU (РЦВМ-1) https://hackaday.io/project/159308-4-bit-relay-alu-1
RELAY COMPUTING https://hackaday.io/project/163254-relay-computing
R200 Relay Computer https://hackaday.io/project/160710-r200-relay-computer
Super Micro Relay Computer https://hackaday.io/project/167895-super-micro-relay-computer

Harry Porter's Relay Computer web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay (see the video )
i² (i Squared isquared.weebly.com
Basic relay computer electronixandmore.com/projects/relaycomputer
Relay Computer Two electronixandmore.com/projects/relaycomputertwo
RC-3 computerculture.org/projects/rc3
Zusie www.nablaman.com/relay YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxTUNOQS56cvNHgRD5bKMsg
Mercia relaiscomputer.nl
Relay calculator simonwinder.com/projects/relay-calculating-engine (broken) YouTube video of the square rooting machine : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI8luQnyM9A (2014)
Paul Laws's Relay Computer relaycomputer.blogspot.my moved to https://relaycomputer.co.uk/
Clicks clicksrelaycpu.blogspot.my
A fistful of relays github.com/Dovgalyuk/Relay/wiki/Build-log
Radiolok rln.nnov.ru/index.php github.com/radiolok/RelayComputer2 tqfp.org/radiolok/releynaya-evm-versiya-2-releynaya-logika-alu
TIM series northdownfarm.co.uk/rory/tim
Duo 14 Premium ostracodfiles.com/ostracod/relay.html
R500/7T strangecalc.ch Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67jLony0mXg
Simon relay processor cs.ubc.ca/~hilpert/e/simon
Relay Trainer relaysbc.sourceforge.net
Relaiscomputer relaiscomputer.de/pr.htm
Relaisrechner schlaefendorf.de/relaisrechner/dokumentation
4-Bit Relay Adder brainlubeonline.com/relaycomputer/RelayFramer.html
Neodem ALU/Computer neodem.com/.../relay-computer
TD4 with relays http://www.geocities.jp/team_zero_three/TD4/
Relay Computer http://www.xpl0.org/rr6/

Relay-based projects

Description

Details

Hackaday relay projects

Relay projects on other sites

Inspirational relay projects

Software for relay projects

Youtube:

Relay theory & general info

In the news

Project Logs

Collapse

Falstad's Circuijs now has relays !

UPDATE

Rory's computer

April 1st video

Relay calculators on youtube

Discussions

Similar Projects

Relay Logic Memory Game (Simon)

AMBAP: A Modest Bitslice Architecture Proposal

Single throw relay computing

Simple Temporized Relay

TOFU Circuit Simulator meatfighter.com/tofu
Relayser - Relay logic simulator github.com/SmallRoomLabs/Relayser

Relay-based projects

Become a Hackaday.io member

Just one more thing

Description

Details

Hackaday relay projects

Relay projects on other sites

Inspirational relay projects

Software for relay projects

Youtube:

Relay theory & general info

In the news

Project Logs Collapse

UPDATE

Enjoy this project?

Discussions

Become a Hackaday.io Member

Similar Projects

Does this project spark your interest?

Report project as inappropriate

Send message

Remove Member

Project Logs

Collapse