2026 Retrocomputing Challenge: 16-Bit Homebrew Relay Computer
2026 Retrocomputing Challenge: 16-Bit Homebrew Relay Computer No comments by: Tyler August September 12, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy You want Retro? We did, when we started our retrocomputing challenge. [Peter] decided that transistors weren’t retro enough, and sent us this lovely homebrew relay computer, complete with 16- bit CPU, which is rather more bits than one normally associates with clicky clacky contacts. The architecture is very simple– it just uses an accumulator register, ACCU, and goes from there.
- ▪2026 Retrocomputing Challenge: 16-Bit Homebrew Relay Computer No comments by: Tyler August September 12, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy You want Retro?
- ▪We did, when we started our retrocomputing challenge. [Peter] decided that transistors weren’t retro enough, and sent us this lovely homebrew relay computer, complete with 16- bit CPU, which is rather more bits than one normally associates
- ▪The architecture is very simple– it just uses an accumulator register, ACCU, and goes from there.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/09/12/2026-retrocomputing-challenge-16-bit-homebrew-relay-computer/ |
| Publication time | Sun, 13 Sep 2026 02:00:29 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-13T02:12:05.887Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-13T02:12:17.218Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
2026 Retrocomputing Challenge: 16-Bit Homebrew Relay Computer No comments by: Tyler August September 12, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy You want Retro? We did, when we started our retrocomputing challenge. [Peter] decided that transistors weren’t retro enough, and sent us this lovely homebrew relay computer, complete with 16- bit CPU, which is rather more bits than one normally associates with clicky clacky contacts. The architecture is very simple– it just uses an accumulator register, ACCU, and goes from there. All mathematics and save/load operations go through ACCU. There whole instruction set is only 19 commands, and he’s used that set to program such lovely things as calculating 3 digits of Pi– which only took 8 minutes of glorious clicking.
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