• Demonstrate the switch box computer
  
  (Of course this assumes that you have built a switch box computer according to the circuit diagram below! This site will eventually be updated to include step-by-step instructions for building the switch box computer.)
  
  
• Complete last weeks home work
  
  -check and correct the home work using the switch box computer

• Review what we did over the last 2 weeks
  
  -we learned how computers represent numbers
  ‘1’ bit means ‘ON’ or ‘electricity is flowing’
  ‘0’ bit means ‘OFF’ or ‘electricity is not flowing’
  
  -we demonstrated that a circuit of switches can add 2 numbers
  
  -the basic instructions that a computer understands are made up of circuits just like the one we made
  
• Show evolution of switches (samples are good):
  
  mechanical (origin of computer bug), vacuum tubes
  transistors, IC - integrated circuits
  
• Explain basic data size using video game examples
  
  -show how game cartridges plug into bus using I/O card & motherboard
  
• List evolution of CPUs
  
  20 switches to add 2 2-bit numbers,
  52 switches to add 2 4-bit numbers

How does a computer work?

-a circuit of switches can perform specific instructions like adding 2 numbers

“A computer is a machine which follows a set of instructions to perform calculations or to store, process, and retrieve information.”

-the basic instructions that a computer understands are made up of circuits just like the one we made

-types of switches:
mechanical, tubes, transistors, IC - integrated circuits

CPUs

-basic data size 8, 16, 32 bits, 64 bits

NES 8 bit, SNES 16 bit, Sega 16 bit, N64 64 bits