The devices rigorously extend the capabilities in WireWorld. They allow you to do more useful work, such as creating a crossing of two wires or a memory cell.
The clock device sends out regular signals without receiving any input.
The top clock device ticks once every six generations. This is called a 6-cycle clock. The middle clock device ticks once every 24 generations and is called a 24-cycle clock. The bottom clock device contains the number 0110.1111 in 48 copper cells, hence a 48-cycle clock, and sends out this number.
The wire that comes up from the bottom left contains a start-of-data indicator for the output wire of the bottom clock device.
The diode device allows electrons to pass in only one direction.
The top diode device faces forward allowing the electron flow from left to right. The bottom diode device faces backward, stopping the flow of electrons.
The two 12-cycle clocks on the left serve to provide example information.
The crossing device is used for crossing the data on two wires.
This asynchronous crossing device is designed by David Moore and Mark Owen.
It outputs (A, B) ⇒ (A ∧ B, B ∧ A). So it only works if signals come in at different times. If two signals come in at the same time, nothing will be forwarded.
The asynchronous crossing device will prove especially useful with the ROM device.
This full crossing device outputs (A, B) ⇒ (B, A). So it works correctly with all four possible bit patterns 00, 01, 10 and 11. This full crossing device consists of three interconnected exclusive-or gates.
This special crossing device outputs (A, B) ⇒ (A ∧ B, A). So the top input signal (A) is correctly transmitted to the bottom output wire (A). The top output wire contains however (A ∧ B) instead of B.
The special crossing device will prove especially useful with the multiplexer device.
The duplex device duplicates a signal.
The top duplex device is a single hat shaped device which makes one duplicate of the input signal. The bottom duplex device contains a hat on top of the hat which makes two duplicates of the input signal. You can make more duplicates by locating more hats on top of the hats.
This duplex device makes exactly four copies of the input signal.
The demultiplexer device controls which output wire the input data is sent to.
This is an externally controlled demultiplexer device (a switch) designed by Karl Scherer.
The input data is routed to the bottom output wire when the control line is active. Otherwise, it will be routed to the top output wire. To connect the input data to the top or the bottom output wire for a long time one can use a latch.
The wire that comes up half way from the bottom contains a start-of-data indicator for the output wire.
The multiplexer device controls which input wire the output data come from.
This externally controlled multiplexer device is designed by Karl Scherer.
The control signal connects the top or bottom input data to the output wire. The top input data is routed to the output wire when the control line is active. Otherwise the bottom input data will be routed to the output wire. A T-latch device is used to connect the top or bottom input data to the output wire for a long time.
Diagram multiplexer device
The classic mono input T-latch device
The latch device is a bistable circuit, a memeory cell, which can store a single bit of information. It has one of two states: set or reset, and it sends out a steady stream of electrons once it is set.
This dual input SR-latch (set-reset) device has seperate set and reset points. The SR-latch device is set with the top input wire and reset with the bottom input wire. It is possible to set the SR-latch device several times in a row before resetting it again. It is also possible to reset the SR-latch device several times in a row before setting it again. The state of the SR-latch device is stored in the small loop in the center. While the SR-latch device is set an eletron is continuously circling around.
This mono input T-latch (toggle) device, designed by Ty Finally in 2022, has a single input for toggling between set and reset. It is not possible to set the T-latch device twice in succession, because the second attempt will always toggle the state of the T-latch device.
The latch device is similar to the flip-flop device. However, the flip-flop device includes a clock signal while the latch device does not.
The ROM device is a read-only memory. It can only be adjusted through "hardware", by changing the copper cell arrangement.
This ROM device, designed by David Moore and Mark Owen, consists of a grid of multiple linked rom gates. The rom gates are either and-not/or gates, visible on the left, or and-not/and-not gates, visible on the right. The outstretched arms and legs of the rom gates are to connect the rom gates together.
By selecting which input control wire is active you get different results. When the top input wire is active you get the output pattern 1011. When the bottom input wire is active you get the output pattern 0110. The 12-cycle clock on the bottom left indicates when the output data can be read.
The actually stored bits in the grid are those rom gates with an absent ear at the bottom left, the and-not/or gates. Each incoming electron moves through the rom gates to the bottom right. Whenever an electron encounters a rom gate with an absent ear, an and-not/or gate, it creates a twin which travels to the bottom left where it exits.
This sample of the ROM device has a grid of 2 x 4 rom gates, with two input control wires and four output data wires. However, if you want to display a decimal digit with a seven segment display, you will need 10 input control wires and 7 output data wires. This forms a grid with a total of 10 x 7 rom gates.
The edge-detector device detects a positive or negative edge.
This positive-edge-detector device forwards a signal when it detects the first binary 1, an electron, in a series of binary 1's.
This negative-edge-detector device forwards a signal when it detects the first binary 0, a missing electron, after a series of binary 1's.
The divide-by-2 device divides the frequency of the input signal by 2.
This divide-by-2 device uses a T-latch device to remember the state it is in, 1 or 0. Next, a negative-edge-detector device is used to switch on the negative edge. A positive-edge-detector device could also be used here, to switch on the positive edge.
The output wire at the bottom indicates the original clock frequency.
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Last update: September 2nd 2022
