N
Nablaman
nablaman.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2010
Nablaman is the site of a hobbyist who built Zusie, a relay-based computer, and documents the build, simulator, and software.
What HN saysCommenters find the relay computer beautiful and mesmerizing. They link its progress page and video, and one says they built a similar machine.
15HN people shared it
11linked it in comments
4stories submitted
297story points
2 years agolast shared
2010people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Zusie - Homebuilt relay computer (unfinished)6 people · 2 points · first shared 2010 · discussion on HN
- 2Progress3 people · first shared 2014
- 3Zusie – My Relay Computer2 people · 160 points · first shared 2014 · 21 comments on HN
- 4Zusie Relay Computer Simulator2 people · 2 points · first shared 2014 · discussion on HN
- 5Zusie – My Relay Computer1 people · 133 points · first shared 2025 · 31 comments on HN
- 6Z4.pdf1 people · first shared 2024
- 7Software1 people · first shared 2014
What HN people wrote when they linked it
dunham · 2025-01-31
There was an update in November 2013 at the end of https://www.nablaman.com/relay/story.php
> The last time I wrote something here was two and a half years ago. Since then, Zusie has been more or less finished. Also, I've moved to a different city, and Zusie has followed along.
bittercynic · 2025-01-31
That's beautiful and mesmerizing - video here: http://www.nablaman.com/relay/progress.php
I built one of these[0] a few years ago, and really enjoyed the build process and playing around with it. It was a pretty big project, but no special skills required.
[0] https://relaysbc.sourceforge.net/
dahart · 2025-01-31
So cool! Should link to the project homepage http://www.nablaman.com/relay/ Or the news page with pics & videos. http://www.nablaman.com/relay/progress.php Last update was in 2011, btw.
vallassy · 2024-01-12
Also see the link at the bottom of the page for an English translation by Fredrik Andersson [PDF]
https://nablaman.com/relay/download/Z4.pdf
whatshisface · 2017-05-10
Today, hobbyists build these computer for fun and to test their engineering mettle:
http://www.nablaman.com/relay/
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/
ohazi · 2016-08-19
I guess it's a lot quieter than using relays...
http://www.nablaman.com/relay/
chc4 · 2016-06-06
There are plenty of hand-built CPU projects built by enthusiasts, made out of wire-wrapped integrated circuits[0]. There was even a Zuse homage I saw that was built entirely out of magnetic relays[1]. It's...insane, tbh.
0: http://www.homebrewcpu.com/
1: http://nablaman.com/relay/
kiiski · 2014-12-07
If you go to the downloads page[1], all the files have last modified date of 21-nov-2013. I don't know if that's due to actual changes, or something else. I tried sending him a message through the contact form.
[1]: http://www.nablaman.com/relay/software/
bainsfather · 2014-12-07
His 'Zusie Simulator' is also interesting to play with - watch the bits change as the program runs.
http://www.nablaman.com/relay/sim/zusie.html
hazz · 2014-12-07
The last update on the News page[0] is dated "June 13, 2011", so it seems not. A shame, it's such an interesting project.
[0] http://www.nablaman.com/relay/progress.php
DanBC · 2012-04-21
More points for someone who wire-wraps a bunch of transistors.
EDIT: This is the one using discrete transistors (http://www.6502.org/users/dieter/mt15/mt15.htm)
(http://www.bigmessowires.com/bmow1/)
(http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/index.html)
(http://www.nablaman.com/relay/)
(http://www.northdownfarm.co.uk/rory/tim/)
etc etc
(And see other sites on the homebrew CPU web ring.)