AGX-8 Modular Educational Computer Platform
Podcast Episode Draft: Teaching Computers from the Wires Up
Written and Presented by: Orsiris, Systems Engineer
Date: [Insert Recording Date]
🎙️ Episode Intro
Welcome to today’s episode where we dive deep into the AGX-8 project—a fully hand-assembled, modular 8-bit computer system that lets you learn how computers work by actually building one. From register-level thinking to AI-assisted workflows, AGX-8 bridges the full spectrum of how humans understand and create computing logic.
AGX-8 is our response to a question every curious mind has asked: What actually happens inside a computer? And rather than answer that with theory, we answer it with wires, circuits, and code you can touch.
🧱 What Is AGX-8?
AGX-8 is not just another kit. It’s a philosophy. It builds on the legacy of Ben Eater’s 8-bit machine, but extends it into a scalable, open platform: AGX stands for Aether Gear Extension.
Everything is built by hand—every register, ALU, clock, and bus. You don’t just simulate it. You see it. And for every pulse of data you wire, you understand what a machine truly does.
The best part? Once you’ve built it, you can connect it to modern microcontrollers like the ESP32 for console I/O and even internet access. And yes, you can write and compile AGX programs in Visual Studio Code, right alongside your modern workflow.
🎯 What Are We Trying to Teach?
- How a CPU is wired and functions at the logic level
- What “assembly language” actually looks like, and why it matters
- How programming languages abstract down to voltage and gates
- How to debug visually, electrically, and semantically
- And how to build new systems with confidence from the ground up
It’s not just coding. It’s machine fluency.
🛠️ Core Components
- Register A & B (solderable or breadboard-friendly)
- ALU with arithmetic and logic
- Clock control: manual, stepper, and auto modes
- RAM and ROM with memory-mapped I/O
- Program Counter and basic instruction cycle
- Stackable modules for serial I/O, LED matrix, sound, interrupts, and internet
💡 Programming Stack
- AGX-8 ASM: Custom-designed assembly language
- AGX-C: C-like syntax for higher-level logic
- AGX-Py8: Python-like interface for scripting logic
- Develop in VS Code with optional AI tools, emulators, and loaders
📚 Who Is This For?
- Students who want to understand computers from the ground up
- Educators who want something tactile, visual, and expandable
- Developers curious about the physical meaning of “if” statements
- Anyone who wants to move from black-box thinking to open-hardware confidence
💰 Materials Budget Overview
We keep it minimal and modular. For listeners interested in building their own or supporting the project, here’s what’s involved:
| Item | Unit Cost | Quantity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCB Sets (5 modules) | $6.00 | 5 | $30.00 |
| Parts Kit (resistors, ICs, wires) | $12.00 | 1 | $12.00 |
| ESP32 Serial Console Module | $8.00 | 1 | $8.00 |
| Prototyping Tools & Breadboard | $20.00 | 1 | $20.00 |
| Approximate Total | $70.00 |
For under $100, you can build something most people think is impossible to understand.
🗓️ What’s Next?
- Open-source documentation and video walkthroughs
- Full source code for AGX-8 ASM and cross-compiler
- Web-based emulator for classrooms and sandboxing
- GitHub + Wiki launch with all circuit diagrams and code
🎤 Outro
AGX-8 is a system that doesn’t just teach computing. It teaches why computing works the way it does. From bare metal to Python script, we’re here to connect the dots—and reconnect learners to the joy of knowing exactly how each bit got there.
This is Orsiris, signing off from the lab—reminding you:
Don’t just use a computer. Build one.