Mark wrote: >I have Texas Instruments handbook on TTL Logic devices [~$25], or gates as >they're commonly called. If you look at your motherboard you see these >grey >or brown things of rectangular shape edged with silvery leads mounted on >the >board. > >A typical gate that is used everywhere, but usually in combination with >another function in a gate, is a 2-input NAND [SN74LS01]. That is, two >inputs, conforming to the boolean algebra equation set: 1*1 = 0, 1*0 = 1, >0*1 >= 1, and 0 * 0 = 1. The transistor electric circuit diagram is quite >complicated even for this simple NAND gate. > >Using light, and not concerning ourselves with a detailed diagram showing >how >the logic works, we can achieve the very same results using mirrors. That >is, if the light is on = 1, then with two inputs we can generate the same >results table in a gate as that listed above, using mirrors and filters >only. > That is, ON and ON will cause opacity within our gate and output OFF. ON >and OFF will not cause opacity within our gate and output ON. &etc. > >I don't see why this has not even been mentioned before in the history of >computer manufacture.
Just a guess here, but I think one problem would be size. I'm not sure of the feasability of groups of mirrors being made small enough to be as densely packed as ICs. How were you envisioning the light getting from mirror to mirror? Would the light just travel through air, or were you thinking about fiberoptic cable? Reggie Bautista _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
