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[FearfulJesuit]

I want to build a dwarfputer- nothing particularly big, one that will add and subtract up to several thousand.
How could I build AND, XOR and OR gates using levers and mechanisms? I'm at a loss for plans, and I'm not exactly fond of fluid logic (tends to lead to Fun if you have too much fluid.)

[Quietust]

Take a look at the Computing article on the wiki - it should have most of the information you need. Note that you'll still need to deal with fluids in general (since there's no machine that sends an on/off signal depending on whether it is receiving mechanical power, something that'd be really nice to have).

[FearfulJesuit]

Take a look at the Computing article on the wiki - it should have most of the information you need. Note that you'll still need to deal with fluids in general (since there's no machine that sends an on/off signal depending on whether it is receiving mechanical power, something that'd be really nice to have).

What about axles? They don't move when they're unpowered, but they do if they are.

[FearfulJesuit]

Take a look at the Computing article on the wiki - it should have most of the information you need. Note that you'll still need to deal with fluids in general (since there's no machine that sends an on/off signal depending on whether it is receiving mechanical power, something that'd be really nice to have).

What about axles or millstones?? They don't move when they're unpowered, but they do if they are.

[Sphalerite]

What about axles? They don't move when they're unpowered, but they do if they are.

The problem is that in a computer you need some method by which you can connect the output of one logic gate to inputs of an arbitrary number of other logic gates.  In the case of mechanical computing, your gate inputs are linked connections to gear assemblies (or floodgates, hatches, and doors, but you want to avoid water).  You can connect the output of a mechanical logic gate to millstone or something, but there's no way to have the movement of the millstone then control a gear assembly elsewhere in the system.  To to that you need to use a pump and pressure plate, so that when the axle is turning water is pumped onto the pressure plate to trigger gear assemblies elsewhere in the system.