World’s Worst Video Card

This is a project I'm currently working on. I'm trying to replicate Ben Eater's video, "The Worst Graphics Card", using the experience I have right now (which is basically zero) and the components I have access to. I got into this kind of circuitry after a college class. It was simple stuff, but I had never done anything like it before, and I was fascinated. After that, Ben Eater's videos started showing up for me, and I really wanted to try building something myself.

Is it maybe too difficult for my current skill level? Maybe. But it's worth a try. As I mentioned earlier, I'm using the components I can find. What do I mean by that? Well, where I live, it's not easy to get the same components Ben Eater uses, so I'm using alternatives. Instead of LS chips, I'm using HC ones because they're easier to find here.

Another thing is that EEPROM programmers are extremely expensive, so I'll have to build my own using an Arduino Nano and, again, using Ben Eater’s design (this man is just lovely). That means the first step is building the EEPROM programmer before I can even start the main project. But in the end, what really matters is the final result.

Here's a list of the components I need to get started. The ones marked with an "X" are the ones I already have.

Arduino EEPROM Programmer

• Arduino Nano
• 74HC595 (units)

World’s Worst Video Card Components

• 1.5kΩ resistors (5 units)
• 680Ω resistors (5 units)
• 220Ω resistors (10 units)
• Green LEDs (10 units)
• 28C256-15 EEPROM
• 74HC161 – 4-bit synchronous binary counter (6 units)
• 74HC04 – Hex inverter (4 units)
• 74HC30 – 8-input NAND gate (8 units)
• 74HC00 – Quad NAND gate (3 units)
• 10 MHz Full Can Crystal Oscillator
• Screw-terminal VGA connector

Every time I get a new item, I’ll update this list and keep the project going.