you may want to build this 2-bit paper processor and learn how it works first. It should teach you the basic concepts you need to understand the 1-bit version. As you can see in the image above ...

You can do a lot (and learn a lot) with a 1-bit computer called the WDR-1. It’s never been easier to turn a USB port into an embedded systems dev kit by using these FTDI and Bluepill tricks.

Bit slice processors used arithmetic logic units (ALUs) that typically came in 4-bit increments, although 1- and 2-bit devices were also made. Connected to a control unit, the ALU slices were ...