Top all-time · #551
Big Mess o' Wires
Personal blog · bigmessowires.comhardwareprogramming
Big Mess o' Wires is a personal blog at bigmessowires.com about hardware and programming. Since 2012, 108 different Hacker News readers have linked it 166 times, most often “Explaining 4K 60Hz Video Through USB-C Hub”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-10-23, and you can follow it by feed.
Rarely recommended · 0 of 40 sampled comments recommend it?
Why HN links it
HN readers link Big Mess o' Wires for its hands-on retro and homebrew computing projects and its clear explanations of display, USB-C and dock bandwidth.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 40 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Most-linked posts?
- Explaining 4K 60Hz Video Through USB-C Hub11 people · 12 mentions · first linked 2019-11-14
- /floppy-emu/10 people · 11 mentions · first linked 2017-07-06
- BMOW 1: Homemade CPU using TTLs described in 100 blog posts6 people · 6 mentions · first linked 2019-05-16
- DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016)6 people · 6 mentions · first linked 2018-12-25
- The Apple Disk II Controller Card5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2021-11-13
- /usb-wombat/4 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2021-08-07
- Nibbler 4 Bit CPU3 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2021-03-17
- Katy: μClinux on a Breadboarded 680083 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2021-09-16
- DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2016-06-05
- Katy – 68000 Linux on a Solderless Breadboard (2014)3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2017-11-07
What Hacker News says?
This is probably the best explanation available of this: https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-...
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “16-inch MacBook Pro”Submitted DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector as a story · 289 points
HN discussionHas anyone ported ucLinux to the QL? Shouldn't be that hard.. here it is on a minimal system: https://www.bigmessowires.com/68-katy/
Comment linking /68-katy/
on “Sir Clive Sinclair has died”Submitted 68 Katy – 68000 Linux on a Solderless Breadboard as a story · 254 points
HN discussionIIRC, some of those old machines interleaved CPU and GPU memory access windows, since memory was so much faster than CPUs back then. Edit: this is what I'm talking about: https://www.bigmessowires.com/2011/08/25/68000-interleaved-m... : > The Atari ST and Amiga appear to have both used a more aggressive scheme where video circuitry access occurred during known dead time in the 68000 bus cycle, so the CPU never had t…
Comment linking /2011/08/25/68000-interleaved-memory-controller-design/
on “Why Raspberry Pi Isn't Vulnerable to Spectre or Meltdown”Submitted Explaining 4K 60Hz Video Through USB-C Hub as a story · 253 points
HN discussionYou are thinking about USB-C Alt Mode, which is a way for displayport to go over USB-C. To get 4k60 + USB3.1, you either need USB-C Alt Mode with DP1.4+ (supported by almost zero monitors), or Thunderbolt-3 (supported by fantastically expensive monitors). It's much more economical to live with USB2.0 for your keyboards and mice, and get a separate USB3.1 hub if you need that. https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/05/19…
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)”Submitted Katy – 68000 Linux on a Solderless Breadboard (2014) as a story · 197 points
HN discussionI wondered if anyone had written an IWM simulator, and I didn't find one, but I did find this FPGA project: https://www.bigmessowires.com/2017/12/07/fpga-based-disk-con...
Comment linking /2017/12/07/fpga-based-disk-controller-for-apple-ii/
on “MicroMac, a Macintosh for under £5”Submitted US Customs Export Control Says: I’m Screwed as a story · 186 points
HN discussionReminds me a bit of the BMOW (Big Mess O' Wires) ( http://www.bigmessowires.com/2009/02/02/wire-wrap-photos/ ), which was/is a functional desktop computer made of hand-wrapped wire on a 12x7 wire-wrap board. Of course the Mega-processor is on a much larger scale, but in terms of unique hand-built computers I think they're comparable.
Comment linking /2009/02/02/wire-wrap-photos/
on “Megaprocessor”Submitted DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016) as a story · 170 points
HN discussionThat's how I wish it was for me but it's not. So far the largest charger I've been able to find only has 2 USB-C plugs. So, switch + pixel + pocket wifi + macbook air Then I have lots different computers. My Macbook Air has USB-C, my MacBook Pro has USB-A, My brand new desktop PC has USB-A, my Razer laptop has both USB-A and USB-C, my Playstation has USB-A. I have USB-A SD-Card readers and USB-A hubs. Then, when If…
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess”Submitted DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016) as a story · 160 points
HN discussionSorry, to clarify, you technically can get enough bandwidth for 4k@60hz out of a USB-C port, but you have to abandon the data lanes for more DisplayPort lanes. (I.e, give up all of your USB 3.0 ports and gigabit ethernet or similar-speed ports). So, "adapters" can do it, but docks generally can't. https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-... has the specific technical details.
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon”Submitted Explaining 4K 60Hz Video Through USB-C Hub (2019) as a story · 158 points
HN discussion4k60 + gigabit is not possible without going up to Thunderbolt 3 - there isn't enough bandwidth otherwise. The best you can do is 4k60 + USB 2.0 (so a gigabit Ethernet connection would cap out at ~300mbps in practice.) See https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-... DisplayPort 1.4 changes this, but everything seems to be stuck on 1.2 100W is, of course, possible. I use a CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock…
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon”Submitted Merchant Service Horror: Amazon Pay and the Disappearing $2300 as a story · 145 points
HN discussionNeeds to filter whether it can show HDMI 4K at 30Hz or 60Hz. And related to that, for video, it’s possible to have 2 4K 60hz through or one or none. Also filter whether it’s one USB-C connects to computer or two USB-C connects to computer. With two USB-C connected to computer, can pass through more types of USB to accessories. Finally, it doesn’t show matches that I know are matches. // I buy these to test, but don’…
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon”Submitted 68 Katy – 68000 Linux on a Solderless Breadboard as a story · 125 points
HN discussionI was shopping for that the other day but didn't pull the trigger; here are some things I found. Thunderbolt docks have come down from ~$300 to ~$100 so you may be better off with that route. https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-... https://smile.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Multiport-DisplayPort... https://smile.amazon.com/Dell-Business-Thunderbolt-USB-C-Doc...
Comment linking /2019/05/19/explaining-4k-60hz-video-through-usb-c-hub/
on “Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon”Submitted DB-19: Resurrecting an Obsolete Connector (2016) as a story · 118 points
HN discussion"You need to enable JavaScript to view this site." I was expecting an interactive 8-bit computer simulation webapp, but all I got was something that could've been several pages on a static site. More disappointingly, it apparently requires a very "modern" browser to view :-( In my experience, to see this sort of anti-accessibility from someone who knows the "low-level" enough to build CPUs successfully is unusual, b…
Comment linking /bmow1/
on “Build an 8-bit computer from scratch”Submitted FPGA-Based Disk Controller for the Apple II (2017) as a story · 105 points
HN discussionAnd there's the infamous DB-19: https://www.bigmessowires.com/2025/06/30/bulk-lots-of-db-19s...
Comment linking /2025/06/30/bulk-lots-of-db-19s-for-sale/
on “It's a DE9, not a DB9 (but we know what you mean)”Submitted Nibbler 4 Bit CPU as a story · 87 points
HN discussionI have a CFFA3000 and an SDFloppy II. Both are great, but I prefer the CFFA3000 and use it regularly. CFFA3000: http://dreher.net/?s=projects/CFforAppleII&c=projects/CFforA... SDFloppy II: http://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product... Another good option, the Floppy Emu: https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu/
Comment linking /floppy-emu/
on “Ask HN: Is there a modern “power on to basic” computer, for kids to learn on?”Submitted Don’t Cook Yourself with RF Energy as a story · 72 points
HN discussionHa! Okay, ya got meh! But! IN THEORY You could still construct a processor out of electromagnetic relays (springs, contacts, leads and solenoids only), if perhaps your goal was to never exceed 100 Hz. (...at first I was going to point out http://www.bigmessowires.com but it turns out that beyond the wire wrap connections, he's still using modern semi-conductor packages)
Comment linking /
on “I’m done with the web”Submitted FC8 – Faster 68K Decompression (2016) as a story · 68 points
HN discussion
