x86 Anyone have any useful Links?

[unicoder]

Hi all first post. To start off: Im dirt poor. 5$ is hard coming.
Ok that said. I was wondering what parts I can salvage from a PC to use for robotics.
Also i was wondering about links for adapting x86 Intel processors to the task. (Im aware of temperature issues and power consumption)

Im not worried about any hassle involved removing/reusing chips/parts with compact or obscure pin configurations. If there are issues that can be solved in software, im not worried about those.

Beyond that feel free to call  me a noob a couple times and maybe help me out Thanks in advance!

[SmAsH]

umm well... you cant make a full robot from computer parts... but you can help a bit....
computers have thousands of resistors and leds, these will help a bit...
if you desolder the resistors, it will take you a while to sort through and find that one value....
but ask yourself... how much is your time worth? if its going to take you one hour to desolder $5 in resistors would your time not be better spent working at somewhere? also, i have no idea how to work with an x86...

[unicoder]

Haha thanks! Basically this is my hobby.  I do work but my money goes to non-hobby things. I dont have a dead-line so i can spend all the time free time i have desoldering things if it saves me even a few pennies. if i have to ill eventually buy one or two of the suggested microcontrollers, but if there is anything i can interchange it with. I have no problems using it. I am however probably going to have to buy one of those UART/USB chips (Unless i can find an indepth faq on making one)

Oh yeah. and sorting is no problem. I have an ODBC interfacing app i wrote that i use to keep inventory. I have a rather large electronics storage cabinet that i salvaged from work (they were tossing it) and it keeps track of what i have in what drawer and how many.

[SmAsH]

you will not find any microcontrollers that you can use so they will be one of the things you will have to buy...
the one downside to salvaging most parts these days is that they are mostly smd for price and space saving...
you can try desoldering all the components... try to find older computers as they have thru-hole parts rather than smd...
and congrats on the drawer find, that sounds awesome

[unicoder]

Well hmm. I have an 8-bit microcontroller i have salvaged MX10FMAXDQC I need to read more on what a microcontroller needs to have to be usable. got a link?
*EDIT*Luck that its socket was SMD and not the chip.

[SmAsH]

it needs to have input/output ports ans be programmable...
look up some info on the atmega8 as it is a very basic yet awesome microcontroller.
it is also very cheap... about $1-3 a piece.

[unicoder]

ah cool. the MX10FMAXDQC has 32 programmable I/O lines 6 interrupt sources. Full-duplex enhanced UART compatible with the standard
80C51 and the 80C52 and a lot of other stuff.
Datasheet at: http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheets2/18/188781_1.pdf