After a long day of reading and looking over parts catalogs I ordered some of the parts to begin this build.  There goes a third of my budget!  I have been looking at the best way to implement a basic logic system and the best way to design a ternary element.  For me, most of my ideas are pretty outlandish when they are born.  This one is no exception and I have never build nor designed a CPU before.  I think it will be an amazing learning experience. 

My goal is to design a non-binary based ternary element and then implement it into a simple CPU.  The end result will be to do basic math as a proof of concept.  

There are a few options available to me, one was just to see if I could design it all into an FPGA.  I own a cyclone II that would lend itself to some experimentation. 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmmdOitCAAEYwue.jpg

However,   I decided early on to attempt an electro-chemical approach first as apposed to more conventional methods just to see what I could come up with :)  

I have been pouring over every bit of information I can find on machines that actually functioned, such as the Setun and would LOVE to find a copy of its schematic.  It is a pity that so much technology is either lost or buried due to politics.  

There seems to be a lot on ternary systems when you look at quantum computing, and if I succeed in my original goal I may look into adapting some of those ideas.  Until then, its time to start from the ground up and see what can be done :D