TI-H: New Calculator!!!
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TI-H: New Calculator!!!
Why not make a whole new calculator!!! You could buy a standard, off the
shelf Z80, add as much SRAM as you can fit into it, and use a large
Nonvolitle memory chip in place or ROM. Make the board and everything!!!
It can have built in solder spots for RS-232, Parallel, SPinTerface, and
DBA! add a cheap PIA (Peripheral interface adapter) to it and you could
have 3 8-bit ports to play with. Use a graphics module from Digi-Key or
Mouser, designed with built in EL backlighting. You could even pick a
small color one, or, you could use a VIC (Video interface chip) to make
NTSC color output. use an NTSC compatible LCD and have a video out that
could connect to a TV (great for presentations)!!! A SID (sound
interface device) would make a GREAT sound generator (12 bit I think!!!)
Even a simple MAX 038 wave form generator will work. Make it with a
crystal, and include an IRdA chip on the RS-232. Either use AAs or have
a high power battery. Big case, whatever!!! I have the skills to design
the hardware (probably). If it's realy something everyone's interested
in, who knows!!! The ROM could possibly look at the DBA (direct bus
access) port, to look for ROM cartridges, then look at a certain address
for internal ROM instructions, and then, finaly, if nothing is found,
request data over the calc net via RS-232. There should be a standard
link port added as well, if we can emulate the other calcs. Also, I
remember a LONG time ago, someone mentioned the Strong Arm processor.
Why not??? I heard it uses less power than a stock Z80 and is fairly
cheap as well! Who thinks it's worth a try??? Maybe we could emulate ALL
the calcs!!! One big calculator, with QWERTY keyboard and sound (sound I
think is one of the things that is not allowed on machines to be uses
for SAT tests). I don't know about emulation, but if we do it, we might
as well go all out! We'd have to mold a complete case, keys and all, and
we'd need to have them silk screened, but it would be worth it to have a
color, strong arm, sound capable, QWERTY, and everything else
calculator. We could MAKE the next calc rather than modify the old
ones!!!
What does everyone think??? I have seen schematics of countless
computers, and I think it could be done!!!
Richard Piotter
richfiles1@hotmail.com
The Richfiles TI Page
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5081/Richfiles.html
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