Re: TI-H: New Calculator!!!

To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: TI-H: New Calculator!!!
From: am281@yfn.ysu.edu
Date: Thu, 05 Mar 1998 14:28:58 -0500
In-Reply-To: <19980305165438.1276.qmail@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org


I LOVE IT!!  One of the best NEW idea on this list
for days, if you can do it, you've got one more supporter!


>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
>
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>

References:

TI-H: New Calculator!!!

From: "Richard Piotter" <richfiles1@hotmail.com>