I am receiving a junk 83+ from a friend soon, he has no need for it and the display was acting up (typical). I plan on fixing up the display and then going crazy. I want to put in an EM backlight from Adafruit, overclock it to the max, and use ArTICL along with an sd card shield on an Arduino to give it extra (potentially gigabytes) of memory. I also want to put a speaker in the back and replace the AAA's with a LiPo or LiIon. This is, as of now, just an idea, and I am open to suggestions. If you have an idea for me to implement or a suggestion for how I go about doing this, feel free to share your thoughts. I may even 3D print a Cemetech case for it, who knows!
Add a WiFi card...

You never know... lol
solarsoftware wrote:
Add a WiFi card...

You never know... 0x5


Oh, yeah! Totally putting gCn in there.
....
The wifi, sd card, and speaker would all use the same link port. So I'll have to put a switch to select between them.
Put a flashlight in it. Add a solar panel to it. Make the keys back lit, and add a photocell to detect light so the keys light automatically. Make a remote that has a "Find calculator" capability, since you're adding a speaker. Just make sure that the SD card can store programs, lists, and all of the other stuff that you are going to put on it.

Here's a wifi card that I think would work for your purposes.


And as for the switch, are you doing a graphical interface on the Graphing Calculator or are you having a physical switch to switch between them? If you do end up having a actual switch, I suggest a 3-way rotary switch. That would work well.

As for a SD card, here's something that's not too expensive.
I assume that you're familiar with the Ultimate Calculator 1 and Ultimate Calculator 2 that I put together a number of years ago? Best of luck on this project.
KermMartian wrote:
I assume that you're familiar with the Ultimate Calculator 1 and Ultimate Calculator 2 that I put together a number of years ago? Best of luck on this project.


I am, I am. One I get this project rolling, how do I make a project page? It's going to be quite a large undertaking.

Oh, and would you mind if I could take a look at/use (with credit given) your PS2 drivers? Thanks a lot!
Just keep an update topic! The project pages are primarily for Kerms personal projects. Though, in the future it could certainly be a place to list amazing finished community projects, such as this one.
Good to know about the project pages, I haven't but now just realized that they are all Kerm's. I spent a good bit of time last night playing around with ArTICL, and have some things to say/ask.

I know that I will be using ArTICL exclusively to implement an sd card memory extension. I can successfully, from the arduino side, send pics and lists and receive lists, as in the examples. The screenshot example does not seem to work with my 84pse, it just returns garble. But what I know I will be using ArTICL for is programs and apps, especially considering I'm using it on a memory-hindered 83+. I figured that strings would be easier to do than programs, and I can use Celtic libs to translate between the two. But to do this, I need to know how to send and receive strings using ArTICL. Apps, on the other hand, are a-whole-nother story, and something I'll need some instruction on.

Edit: I've done some thinking, and I come to think that the arduino has to have enough memory to store whatever it plans on sending or receiving using ArTIC; that is, it can't send a program that's 2kb since it can't hold the whole 2kb program in memory. That is, unless it can send to the calc and read from the sd card at the same time: read a byte-send a byte style. Then it could send/receive any size.

Edit 2: Some more thoughts have gone through my head, aand I've come up with a way to send programs of large (>1kb) size from the arduino to the calc. You would have the arduino read from the sd part of the program (up to a size that is half of the available memory of the arduino), compile that as a string, and send the string to the calc, where the string would be translated back to a program. Repeat the process until the whole program is sent, and it's done. I think the same could be done in reverse, maybe. I'm not sure yet how the arduino is going to handle the sd card given its reading and writing random bits and bytes.
Alright, it's been a week or so, so it's time for an update.

1) My friend's calc flaked out (the screen was bad, yes, but it was bad beyond what I could repair, so it's a gonner), so I'm currently scrounging eBay for a TI-83+(se?). I want to be able to get one cheap, <$10, but that seems to be difficult.

2) I have given much thought on other hardware aspects too. The over clocking is simple: find and replace those resistors and caps. I will install a switch for the overclock, as I will not want it to be running at super speed all the time.

3) Power is next. I want to replace the 4 AAA's with a LiPo, and I have a spare 3000mAh pack that I think will fit. It includes a small charge/discharge circuit that inputs and outputs at 5v, making it perfect to power the calc and other peripherals. It should also have a longer battery life than the AAA's when used the same way.

4) Backlight: I read somewhere recently of someone adding an EL backlight to their TI-84+, and if it fit in an 84+, it would fit in and 83+. So I went to Adafruit and ordered an EL panel and a tiny inverter to run off of 5v, and I'll install a switch for that as well.

5) Wifi: Here is the fun part! The SparkCore (or ParticleCore now, rather) is the most promising option. KermM has already wrote code for it both Core-side and calc-side, and I am very thankful for that. The board is small enough that I hope I can fit it behind the screen or somewhere, as keeping everything inside the calc would be awesome. Now, I do realize that this would pose a potential threat to the integrity of TI calcs on standardized tests, as it is wifi, but this calc will be painted and have all sorts of switches and ports and lights, so I wouldn't use it on a test to begin with. I have ordered my ParticleCore and will test it with my 84+ when it comes in (because I'll still be waiting for an 83+ from eBay). Being that I will have the LiPo battery, I would power it strait from there.

6) And finally, the SD card memory expansion: This is going to be a feat. Here is the hardware breakdown: an arduino and an SD card. Ofc I will need a 3.3 to 5v logic converter for arduino<-> SD, no problem. And I can use ArTICL to talk to the calc, right? Well, kind of. I want to be able to send programs and Apps to and from the SD card, but the arduino middleman does not have the memory needed to hold even a long string, let alone a 5kb program or 65kb App. So the transfer would have to be on a per - byte basis; that is, the arduino would receive a byte from one device and sent it to the other, then move to the next byte and continue the process. And this is not to be done over silent linking either, as Apps and programs have to be sent over manual link. So I will have to figure out how to get the arduino to do that. It would probably go something like this: To send a program form the arduino to the calc, a Basic program on the calc would send a list containing the name of the program it wants, the arduino would ready that program and wait for a button push, the user would enter the clac into receiving mode, and then push the button on the arduino, sending the program over. To send a program from the calc to the arduino, a different Basic program would tell the arduino to be in receiving mode, and then the user would manually send over a program, and the user would push the button on the arduino after the transfer is complete to get it out of receive mode.
But all the SD stuff is just ideas floating around in my head right now, as I'm struggling with trying to figure out how to tackle it. No one that I know of has integrated a memory expansion like this into their calc.

6) Oh, and the arduino and sd card circuitry would fit inside the calc as well (hopefully). I'll be using a headerless arduino micro, it's tiny and thin, but has more memory and all the pins of an Uno.

Again, I would love some feedback and tips. This project would not even have been an idea if it were not for this community.
NoahK wrote:
5) Wifi: Here is the fun part! The SparkCore (or ParticleCore now, rather) is the most promising option. KermM has already wrote code for it both Core-side and calc-side, and I am very thankful for that. The board is small enough that I hope I can fit it behind the screen or somewhere, as keeping everything inside the calc would be awesome. Now, I do realize that this would pose a potential threat to the integrity of TI class on standardized tests, as it is wifi, but this calc will be painted and have all sorts or switches and ports and lights, so I wouldn't use it on a test to begin with. I have ordered my ParticleCore and will test it with my 84+ when it comes in (because I'll still be waiting for an 83+ from eBay). Being that I will have the LiPo battery, I would power it strait from there.


Why'd you get the Spark(Particle) core? The Photon is code compatible and cheaper too. Or if you got others to pitch in, you could have gotten 10 P0 modules for $10 each.
I haven't actually ordered it yet, as I haven't checked out the Particle website. You say it's code compatable? That's great! I'll get the P0. Thanks.

You also just posted in SAX asking why not just send over apps and programs over silent like a computer would. I will be honest and say that had never crosses my mind. Though I would still have to let the arduino know what to send from the clac, and that would be a basic program.

-Basic program sends a list to the arduino telling it what it wants and then immediately exits to the homescreen.
-Arduino then sends the program or app via silent after a short pause, streaming the data form the SD card.
NoahK wrote:
I haven't actually ordered it yet, as I haven't checked out the Particle website. You say it's code compatable? That's great! I'll get the P0. Thanks.
J
You also just posted in SAX asking why not just send over apps and programs over silent like a computer would. I will be honest and say that had never crosses my mind. Though I would still have to let the arduino o know what to send from the clac, and that would be a basic program


Well, you can only order the P0 in groups of 10, so that'd be a $100 order. It'd probably be pretty trivial to make a file browser using BASIC, or if I ever get around to making a CalcNet2.2 library for the Arduino, you might be able to make a Sandpaper client thing.
Ivoah wrote:

Well, you can only order the P0 in groups of 10, so that'd be a $100 order. It'd probably be pretty trivial to make a file browser using BASIC, or if I ever get around to making a CalcNet2.2 library for the Arduino, you might be able to make a Sandpaper client thing.


Oh, well nevermind on the P0, I'll be fine with the Core. And a BASIC SD file browser is my goal. It would just poll the arduino a list of the files on the SD card and display them, asking the user to select one, and when the user does, it would immediately close out to the homescreen to allow the silent linking to occur.

[But now I've got to figure out how to get the arduino to make a silent program/app send]
NoahK wrote:
Ivoah wrote:

Well, you can only order the P0 in groups of 10, so that'd be a $100 order. It'd probably be pretty trivial to make a file browser using BASIC, or if I ever get around to making a CalcNet2.2 library for the Arduino, you might be able to make a Sandpaper client thing.


Oh, well nevermind on the P0, I'll be fine with the Core. And a BASIC SD file browser is my goal. It would just poll the arduino a list of the files on the SD card and display them, asking the user to select one, and when the user does, it would immediately close out to the homescreen to allow the silent linking to occur.

[But now I've got to figure out how to get the arduino to make a silent program/app send]


The Photon is still cheaper and better. This link will be very useful for doing anything with ArTICL: http://merthsoft.com/linkguide/
Thanks for that link, I feel I will be using it heavily. I will definitely consider the P0, too, it will depend on things.
NoahK wrote:
Thanks for that link, I feel I will be using it heavily. I will definitely consider the P0, too, it will depend on things.


The Photon and P0 are two separate products. The Photon is the successor to the Spark Core, nearly interchangeable, and the P0 is the bare module that the Photon runs on.
Ivoah wrote:
NoahK wrote:
Thanks for that link, I feel I will be using it heavily. I will definitely consider the P0, too, it will depend on things.


The Photon and P0 are two separate products. The Photon is the successor to the Spark Core, nearly interchangeable, and the P0 is the bare module that the Photon runs on.


Ahh, thank you for clearing that up. I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to pay a visit to the Particle website to see all what's going on. Razz
NoahK wrote:
Ivoah wrote:
NoahK wrote:
Thanks for that link, I feel I will be using it heavily. I will definitely consider the P0, too, it will depend on things.


The Photon and P0 are two separate products. The Photon is the successor to the Spark Core, nearly interchangeable, and the P0 is the bare module that the Photon runs on.


Ahh, thank you for clearing that up. I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to pay a visit to the Particle website to see all what's going on. Razz


Probably couldn't hurt Wink
I gotta pitch in. You should buy 83+ SE becuase of th eextra room in that case, and the case looks spiffy. Razz
Unicorn wrote:
I gotta pitch in. You should buy 83+ SE becuase of th eextra room in that case, and the case looks spiffy. Razz


I was thinking about that! Good Idea The case is also transparent-ish, so status LED's for wifi and SD card would not require holes to be drilled.
  
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