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frenchcalc1
جان ألعريم
Active Member
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 648
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 Posted: 29 May 2007 09:21:10 am Post subject: |
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alexrudd wrote: I think the best solder-less solution is to just get an adapter, and use it when needed. It's less permanent in case you make a mistake.
[post="105878"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Yeah, that would be better. It would also make things a little bit easier  |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 31 May 2007 09:06:10 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: Sorry to derail this topic, but I have to go pick up my jaw from the floor, and go get rcfreak0 a medal. Alex whats this supposed to mean?!?!
Im not gonna solder it into on connection, to lazy to do that, plus i screw the calc up. I just got my PICAXE and the VMusic2 player in the mail today!!! HAPPY HAPPY DAYS.....Now i just need to know how to breadboard it. I have a IC breadbord from radioshack. I need to get a voltage limiter, and i need to know (again) how to breadboard it. Thanks so far for the information, and as soon as i get a calc cable for my 83(plus)... Also.could we get it to play videos off the jumpdrive as well? i dont know if it possible...?
rcfreak0
p.s.
fourth, you broke your silence rule...
Last edited by Guest on 31 May 2007 09:10:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Weregoose
Authentic INTJ
Super Elite (Last Title)
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Posts: 3976
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2007 01:26:30 am Post subject: |
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rcfreak0 wrote: Quote: Sorry to derail this topic, but I have to go pick up my jaw from the floor, and go get rcfreak0 a medal. Alex whats this supposed to mean?!?!
Last edited by Guest on 01 Jun 2007 01:27:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2007 07:39:34 am Post subject: |
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rcfreak0 wrote: ...and i need to know (again) how to breadboard it. Thanks so far for the information, and as soon as i get a calc cable for my 83(plus)... Also.could we get it to play videos off the jumpdrive as well? i dont know if it possible...?
See here for the connections you need to make.
I don't know if playing video directly off the flash drive is possible, given the slow data transfer rate between it and the 83+. Transferring data from my PC to my calculator peaks at about 10kbps, giving us 1250 bytes/second or ~1.63FPS.
Some clever compression might help... Sound is right out, given that the VMusic2 can't really transfer data to the VS1003 and the TI at the same time. |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2007 07:55:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thank for the congrats on getting hazzard to sign up  . Ben, that link just went back to a a past post in this thread. I got the pic that you posted, but i got confused. This is the breadboard i have (clicky)(bit blurry,sorry) and here are some of the connecting wires i got with it (clicky). As for the video, it was just a thought, but that would be cool IF it were possible...
rcfreak0
EDIT:
I still need a way to power, and a way to transfer data to the PICAXE.Im sure the breadboard will do the data tranfer, but i need to know where i can get a voltage regulator. Mabey radio shack...?
EDIT(AGIAN):
Hey Ben. more pictures would also help me with breadbaording. Mabey a farther away shot so i can see where all the wires goto. More photos in general would help along with any other useful tips...
Last edited by Guest on 03 Jun 2007 08:07:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 04 Jun 2007 05:00:50 am Post subject: |
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Hm, so are you saying that you don't know how to turn a circuit diagram into a circuit on a breadboard?
I'm not sure where you could buy a voltage regulator.  In any case, they're rather simple devices: three legs, one goes to 0V, one goes to voltage in and the other one supplies a nice steady voltage at the rating of the component (in this case, you need a 5V regulator).
The post I linked to contained the connections between the PICAXE and the VMusic2. I'll draw up a diagram and post it later. |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 04 Jun 2007 05:45:10 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks ahead of time. And ill look around for a regulator.
--rcfreak0 |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 05 Jun 2007 04:43:33 am Post subject: |
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| Uh, sorry, I lied (and got a bit tied down). Try again tonight? :\ |
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ForthReich
Member
Joined: 02 May 2007
Posts: 228
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| Posted: 05 Jun 2007 07:23:10 pm Post subject: |
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Someone broke their screen and threw their 83 out  I got to the trash in about five seconds, major score. Rcfreak0 and I have wondered if this breadboard would help create a...umm...hypothetical dual...ahh...core calculator.
Last edited by Guest on 05 Jun 2007 07:23:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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luby
I want to go back to Philmont!!
Calc Guru
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 1477
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| Posted: 05 Jun 2007 08:53:31 pm Post subject: |
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| probably not. z80's weren't designed (at least to my knowledge) to run in parallel. Maybe, but that's being optimistic. |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 06 Jun 2007 05:29:15 am Post subject: |
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As far as I can remember:
The 5V, 0V, reset, serial in and serial out will need to come from elsewhere. I use a voltage regulator and the circuit in the PICAXE manual. |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 06 Jun 2007 08:12:07 pm Post subject: |
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THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! I also just hit up radioshack (no i didnt steal) and bought a five volt regulator. Does that change anything in the scematics? And the serial is for the PICAXE data tranfer out right?
Fourth, that was offtopic, you should have just started a new one. and once i get another calc, im gonna try the dual core, just because i can.
rcfreak0
EDIT:
PLus my breadboard is smaller, does that make a difference
Last edited by Guest on 06 Jun 2007 08:38:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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benryves
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Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 07 Jun 2007 04:28:48 am Post subject: |
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No, it doesn't make a difference with size, though I recommend you take some time out to work out how to use a breadboard. ;)
I keep the voltage regulator and serial circuitry (see the PICAXE manual) for connecting the the PICAXE to the PC on its own circuit board so I can easily reuse it in different projects (soldered onto stripboard). Do NOT connect the serial lines from your PC directly to the PICAXE! They put out +12V/-12V which can seriously damage the microcontroller. Only use the circuit (with protective resistors) from the PICAXE manual.
The serial in/out on that diagram are for the PICAXE to communicate with your PC (for programming and debugging purposes). |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 07 Jun 2007 08:50:05 pm Post subject: |
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ok. But i didnt get a manual when i ordered. Is their a link to the manual. Thanks agian for the drawing, im almost done breadbaording it. If i have any other questions ill post.
rcfreak0
EDIT:
(from awhile ag0)
Alex, i still want that metal
Last edited by Guest on 08 Jun 2007 08:49:28 am; edited 1 time in total |
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benryves
Active Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 11 Jun 2007 07:23:58 am Post subject: |
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| The manuals come with the programming editor, and can be downloaded here. |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 11 Jun 2007 04:38:48 pm Post subject: |
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thanks. now i can wire the resistors into the serial cable so i dont fry out the PICAXE.
EDIT:
or do i even need resistors? I couldnt find much info in that link that told me how to wire the serial cable into the breadboard. I have to cut off the plug at the end of the serial cable because i dont have the adaptor. Cant i just strip those wires and put them into the breadbaord like you show in the schematics? Correct me if im wrong
Last edited by Guest on 12 Jun 2007 08:44:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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benryves
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Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 18 Jun 2007 05:15:18 am Post subject: |
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rcfreak0 wrote: or do i even need resistors? I couldnt find much info in that link that told me how to wire the serial cable into the breadboard. I have to cut off the plug at the end of the serial cable because i dont have the adaptor. Cant i just strip those wires and put them into the breadbaord like you show in the schematics?
[post="107638"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post] Do NOT. Serial ports operate at +12V/-12V, which WILL damage the PICAXE. See Serial Download Circuit (page 27).
One problem is the huge overhead of transferring data to and from the unit. I've started work on a "extended command" mode, which is handled by the PICAXE. The 83+ sends $83<CR>, then the extended mode (eg $01 for VS1003 registers mode). In this mode the PICAXE handles the VMusic2 protocol for you, you just feed in raw data. For example, if you wanted to write 128 words (256 bytes) to the VS1003, you simply send $03 ("write multiple bytes mode"), 128 ("128 words follow") followed by the 128 words themselves. This is only 258 bytes transferred - whereas by doing it manually you'd have to send 6 bytes per word and receive two confirmation words each time - that's 1KB data!
The VS1003 supports loading your own custom code onto it, you see. There are a number of pieces of software samples on their site - including a spectrum analyser, which could be interesting (if I can get the blasted thing to work!) You can also use this system to - for example - write a small custom decoder for other media types.
I've updated a couple of mock-ups for how I want the software to work. You start in the file explorer, which lets you browse files and folders. By "clicking" on a file, a handler can be run. For music files, the music player front-end will appear. For TI-83+ files, another front-end will appear to let you copy files from the drive to your calculator.
 
Let me know what you think. One obvious omission in the music player is the name of the current playing file - but as far as I'm aware there's no way to query that! (For example, you can tell the device to play all files in a folder - but can't tell when it's switched track, and can't tell which it has changed to...).
In other news, I got a tip-off that Pound Land were selling SD/MMC card readers. Can't go wrong for a quid, I figured, and it works very nicely with my 2GB SD card plugged into the VMusic2. One slight problem is USB flash drives usually have the drive and storage media in one unit (so when you unplug it from the VMusic2 it sees the whole drive being removed). When you remove the SD card from the reader, however, the drive is still there but its media isn't - which confuses the VMusic2. Installing a small switch that disconnected the drive's 5V line (to the USB connector) when a card is removed might remedy this.
I mention this as, of course, an SD card is nice and thin - couple this with the VMusic2's thin circuit board once it's removed from its case and the thin circuit board in a cheap SD card reader and you can squash this into a very small box indeed. Shame about the DIL PICAXE..! |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 18 Jun 2007 01:11:22 pm Post subject: |
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Hey thanks for that link, and as soon as i get that wired up, your new program: IT LOOKS TOTALLY AWSOME! Thanks so much for all your help. Also ill probbably just be using a jumpdrive until i can get a SD card since my parents already have that kind of SD reader, but i cant use their SD card because all their wedding pictures are one their, and they want to keep them safe. Oh, and ill probbaly get it wired up thursday, The stuff is at my moms and im at my dads right now, and i still have to hit up radioshack to get the resistors to put in the serial cable so i dont fry anything out.
--rcfreak0
Last edited by Guest on 18 Jun 2007 01:18:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rcfreak0
Advanced Member
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 354
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| Posted: 22 Jun 2007 06:23:09 pm Post subject: |
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| OK. I got all the resistors i need to complete the circit. YAY! but, i wont be able to work on it until wendsay or thursday because its at my moms and im at my dads... Hopefully i can get this too work and then i will have the integratiohn part underway. Also what do you all think about a lime green case with a blaze orange stripe around it? I kinda want to beat kerms ultimate calculator with this, and i want opinions on what i should do. And of course, ben, your name WILL be in the credits once i get this project out off my desk (literally). |
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benryves
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Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 564
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| Posted: 12 Jul 2007 06:55:14 am Post subject: |
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Just thought I'd make a small update on my end.
I've been pretty busy with work recently, so haven't had much chance to work on this. Besides, even if I did, I don't have any way to program PICAXE chips or send programs to my TI, as I have a new PC and (as is the norm with new PCs, sadly) it has no serial ports nor parallel ports (I will be buying a controller board at some point, but can't say when). It might be a few weeks until I can resume work.
Sorry about this.  |
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Calculator Modifications => Calculator Hardware, Electronics, Robotics
