Expanding Memory

Blackwolf189 · Newbie Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 30

Is there a way to just detach a ram chip from another source say a super nintendo and install it onto the calculators mother board. will it automatically regonize it or would i need to reprogram something?

Blackwolf189 · Newbie Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 30

sorry i dont know how to dit a post yet. I could also use my original playstation. another option might be installing these things into a small portable box that would connect to the calculators outgoing port.

DarkerLine · Posted: 11 Apr 2004 03:44:24 pm Post subject:

To edit a post click the

button. And I doubt you could do this because even if those programs were written in z80 you would need to reprogram all the system routines they use. I don't know how you would try to do this but it's easier to just get games from ticalc.org.

Blackwolf189 · Newbie Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 30

no i want to use the other chips to increase memory on my calculator. i dont want any of the programs saved on the chip.

Arcane Wizard · Posted: 11 Apr 2004 06:54:34 pm Post subject:

Here's a random idea:

1) Build the external ram storage device thing you connect to the 2.5mm stereo port of the calc. (going to have to work out a schematic that makes sure the 3 signals from the calc eventually send the correct signals to the correct places)
2) Write a little assembly program that can move, copy, delete etc programs and files from your calc's ram to the external ram device and/or back.
3) Enjoy.

Jeremiah Walgren · Posted: 11 Apr 2004 08:52:23 pm Post subject:

Try this.

DigiTan · Posted: 11 Apr 2004 10:53:59 pm Post subject:

To add RAM requires that you overhaul the circuitboard and extend the OS's addressing scheme (in the ROM) to cover 16+ bit addressing. It's almost like building the calc from the ground up. The only way around this would be to track down a pin-compatible RAM device that operate in existing environment (same load requirements, etc).

Most expansion projects like the Sami design and the E.D. Project get around this by using an "off-site" chip to work like an archive. The basic idea to use a microcontroller like a PIC, AVR, or 8051 to trick your calculator into thinking it's talking to another calc. When you run out of RAM, you just make a backup file and download it to the 'archive.' Note that this doesn't affect RAM or ROM, it just acts like an extra storage medium--like a floppy disk or a flash drive.

DarkerLine · Posted: 12 Apr 2004 08:51:05 am Post subject:

Why would you not have enough memory in the first place?

Adm.Wiggin · Posted: 12 Apr 2004 01:36:39 pm Post subject:

Jeremiah Walgren · Posted: 12 Apr 2004 03:07:17 pm Post subject:

What can I say? I like ticalc.org's resources. Laughing

DarkerLine · Posted: 12 Apr 2004 03:41:10 pm Post subject:

I don't think it would be practical to use this for RAM, though. It would certainly take a lot of time to read/write to this external memory.

DigiTan · Posted: 12 Apr 2004 04:11:08 pm Post subject:

The external mem doesn't necessarily have to be a RAM. It could also be a Flash ROM or an EEPROM if you wanted it that way. This could mean that you could remove the batteries and still save progs and backups. It's also useful for BASIC developers who want to backup their work in case their calc gets "messed with" at school. Plus with the size of todays Flash chips, it would be possible to store thousands of a vars. Saving would just be a matter of hitting [2nd] [link] [send/recv] and waiting 2 or 3 seconds.

leofox · Posted: 13 Apr 2004 02:54:44 am Post subject:

what if just take a 48 MB RAM chip from an old computer, and use that to build an external memory. Do you think it could work? It sure is enough memory for all of my games!

Jeremiah Walgren · Posted: 13 Apr 2004 07:38:08 pm Post subject:

Awesome1 · Advanced Member Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Posts: 269

even just 5 megs (5,242,880 bytes) would be plenty of memory for most people, but im sure it would be possible...

DigiTan · Posted: 13 Apr 2004 08:17:10 pm Post subject:

It's possible. There really is no wrong way to do it. (Unless of course you brake something). The E.D.2 project will use a 4Mbit (512,000) bytes Flash ROM to get x18 the storage space. 'Just about enough to store any game you'd want and then some. Once you figure out the upload/download problem, there's no upper limit on how much you can store.

Ray Kremer · Member Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 237

Blackwolf189 · Newbie Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 30

my friend and i are going to use the flash rom from the playstation 1 Performance Mega Memory Card and/or the Performance Memory Card for N64. i am still researching the capacity of their chips. i want to know where i can learn to interface with these memory cards. I know everyone uses a pic microcontroller and i want to know y. is the pic better than others, or is it just optimized for this. i thank people for posting the links to sites already building things like this, but i came up with the idea before i saw any of those links and i would like to do research to build one myself instead of copy anothers schematics, although by looking at their process i can learn a lot, i want to put my own touch on things and know exactly what i am doing.

Jeremiah Walgren · Posted: 16 Apr 2004 01:44:07 pm Post subject:

DigiTan · Posted: 16 Apr 2004 10:54:33 pm Post subject:

United-TI Archives -> Calculator Modifications
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