Re: TI-H: Advanced Link port

To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: TI-H: Advanced Link port
From: gussie@alaska.net (Grant Stockly)
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 21:27:07 -0700
Reply-To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org

>>>Does this hook up directly on the bus?
>>
>>Nope.  Link port.  It is surprizingly<sp> fast!
>
>
>how?

OK its faster than TI API...

>>Is is parallel data?
>>
>>Well, 8 lines, yes.  You could think of it as a byte in parallel, or 8
>>serial lines...  :)  Or a word in Z80 ASM for the 16bit...
>
>please explain. . .

you have 8 lines.  you can pull each one high, low or read the status.  You
can think of it as parallel data, or 8 serial lines.

parallel=(most widely)8 datalines to make a byte
serial=one line.  the serial is 8 times slower.  make a good guess why.

So you can have 8 slow lines outputing a byte each, or 1 parallel group
outputting a byte at a time.  If all serial are going, there is no point in
serial.

Ignore that.  Its 8bit parallel.  You could use it to nibble 4 at a time...
4 input 4 output...

>>If so, what is
>>>keeping us from using an advanced addressing system to have 256 data
>inputs,
>>>and 256 data outputs?
>>
>>I will have instructions to build up to 256 lines.  because of the way it
>>works, you could have, in theory (I'm not testing it), 65536 data lines...
>
>cool!
>
>>Then, with enough ASM, enough memory, and enough time
>>>:) we could build a calculator-controlled robot!
>>
>>Each 8 lines cost about $.55.
>
>so?

thought you might want to know.  each 8 lines in I2C is about $4.78 and I2C
is harder to use than this.  You can interface LCDs with this I/O expander.
I'll make a "Grant's I/O expander" to I2C bridge and back if needed...

>>Save $300 or so bucks on
>>>an onboard computer!
>>
>>Sure.  Just duct dape it...
>
>super glue might work

I like duct tape better...  :)

>>Have mainly hardware control, but let the calculator
>>>control movementd.  You could even have a hardware-based voice recognition
>>>system, using a comparator, some kind of voice library, and then input it
>>>into the calc.  The calc could then in turn say, "Since he said go left, I
>>>should turn this motor x% to the right, and turn these motors on".  Or
>>>something like that.  I've been working on a robot ever since I got this
>>>really cool book.  I was going to put a computer on it, but this would be
>>>much simpler and cheaper.  I also didn't want to spend money on C++ and
>>>training books (which I would never read).
>>
>>You could do that...  Don't expect the thing to run though, or it might
>>fall.  Remember its a 6MHz 8080 and could fall!
>
>If we used multiple calcs. . .
>
>>Who says calculators are just
>>>for math!
>>my mom...  :)
>
>mine too, she doesn't believe all the other things I can do with it!

my math teacher won't let me use mine on tests.  I have to use hers.  She
thinks I will talk with guys across the world and they well give me
answers!?!