Re: LZ: On-calc compiler


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Re: LZ: On-calc compiler



Will Stokes wrote:
> 
> hmmmm....
> 
> finally a good discussion. I don't know though. First of all nobody seems
> to be making the chip anymore for the expander =( and second most people
> compile several times before they finnish a version of a game, let alone
> the final product! =) Wouldn't this add up? just ideas. I compile several
> times myself. besides, i've got bat files on my computer that allow me to
> compile and send to my calc with a few buttons pusehd (like 3 =) this just
> seems easier. but making asm stuff ont eh calc away from the computer
> would be nice, no question about that. does anybody here have a friend at
> school who also has the expander? I'm the only person who has one in my
> school, but my school is pretty small.
>                 Will Stokes

Well, let's do some calculations.  If I remember correctly, you can
write to a block about a million times before the error rate increases
much.  So, if you make 100 programs a year and compile each 100 times,
you have 10000 writes.  At this rate, it would 100 years to reach a
million writes.  And even if you did live to be over 100 :), you could
just use different blocks in the memory.  So, while you may incur errors
in a few blocks, it is unlikely that there will be to many bad blocks to
make the expander unusable.

As for the calc crashing problem, I have an idea that someone might be
able to make to solve it.  This would probably be too complicated, but
it doesn't hurt for me to say it.  How about a 'backup box'.  Like a
little thing you hooked into your link port that you could send a backup
to, and then send the backup to your calc by pushing a button or
something.  This would also be useful for those times when your teacher
makes you clear your calc.  The main problem I see is implementing the
link protocol.  Flash memory might also be useful for this, but since it
would only need to have 32K, volatile ram would do since that wouldn't
drain too much battery power.  One other thing would be the cost, since
it might cost too much to be worth making it instead of just buying
another calc, but I don't know since I'm not too sure about
electronics.  Maybe after I take some EE classes when I go to college,
but that will be a year, and then I'll need a 92.

-- 
Jonathan Anderson
sarlok@geocities.com

"I can't be wrong - my modem is error correcting."


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