A89: Multi-tap... Multi-player adapter...
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A89: Multi-tap... Multi-player adapter...
I had a really innovative idea, that would be easy to implement,
extraordinarily fast, and would allow for between 8 to 12 players on one
multi-tap. It would be a simple plastic case, 4 sided, with 3 2.5mm
link-ports on each side, all wired to an AVR microcontroller that would
be programmed with replication software to receive any and all data being
received from any/all linkports and replicate it as it sends out copies
of the data through each linkport, even the linkport it came from in
order to ensure that that calc is being kept up-to-date. Well, I already
have a device designed, my sister is starting to build it for me (only
because she works for an electrical engineering firm and all the parts
I'd need, she can get for free, but, she lives in San Diego, I live an
hour north of LA so needless to say, she doesn't come home often enough
to simply be able to bring me the parts). And, software will be no
problem (same reason as above) and the fact that my dad, my sister, and
myself, all know how to write firmware (code interpreted by the AVR). My
dad better than me, my sister better than my dad.
All in all, the device will cost on average, $15 to $20 to build, with
the most expensive component being the pre-programmed AVR from me (unless
you have an EEprom burner, then I'd be happy to send you the code,
provided you signed/typed your name on a contract saying that you won't
sell any programmed AVR's, and that you won't steal the code for
yourself, or modify it for your own use.) The Pre-programmed AVR will
probably cost $7, with you providing shipping and handeling.
The beauty of this device is that you won't have to write a special link
routine in your game to receive data and then automatically transmit it,
plus that would create a lot of lag in the "circle" of calculators as the
last to receive the data will have received it significantly later than
when the first sent it out. This device will mean that you simply use a
regular send/receive routine, making sure that the game is designed for
multi-players over a link that. Games like monopoly would work great with
this if you ask me.
NOTE: none of this is final, It is still in the developmental/research
phase, and might not be finished any time soon. Same goes for the device
I am about to descride next.
The device I'm now going to describe has been nicknamed the Dragoon. It
is a device that allows you to access memory stored on playstation
memory card, or an extended memory card. It's wuite simple really, the
playstation memory cards, and the extended memory cards, all use Atmel
Serial-Data-Flash-EEprom chips. Basic software has already be written to
read and write to Atmel chips, all it would take it some small
modifications to the code and the way it writes (to account for the
difference in the chips used) and then hardware to interface. Can you
imagine that?! Taking your calculator and a small cable to school, then
you simply plug the cable into calc, and memory card into cable, and
you've gor 3mb of memory (extended memory card only)!
I am only designing this for one real purpose, I do think that TI should
have designed the calculators' to be upgradable (hardware wise) so that
we can add more memory, just like the HP 48GX. Because the HP 48GX has
auto-CAD programs as well as structural engineering programs!!! Maybe we
can make it so that these types of programs can be stored on PSX cards
and then read from the card to run the program.
Michael J Mallon
"The Clueless Dream Reality"
[The offspring: Americana]
[The Kids Aren't Alright]
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