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Alright, so the 35s isn't even out yet, but even so it's a good platform for making modifications partially due to its' thickness. Here is my proposal of what we should do with it to make it better:
Gut the electronics, keep the LCD, make a new PCB with either an arm7 or arm9TDMI, give it about 512KB of SRAM, USB, SD/MMC card support, and load it with the command set of the 41c. We can give the keyboard a new set of labels with an overlay and silk-screen the keys.
If there's enough room it could even be fun to add 2 to 4 41c expansion module sockets.
Since the enclosure will be ready to go, producing the rest of a modification kit will cost under $50. Anyone interested in bringing back the 41 in a more powerful form?
-Hugh
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Hmm, Yes, but why not an HP42sx - Whooo haaaa!
cheers
/cfh
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The form factor of the 35s is a better match for the 41. I think one of the products from OpenRPN will satisfy your desire for a 42sx.
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Nice pic!
But can we assume it will materialize? And when? /cfh
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I want my OpenRPN 42sx!!!!
:-)
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I have never opened a 33s, on which the 35s hardware is presumably based. Does the keyboard have it's own PCB, or is it integral to the main PCB? (making the job a bit messier)
Anyone got any internal photos of the 33s?
Dave.
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Oh, oh, old HP calcs look a lot cleaner!
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Judging by the specs of the 35s, we're going to have tons of room to work with inside. There are enough engineers around here to create a standard modification procedure. Even if it entails major surgery we can figure it out. I'm just happy to have a good enclosure and set of keys to work with.
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While everyone else is going "gaga" over the new 35S, I am a little disappointed in the "expected" lack of I/O. So any attempt to create it , however the means, would interest me.
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I suspect you are not alone in your opinion. I'm viewing the 35s as a nice enclosure, set of keys, and lcd we can use to make something much better. Making electronics is much easier than the other parts. This has the potential to be an exceptionally cool project.
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There's really little need for the horsepower of an ARM.
Packaging suitable for the casing, as well as power considerations and I/O appropriate for the existing HP LCD should be chosen first.
A TI MSP430 or PIC or other CPU along with an SPI serial flash memory (up to 2MB) and SPI serial RAM can work just fine to emulate an improved existing calc.
I'm betting the HP 35S uses low-cost COB (chip-on-board - chip bonded to PCB, covered with a glop of silicone) mounting, and that the PCB is heat-staked to the case.
A thin 'sub-PCB' will prob need to be fabricated, and existing CPU disabled somehow (foil cuts?). Tapping into PCB where exsiting chip is will be a bitch - there may be better places (test connector?) to get access without doing a whole new main PCB.
We really won't know until we can see the innards of a 35S.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
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Quote:
There's really little need for the horsepower of an ARM.
I'm sure the horsepower could be utilised in one form or another. I wouldn't go so far as CAS and possibly not even to full on matrix support.
However, there is plenty of scope to make the mathematics more accurate and/or faster. E.g. using something like medium precision reals via the MPFR library. Knowing your answers are correct is comforting.
Likewise being able to add new native functions (i.e. fast) via the inbuilt programming would be a major boon.
- Pauli
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Quote:
Alright, so the 35s isn't even out yet, but even so it's a good platform for making modifications partially due to its' thickness. Here is my proposal of what we should do with it to make it better:
Gut the electronics, keep the LCD, make a new PCB with either an arm7 or arm9TDMI, give it about 512KB of SRAM, USB, SD/MMC card support, and load it with the command set of the 41c. We can give the keyboard a new set of labels with an overlay and silk-screen the keys.
I would add IrDA to that.
Dave.
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Of course, I neglected to mention that feature. It's almost implied around here!
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