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Author Topic: A new z80 calc... in color?  (Read 67950 times)

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Offline willrandship

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #75 on: November 09, 2012, 12:37:25 am »
I still wonder whether it tries to emulate an 84+ at all, or is just a rewrite of the OS. IMO, the latter is far preferable. (Don't make me use emulated assembly! Let me use REAL assembly! Arm assembly is so much easier!)
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Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #76 on: November 09, 2012, 09:44:48 am »
Something I wonder is if it actually has two processors like the Game Boy Advance, which had an ARM processor for GBA games and a z80 one for GBC games? Maybe when launching a 84+ ASM file it tries to emulate it? In any case I have doubts that an ASM game would run at all if it's a totally rewritten 84+ OS for a different processor, and if it's a compatible processor, I am sure that some parts will need to be changed like we had to do between the TI-83/82 STATS and the 83+
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Offline aeTIos

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #77 on: November 09, 2012, 09:47:08 am »
I wonder, is the z80 very expensive? if not, that would be the best solution for them. (IMAO)
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Offline Dark_Sunrise

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #78 on: November 09, 2012, 10:29:24 am »
YAY!!!! I can't wait... it will probably be expensive, but it looks pretty :)
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Offline Eeems

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #79 on: November 09, 2012, 11:05:20 am »
aeTIos: z80 chips are dirt cheap compared to an ARM chip.
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Offline Keoni29

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #80 on: November 09, 2012, 11:23:57 am »
Quote from: DJ_O on November 08, 2012, 11:09:57 pm
SOmething I just saw that I like a lot: See attachment below, which shows the calc fonts zoomed in. Notice how they look very close to the standard small TI fonts? To me, it seems like that calc might be trying in some ways to not break graphical compatibility too much. And if the image quality happens to be poor and the fonts are actually pixelated IRL, then that's even better.

I hope to see more info and if possible some tests.

The good thing is that according to calc84maniac, the guy said Asm commands were still present in the CATALOG.
Quote from: Sorunome on November 08, 2012, 08:32:01 pm
Why did it die? D:
And i wonder if there will be a non-silver edition of the 84+c

EDIT: Nvm got confused with Cooliojazz file editor project. Anyway OTcalc died because it could only progress during Summer due to school work.
I stated this earlier. It became apparent that the there is just one character that differs from the standard small font which is the N. Assuming that the font is scaled up twice the resolution is about 320 x 240pixels which is the same as the nspire.
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Offline DrDnar

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #81 on: November 09, 2012, 11:28:05 am »
Zilong does not manufacture most Z80s; rather, they licensed the design to many other companies royalty-free. It is this license that lets TI manufacture calculator ASICs with an embedded Z80. Basically, TI paid a free for the Z80 design once more than a decade ago, and can now manufacture as many Z80-based graphing calculators as they want without having to pay anything more to Zilog. Also, the ASIC probably contains no other IP cores, so TI essentially manufactures ASICs for the literal silicon cost only. (And the LCD controller costs about a dollar a piece, and the flash chips are less than two dollars a piece, and the calculator contains no other digital ICs.)
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Offline aeTIos

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #82 on: November 09, 2012, 11:29:34 am »
Soo it might be safe to say that a z80 might cost $5 at max?
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Offline Keoni29

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #83 on: November 09, 2012, 11:31:59 am »
Quote from: aeTIos on November 09, 2012, 11:29:34 am
Soo it might be safe to say that a z80 might cost $5 at max?
A z-80 costs 20 cents at max :P
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Offline willrandship

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #84 on: November 09, 2012, 12:18:40 pm »
They have manufacturing rights for their ARM chips too. Once you have the tools set up to manufacture a silicon chip, the cost for more chips drops by a significant margin. Keep in mind they make the chips themselves. They don't buy them from someone else.

An arm chip would cost them around $1 to include in something like this. Not a huge price increase considering that they'll be selling it for at least $100.
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Offline Nosferatu Arucard 1983

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #85 on: November 09, 2012, 01:41:19 pm »
The ZX Spectrum had a old Z80 processor and was capable to draw 8 colours in a 256×192 matrix pattern, but it use several hacks to save memory. This new TI84 may be a ARM machine with all code rewritten in native ARM.
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Offline Keoni29

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #86 on: November 09, 2012, 01:50:04 pm »
You cannot compare the ZX spectrum to a modern calculator. The ZX spectrum did not have a dedicated graphics chip. These calculators however will have state of the art better lcd drivers.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2012, 01:50:26 pm by Keoni29 »
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Offline AngelFish

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #87 on: November 09, 2012, 01:57:46 pm »
A driver would be necessary no matter what the system is like. Even your computer with a fancy GPU has a screen driver to handle the low level hardware management. It's also not that big of a difference, since even the current z80s could handle a color screen with a proper driver, albeit slowly. The difference is speed and cost of production. Rewriting the OS in ARM/C, debugging it, and then making sure a new hardware platform works well with the OS is expensive. I would not be surprised at all to find that this calculator is a derivative of the Nspire for no other reason than development costs on TI's end, especially considering that any production costs they have are passed onto the consumer at a steep markup.
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Offline Keoni29

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #88 on: November 09, 2012, 02:12:02 pm »
Btw is the calc on the photo a production model or a prototype? Will the consumer OS feature the same GUI?
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Offline Lionel Debroux

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Re: A new z80 calc... in color?
« Reply #89 on: November 09, 2012, 03:32:07 pm »
Quote
Btw is the calc on the photo a production model or a prototype?
Probably a prototype reasonably close to the final model. Back in the day, the pilot classes were equipped with Nspire CAS+, before they scrapped that model.

Quote
Will the consumer OS feature the same GUI?
Probably something close to it, unless it has something incomplete / wrong enough (or whatever other defect) for TI spending another year to fix it up. AFAWCT from observing the dates, that's exactly what occurred with the Nspire CAS+.

EDIT: fix tag pairs.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2012, 04:02:54 pm by Lionel Debroux »
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