Author Topic: Build your own Z80 calculator  (Read 20430 times)

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Offline kingofthebacon

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Build your own Z80 calculator
« on: September 25, 2011, 01:28:26 pm »
Hi everybody! I'm new here I'm starting to learn z80 assembly for the ti 83+. I was wondering if it would be possible to build your own calculator with a z80 microprocessor and some sort of screen similar to the ti calculators screen. Wouldn't you have to put the ti-os on it to run programs and such? If this is even possible we could probably add more memory to the home made calculator. Unless that would cause you to have to rewrite the ti os or something to support more memory. I don't know if this is just stupid or if some one has asked before. But all feedback is appreciated!  ;D (Sorry if this is dumb or impossible)

Offline JoeyBelgier

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2011, 02:01:33 pm »
Hrm, I'd rather want to make a "calculator" with only a d-pad, about 4 buttons and something like MirageOS as -actual- os in stead of a shell. Just for playing games, like some cheap Chinese handheld :P

Offline Camdenmil

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2011, 02:19:54 pm »
It's definitely possible. I am currently working on a z80 computer. My current design could be miniaturized to calculator size if I switched over to smd and replaced the many 74 series ics with an fpga or a microcontroller. To run programs, right now I flash a 32k eeprom and use 32k ram. I'm probably going to add bank switching soon. If you want to start making circuits with the z80, take a look at z80.info.
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Offline boot2490

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2011, 02:29:26 pm »
Can't you just buy a Z80 Processor?
I'm not worried about SOPA creating censorship, that will not stand for long. I'm worried that they'll succeed in stopping piracy!

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Offline Spyro543

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2011, 03:45:16 pm »
Hrm, I'd rather want to make a "calculator" with only a d-pad, about 4 buttons and something like MirageOS as -actual- os in stead of a shell. Just for playing games, like some cheap Chinese handheld :P
:o You just gave me idea.

Offline JoeyBelgier

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2011, 03:52:13 pm »
Hrm, I'd rather want to make a "calculator" with only a d-pad, about 4 buttons and something like MirageOS as -actual- os in stead of a shell. Just for playing games, like some cheap Chinese handheld :P
:o You just gave me idea.

Lol, been having this idea since whenever the -censor- I joined Omnimaga :D

Offline Spyro543

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2011, 03:54:21 pm »
I should so make one then give directions so everyone on Omni can make one and then we all make games for them and share game ideas and then our game system is better then Nintendo and we make monies off of our idea >:D

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2011, 06:11:24 pm »
There was a similar project called OTZ80 before http://www.omnimaga.org/index.php?board=118.0

Sadly I think it is discontinued, because it could only progress during Summer and last Summer it still didn't see any progress.

Offline kingofthebacon

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2011, 07:11:06 pm »
Hey camnedmil are you by any chance this guy? http://benryves.com/projects/z80computer

Offline AngelFish

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2011, 07:12:09 pm »
Ben Ryves is actually the member called Ben Ryves :P
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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2011, 07:52:38 pm »
Ben Ryves is actually the member called Ben Ryves :P

1) yeah... Ben wouldn't really sign up in another name, considering no one else has that name yet, and it's his name everywhere else.

2) this is in the wrong forums section

3) for adding memory, why not use msd8x?  Building a whole new calculator seems.. rather unnecessary.

Offline Camdenmil

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2011, 08:01:27 pm »
Hey camnedmil are you by any chance this guy? http://benryves.com/projects/z80computer
No. I have looked at his design though. His is pretty much a full computer; my current progress is is a 128x64 lcd, 32k ram, and 32k rom. The 32k ram is actually a 512k chip with lots of address pins tied low. I'm going to do bank switching with that and find some way to quickly interface a z80 with an sd card. My goal is to get something the size of a calculator but I may need to actually get a final design and switch to smd for that.
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Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2011, 08:34:00 pm »
Well a new calc would be nice in the way it could offer more than TI's while still costing less. That was OTZ80 goal to offer more for less, so people aim for compatible z80 calcs (a TI-84+ emu was planned) while not having to spend $110 for 1970 hardware. However such project is a huge undertaking, so be warned that it will be a lot of work and be complicated.

On a side note welcome on the forums kingofthebacon.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2011, 09:25:22 pm by DJ_O »

Offline kingofthebacon

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2011, 10:16:17 pm »
@Ashbad Not all of us want to spend $100000000+ on a ti 84+. Yes I am being I hypocrite because I would have to spend money to make this home made calculator. But it also may be cheaper than buying a ti 84+ SE because of the old technology these calculators have you could probably build it for not that much. :)

@Everyone thanks for your feedback!

@DJ_O Thanks ! :)

I don't think I said before but I have experience in electronics.

Offline ralphdspam

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Re: Build your own Z80 calculator
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2011, 12:01:37 am »
A z80 is only about $5.  You can get a better LCD screen for about $15. 
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