AVR-Chat

I was thinking about building/selling a programmer calc with an AVR,  keypad, 
lcd and open source sw that we could collaborate on. With projects like  
this, the cost is sensitive to whether you build 10, 100 1000 or ?? Maybe I  could 
sell them at think geek. Maybe give it a clear case so you could se the  guts 
or some 'gimmick' Now everyone needs to suggest their 'threshold of impulse  
purchase' for something like this....
 
 
In a message dated 5/16/2008 12:11:22 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
obparham@jpl.nasa.gov writes:

--- In  AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, davec <davec2468@...> wrote:
>
>  >I have a solar powered Casio at home that I got 20+ years ago. I
>  >don't recall the model # but it handles BIN, OCT, DEC and HEX
>  >4-function ops and basic logic functions on up to 32-bit values.
>  >
> >It paid for it's self a long time ago and the batteries still  work!
> >
> >Bruce
> 
> Please look at it and  report the model #. I'm interested. You're sure 
> it does *binary* to  32 bits? And displays it? (Most new calculators 
> won't display more  than 16 digits, so I'm suspicious...)
> 
> Thanks,
>  Dave
>

Ok, I got home and tracked it down. It's a Casio model  CM-100 that I 
got for free, in 1986, as a promo for buying a graphing  calculator. 
I stuck it into the scanner and posted the resulting  pic  in the photo
section of the Yahoo web site.

The COMP button puts the  unit into normal floating point mode and any
of the BIN - HEX buttons  switches it to integer operation. And yes,
the A-F keys expand the numeric  pad to 16 digits in integer mode. I'm
sure this model has been out of  production for a long time but, if you
can find a working one, it's worth  it. Not a high power unit but, like
I said, the batteries still  work!

Bruce


------------------------------------

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'd pay $60 for a good one.  By good I mean something that does all  
the bases, handles logical functions, complements, etc. and just  
works out of the box.  Rather than physical transparency, I think the  
real transparency of open source and the ability to add programs or  
features would be the real draw.

Add a place for a small memory card to transfer programs and you'd  
really have something nice.  I might even pay as much as $100 if it  
was really nice.

On May 16, 2008, at 3:39 AM, BobGardner@aol.com wrote:

> I was thinking about building/selling a programmer calc with an  
> AVR,  keypad,
> lcd and open source sw that we could collaborate on. With projects  
> like
> this, the cost is sensitive to whether you build 10, 100 1000 or ??  
> Maybe I  could
> sell them at think geek. Maybe give it a clear case so you could se  
> the  guts
> or some 'gimmick' Now everyone needs to suggest their 'threshold of  
> impulse
> purchase' for something like this....
>
>
> In a message dated 5/16/2008 12:11:22 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> obparham@jpl.nasa.gov writes:
>
> --- In  AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, davec <davec2468@...> wrote:
>>
>>> I have a solar powered Casio at home that I got 20+ years ago. I
>>> don't recall the model # but it handles BIN, OCT, DEC and HEX
>>> 4-function ops and basic logic functions on up to 32-bit values.
>>>
>>> It paid for it's self a long time ago and the batteries still  work!
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>
>> Please look at it and  report the model #. I'm interested. You're  
>> sure
>> it does *binary* to  32 bits? And displays it? (Most new calculators
>> won't display more  than 16 digits, so I'm suspicious...)
>>
>> Thanks,
>>  Dave
>>
>
> Ok, I got home and tracked it down. It's a Casio model  CM-100 that I
> got for free, in 1986, as a promo for buying a graphing  calculator.
> I stuck it into the scanner and posted the resulting  pic  in the  
> photo
> section of the Yahoo web site.
>
> The COMP button puts the  unit into normal floating point mode and any
> of the BIN - HEX buttons  switches it to integer operation. And yes,
> the A-F keys expand the numeric  pad to 16 digits in integer mode. I'm
> sure this model has been out of  production for a long time but, if  
> you
> can find a working one, it's worth  it. Not a high power unit but,  
> like
> I said, the batteries still  work!
>
> Bruce
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo!  Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists  
> on family
> favorites at AOL Food.
> (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001)
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Philippe Habib wrote:
> I'd pay $60 for a good one.  By good I mean something that does all  
> the bases, handles logical functions, complements, etc. and just  
> works out of the box.  Rather than physical transparency, I think the  
> real transparency of open source and the ability to add programs or  
> features would be the real draw.
> 
> Add a place for a small memory card to transfer programs and you'd  
> really have something nice.  I might even pay as much as $100 if it  
> was really nice.
> 
> On May 16, 2008, at 3:39 AM, BobGardner@aol.com wrote:

Really nice would be converting back and forth between decimal 
floating point and binary floating point, also 64-bit precision.
Another really nice feature would be scaled fixed point binary 
arithmetic.  A definite YES on the programmability.

Sounds like a good project.


erikc

I suspect someone could make a *really* nice calculator out of an  
iPhone or iPod Touch.

--
David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
========================================================================
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.

>I suspect someone could make a *really* nice calculator out of an
>iPhone or iPod Touch.
>David Kelly

<http://www.creativecreek.com/>

I don't want an app on a PDA.  I want real keys.  I want something  
that feels good in the hand and doesn't force me to buy a gizmo I  
otherwise don't need or want.

On May 16, 2008, at 6:07 PM, David Kelly wrote:

> I suspect someone could make a *really* nice calculator out of an
> iPhone or iPod Touch.
>
> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
> ====================================================================== 
> ==
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

On May 17, 2008, at 12:16 AM, Philippe Habib wrote:

> I don't want an app on a PDA.  I want real keys.  I want something
> that feels good in the hand and doesn't force me to buy a gizmo I
> otherwise don't need or want.


You missed the point.

*I* want an excuse to buy a gizmo I want, but don't need. And am not  
alone.

--
David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
========================================================================
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.

>I don't want an app on a PDA.  I want real keys.  I want something 
>that feels good in the hand and doesn't force me to buy a gizmo I
>otherwise don't need or want.

But if you already have the "gizmo" (iPhone or iPod Touch), retasking 
it for $10 is pretty neat, you must admit. Retasking a handheld is 
the future of calculators, in my not-so-humble opinion...

Dave

Don't forget shifts.  In fact, you couldn't go very wrong by just  
duplicating the HP16's features.

On May 16, 2008, at 5:17 PM, erikc wrote:

> Philippe Habib wrote:
>> I'd pay $60 for a good one.  By good I mean something that does all
>> the bases, handles logical functions, complements, etc. and just
>> works out of the box.  Rather than physical transparency, I think the
>> real transparency of open source and the ability to add programs or
>> features would be the real draw.
>>
>> Add a place for a small memory card to transfer programs and you'd
>> really have something nice.  I might even pay as much as $100 if it
>> was really nice.
>>
>> On May 16, 2008, at 3:39 AM, BobGardner@aol.com wrote:
>
> Really nice would be converting back and forth between decimal
> floating point and binary floating point, also 64-bit precision.
> Another really nice feature would be scaled fixed point binary
> arithmetic.  A definite YES on the programmability.
>
> Sounds like a good project.
>
>
> erikc
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I guess we're at the extremes.  I don't own an I-anything and don't  
want one.  I buy my cell phones used on ebay so that I don't get tied  
to a carrier for the "free" phone.

My toy and gizmo weakness is big iron.  When a neighbor saw a semi  
pulling a fork lift with a 3000 pound milling machine on board turn  
onto the street he said he just knew who's house he had to walk to in  
order to check it out.

On May 17, 2008, at 4:10 AM, David Kelly wrote:

>
> On May 17, 2008, at 12:16 AM, Philippe Habib wrote:
>
>> I don't want an app on a PDA.  I want real keys.  I want something
>> that feels good in the hand and doesn't force me to buy a gizmo I
>> otherwise don't need or want.
>
>
> You missed the point.
>
> *I* want an excuse to buy a gizmo I want, but don't need. And am not
> alone.
>
> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
> ====================================================================== 
> ==
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Philippe sez:
>I guess we're at the extremes.  I don't own an I-anything and don't 
>want one.  I buy my cell phones used on ebay so that I don't get tied
>to a carrier for the "free" phone.

Me too. Rarely buy anything new for that reason, and for the 
"depreciation hit" (ie, what it costs to drive a new car off the 
"new" lot). But I think stand-alone calculators have a limited future 
what with the popularity of "all things 'i' "

>My toy and gizmo weakness is big iron.  When a neighbor saw a semi 
>pulling a fork lift with a 3000 pound milling machine on board turn 
>onto the street he said he just knew who's house he had to walk to in
>order to check it out.

Ha! I know what you mean. I'm not quite there, but I can appreciate 
your "habit". I'm looking into a PCB mill (do-it-myself).

Dave