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Build your homemade casio calculator cable

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby happy » Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:36 pm

Approx $150. I haven't got an addin running yet to do calc-calc serial talk (based on your doc), but as soon as I get time will test that (and make another post if I run into trouble). Once that's done I hope to buy this and try out sending serial commands from calc to this adapter.

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby helder7 » Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:23 pm

happy wrote:2) And if it does, any other reason I would need a Calc-PC cable for my 9860 other than that the PC might only have a serial, and no USB port? (I am curious to see if anyone has other applications of the cable on a 9860/Prizm, that's all)

This cable is used mainly to transfer files to calculators without usb port (CFX models, Afx models).
But you can use the cable for another purposes. F.i. if you want test the MPoupe fxterm (vt100 emu) you need this cable.


I received yesterday the adapter "USB to RS232 Serial Port Adapter" (price: 2.99$ with free shipping) from dealextreme/china. It took about 4 weeks to arrive.

Image

The cd has drivers for many other devices mixed. The correct driver is in "E:\Driver PL2303\Vista&Win7".
It also has driver for linux.

After I install the driver (correct) adapter was finally recognized by windows7. :P However, it was set to work on COM29 in my pc.

The problem is fa-124 only lets you select COM port up to 20. A few minutes later, I found how to solve the problem:

Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager -> Ports (COM & LPT) -> Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port (Com X); at this point, take note of the COM number. Use that number when assigning the COM port

in your Device Manager and double click your USB to Serial adapter. Click Port Settings and then Advanced. You should then be able to select the COM port (1, 2, 3, or 4) being careful not to select a COM port already in use on your computer.

Here you can also set the speed, in order to use fa-124 you should set it to 38400 bps (with the original speed it does not work).
SiO2 + CaCO3 ----------> CaSiO3 + CO2

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby happy » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:32 am

helder7 wrote:This cable is used mainly to transfer files to calculators without usb port (CFX models, Afx models).
But you can use the cable for another purposes. F.i. if you want test the MPoupe fxterm (vt100 emu) you need this cable.


Thanks

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby nsg » Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:17 am

I made a miniature diagram for the MAX23x based cable. The size and color of the diagram is designed to fit fx-CG10.
Image
The file in .g3p format is here:
http://casiopeia.net/forum/downloads.php?view=detail&df_id=95

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby nsg » Mon Mar 11, 2013 3:11 am

I want to connect prizm to an old BasicStamp board i have laying around.
So I went on digikey to shop for max232/max233 chips. There were literally dozens variants there, ranging in price from $0.80 to $15. Even after i filter out non-DIP packages and batches of >1000 there is still too much for me to comprehend. What are all the differences, and, better yet, what is your recommendation, which one should I get?

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby SimonLothar » Mon Mar 11, 2013 8:07 am

nsg wrote:I want to connect prizm to an old BasicStamp board i have laying around.
So I went on digikey to shop for max232/max233 chips. There were literally dozens variants there, ranging in price from $0.80 to $15. Even after i filter out non-DIP packages and batches of >1000 there is still too much for me to comprehend. What are all the differences, and, better yet, what is your recommendation, which one should I get?
I'd use a MAX233 or MAX233A because it doesn't need external capacitors. According to the MAXIM datasheet the main difference between MAX233 and MAX233A is a maximum data rate of 120 and 200 kbps, resp.. I'd buy the cheapest.
BTW: doesn't the BasicStamp support TTL-levels for the serial communication, too? Perhaps you don't need RS232-levels.
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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby nsg » Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:07 am

Simon, this is really great idea, thank you.
I reread the manual and it says
"All BS2 models have a line receiver on its SIN pin (Rpin = 16). See the
"Introduction to the BASIC Stamp" chapter. The SIN pin goes to a PC’s
serial data-out pin on the DB9 connector built into BASIC Stamp
development boards. The connector is wired to allow both programming
and run-time serial communication (unless you are using the BASIC
Stamp 2 Carrier Board (#27120) which is designed for programming only).
For the built-in serial port set the Rpin argument to 16 in the SERIN
command."


Hopefully, it means that if I connect calculator to pin other than 16, it will not go through the serial convertor and i will have my TTL level.
I definitely need to try that before I go hard route.

Here is my progress so far. I got the connector from the radioshack and turns out it is not that simple.
Image
As you can see the metal base and plastic casing are quite a bit wider than on the cable that came with Prizm (on the right). As a result, it will not fit into connector on the calculator, because that is slightly sunk.
Here is another picture.
Image

I ended up shaving off exceess plastic and it fit with a click. Excess metal does not seem to make a difference.

Finally, when I cleaned up some space where I can solder, I realized that i have no idea how i am supposed to conect wires to it. Base, i understand, but those 2 tiny barely exposed golden cyliders surrounded by plastic on all sides? Am i supposed to solder to them? Or the connector is missing a part?
Image

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby SimonLothar » Thu Mar 14, 2013 7:44 am

nsg wrote:Hopefully, it means that if I connect calculator to pin other than 16, it will not go through the serial convertor and i will have my TTL level.

Never connect the calculator's serial I/O-lines to anything you do not know for sure to be in the range of valid TTL-levels! This can kill at least the calculator's serial module and/or its serial I/O-driver or -if the voltage is high enough- the complete calculator. You must verify the voltage with some voltmeter!

nsg wrote:As you can see the metal base and plastic casing are quite a bit wider than on the cable that came with Prizm (on the right). As a result, it will not fit into connector on the calculator, because that is slightly sunk.
Therefor I use female connectors together with the original cable. But mind: the original cable is a cross-over type.

nsg wrote:Finally, when I cleaned up some space where I can solder, I realized that i have no idea how i am supposed to conect wires to it. Base, i understand, but those 2 tiny barely exposed golden cyliders surrounded by plastic on all sides? Am i supposed to solder to them? Or the connector is missing a part?
Never saw such a connector. Usually these connectors have ready-for-use soldering tags. Possibly this one is intended for a special connecting method using a special device to establish the connection (crimp, melt or whatever). If you want to use the jack anyhow, you must check with a continuity checker, which contact is connected to middle and tip, resp.. Which you have to do with a jack with soldering tags as well, because you never can tell.
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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby nsg » Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:37 am

Prizm + fxterm as a terminal for Raspberry Pi
Rpi ihas 3v ttl serial, this means that there is no need for electronics for the cable, just connect pins to pins.

BTW, fxterm lacks the ability to enter the following keys: < > ' ` | \ ~ -- all important if you are going to use shell.
The keyboard table is in console.c, but how do I build it?

Image

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Re: Build your homemade casio calculator cable

Postby SimonLothar » Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:05 am

nsg wrote:BTW, fxterm lacks the ability to enter the following keys: < > ' ` | \ ~ -- all important if you are going to use shell.
The keyboard table is in console.c, but how do I build it?
I just downloaded version 0.02 based on the link in this thread. Obviously this version has been built with my mini-SDK. I'll have a look.
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