The WalrusLink Project

b/Hardware publicado por u/p2 August 22, 2016, 10:01:33 PM

The WalrusLink Project

Currentle we (DarkestEx + p2) are working at a little hardware project together.
Out original idea was that it would be really cool to be able to use external Keyboards on your calculator.
However that idea developed into something bigger... Our plan is the following:

We want to use Arduino parts to create a rather cheap posibillity to use one (or multiple) external keyboards (PS/2, USB, 2.5mm Phone connector) without any need of knowledge about the technology we use. We want it to be as simple to use as any cable or adapter. But not only for basic programs, we also want to develop Axe libraries so any Axe game can be controlled using a real keyboard

Also it should make it possible to easily add speakers to your calc since we want to add a audio amplyfier with a 3.5mm Audio output.

In addition we're thinking about making software development on calcs easier (and faster).
Therefore we want to add a special mode in which typed characters would be automatically turned into calculator commands. So typing "Lbl" on your keyboard would result in the basic command LBL. This might also be extended to support Axe commands as well.

But still it's of cause not sure how far we're gonna get and which of these features we're gonna actually add

Last Edit: August 22, 2016, 10:03:04 PM by p2

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u/Dream of Omnimaga August 23, 2016, 04:29:30 AM

Hm it would be interesting to see this in action. Would this require the calculator to do extra processing that can potentially slow down program execution? The tokens thing is interesting too, although it might get annoying in some cases, such as if for example someone tries to type the word Answer in his code, only to see it automatically replaced by Ans+w+e+r.

u/Yuki August 23, 2016, 04:36:02 AM

If I remember correctly, there is TI actually made keyboards for calcs, if we could plug any keyboard, PS/2 or USB, to be converted to TI's keyboard protocol, well that would be interesting.

u/Dream of Omnimaga August 23, 2016, 04:38:15 AM

Yeah, there is the TI keyboard.

u/p2 August 23, 2016, 10:04:36 AM

the first idea was to make the TI keyboard work for axe. Then we thought about real keyboards since the TI keyboard sucks ^^
btw the ti keyboard isn't supported by axe so just using this protocoll won't be enough :/

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on August 23, 2016, 04:29:30 AM
Hm it would be interesting to see this in action. Would this require the calculator to do extra processing that can potentially slow down program execution? The tokens thing is interesting too, although it might get annoying in some cases, such as if for example someone tries to type the word Answer in his code, only to see it automatically replaced by Ans+w+e+r.

We thought about toggeling this with capslock or maybe an extra button on the device so you could easily switch between code and text mode

u/Dream of Omnimaga August 24, 2016, 05:37:01 AM

Wait, how is the TI keyboard not supported by Axe? Does it just error/do nothing when Axe is installed or something? I never used that keyboard.

And that would be a nice idea to have a button for switching between text and code. As long as it doesn't force autocompleting stuff like M$ Word did (for example it always changed the first letter of a new line to a capital letter and wouldn't let me change it back to lowercase) any option is good for me

u/Yuki August 24, 2016, 06:29:30 AM

Probably more like the code for supporting those keyboards isn't running while ASM or Axe programs are running, I guess.

u/p2 August 24, 2016, 09:33:39 AM

Axe completely ignores the keyboard (already tried it out myself).
It only works in the homescreen.
DarkestEx's explanation was that Axe didnt support the necessary drivers for the I/O-Port to work with the keyboard

u/Dream of Omnimaga August 25, 2016, 05:37:54 AM

Ah, right, I thought that such driver was already made in the TI community before.

u/p2 August 25, 2016, 09:44:26 AM

For using the TI keyboard in Axe? Or what exactly? Do you maybe have a link or something? ^^

u/DarkestEx August 25, 2016, 10:04:52 AM

Quote from: p2 on August 25, 2016, 09:44:26 AM
For using the TI keyboard in Axe? Or what exactly? Do you maybe have a link or something? ^^

Seems fairy impractical to use CBL1 in axe.
Well p2, we will additionally support USB and PS/2 keyboards.

u/calcplays August 26, 2016, 05:18:02 AM

It would be interesting to see if real computer keyboards could be used on even more calculators. The Nspire already supports them with Ndless and a USB hub.
Is there a particular keyboard you want to use?

u/Dream of Omnimaga August 26, 2016, 03:52:52 PM

I didn't know Nspire Linux could support PC keyboards.

u/c4ooo September 02, 2016, 11:47:08 PM

doesn't a USB to calc converter already exists?
Also, having a hub for both Keyboard and speaker to be plugged into calc would be cool, but the problem i see is that there are only 2 ports on the calc (USB(which not all calc have) and analog). I would imagine you will have troubles driving both a keyboard and a speaker, although maybe the sound could be generated off-calc?

Last Edit: September 02, 2016, 11:55:34 PM by c4ooo

u/DarkestEx September 03, 2016, 12:12:21 AM

Quote from: calcplays on August 26, 2016, 05:18:02 AM
It would be interesting to see if real computer keyboards could be used on even more calculators. The Nspire already supports them with Ndless and a USB hub.
Is there a particular keyboard you want to use?

No it should work with all PS/2 and most USB keyboards.

Quote from: c4ooo on September 02, 2016, 11:47:08 PM
doesn't a USB to calc converter already exists?
Also, having a hub for both Keyboard and speaker to be plugged into calc would be cool, but the problem i see is that there are only 2 ports on the calc (USB(which not all calc have) and analog). I would imagine you will have troubles driving both a keyboard and a speaker, although maybe the sound could be generated off-calc?

Well I would suggest you have a little read

The converter is supposed to allow accessing SD card programs from your calculator and to allow using proper USB and PS/2 keyboards on your favorite TI-84+ and maybe the TI-83+.
Well USB will not be used by our project at all and the other jack can only be data (keyboard, SD) or audio at the same time.
Generating sound off-calc is possible, but it's not a focus yet

We might think about it though.