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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Picocalc done properly?
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| dddns Guru  Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
This is the minimum size I'd suggest. They even bigger question is the display. |
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| robert.rozee Guru Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2426 |
see: https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?FID=16&TID=16242 and https://github.com/thwill1000/mmbasic-gamemite cheers, rob :-) |
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| Gadgetguy Regular Member  Joined: 26/04/2025 Location: FrancePosts: 85 |
Thank you - it seems no direct programming is possible: that is for me one of the most useful aspects. I like it though, very cool! |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
My E61 I own since 2005. So nice and so ugly to handle.  |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
20k Worldwide? |
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| Gadgetguy Regular Member Joined: 26/04/2025 Location: FrancePosts: 85 |
Units? Not sure. A couple thousand? Likely |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
if it would be ported to mobile and enabling people to write a "app" for their device, it would be the greatest successor |
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Nimue Guru Joined: 06/08/2020 Location: United KingdomPosts: 417 |
Followed this with interest so far. The challenge I have personally, is that I "want" something like this to feed my inner 1980's kid play Hobbit on ZX Spectrum. Hence I would pay £50 for it. BUT I know in my heart that it would be purchased with enthusiasm, played with for 15mins and never then really used. Like the PicoGeek USB thing - love the idea, used it compulsively for a while, now its in my parts drawer waiting for a genuine use-case. The VGA / HDMI versions are super useful and fun to use - but in 90% of my use cases I still revert back to the original Picomite via TeraTerm. I suspect there would be a market for a HDMI version in the form factors of something like the Pi400 or AcronElectron. Something with a real keyboard, all in one type affair -- and there have been a number of projects shared here like that. And in fariness I keep my eyes out for a mechanical keyboard deep enough so I could retro fit something. Again, would pay £50 for something like that -- but still not sure it would be my "goto" solution. Nice, feel good and a pleasure to use, but would it end up on a shelf? All that said, if someone could clone a Casio scientific calculator where I can change the buttons to my own functions (as my wife is visually impaired) that would be a real commercial gold mine as the like for the visual impairment market is £XXX per calculator and they are still not up to purpose. Entropy is not what it used to be |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4022 |
It's running MMBasic. Needs a keyboard to do such programming. A bigger screen looks desirable (for me). John |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4022 |
I suspect no-one here wants to make or sell even 200 let alone 2000. John |
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| Gadgetguy Regular Member Joined: 26/04/2025 Location: FrancePosts: 85 |
Yes, i see that. Its unfortunate that our chinese friends make all the sales with a unit that is clearly less performant vs the one proposed by Peter |
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PeteCotton Guru Joined: 13/08/2020 Location: CanadaPosts: 535 |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
Oh Pete, you made my day. It's a beauty! :* Again and again impressive to see, how advanced we were already in the 80's. The question how good a device is to handle is the main criteria beside functionality if it stays and is accepted. In the 80's they already paid enormous attention to this aspect resulting e.g. in all the Ti calculators with brilliant keybaords and then Casio simplifying it but keeping or enhancing the usability. This is with me since 1985 and bound me so many hours at that time as it was soo! nice to handle:  I really have to change the batteries and see if it still comes up :) ..but I think so :)) Frankly speaking I'd say, this is still _up_to_date_ !!! Edited 2025-05-14 17:00 by dddns |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
Like there is this beautiful possibility with PCBs and they way you can have a very professional looking part in front of you in just some days is a nice aspect these days. I think there is a similar chinese market for empty devices just as fabric. So e.g. such a Casio design I _think_ is possible to let it be manufactured in a series of 1000 for like 50 "bucks"?? Can anybody clarify how reality looks like, has that someone done and looked into this?  Of cause it has a full screen editor :D Edited 2025-05-14 18:10 by dddns |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 462 |
I have never seen it but seems to be another example of done properly And this is artwork and can't be reached these days This has the size of a 2,5" hdd + some cm And because its artwork it was never really sold en mass Have you seen Odroid's handheld? it has no chance! PSP - no chance Switch - much better because better SW espacially for kids and to be precise: the Switch and its success together with Nintendo itself is not reasoned because its portable. That's only a side effect and to cover both markets. Same with Sony and PSP Edited 2025-05-14 19:07 by dddns |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10169 |
Just for fun I thought I'd wiffle up a quick design 638d583c-054c-4da4-8a17-665bf62057e0.pdf This uses the 64pin DIL RP2350B module as the CPU and just adds known working bits and pieces from my various designs: Battery power and charging, RTC, I2S audio and stereo amplifier, On board ESP for wifi connectivity, SDcard. It uses a discrete keyboard and would be laid out to fit this overlay.  The screen is the one identified here |
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| toml_12953 Guru Joined: 13/02/2015 Location: United StatesPosts: 419 |
Someone take my money! If anyone starts a fund to support a startup, let me know. I'm all for a standardized handheld unit that can use MMBasic right from the source with no mods. Although madcock has been fantastic at keeping up with changes required for the PicoCalc, he may tire of doing so and I don't like support being at anyone's whim. I have no hardware skill to speak of so it would have to be a comprehensive all-in-one design. I wouldn't mind a simple assembly process, however, having to put it together as I did with my PicoCalc. |
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| Gadgetguy Regular Member Joined: 26/04/2025 Location: FrancePosts: 85 |
I would be interested to buy something like this. Just one question, is there any way to include an hdmdi display? I have now both a picocalc and a picomite and i truly enjoy the picocalc. But it would be amazing to have an hdmi screen so the mmbasic graphics capabilities could be used |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10169 |
 Laid out but not routed. Board is 108x225mm That would be a completely different design - so no. Cost about USD32 in 5-off quantities (cheaper in bigger numbers) + the cost of one of my 64-pin DIL modules which adds another USD20 For those new here: I don't sell anything, I just make the design files freely available. Edited 2025-06-09 04:51 by matherp |
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| Gadgetguy Regular Member Joined: 26/04/2025 Location: FrancePosts: 85 |
That is so sad. For newbie me the graphics commands are the best ones in mmbasic. But most of those amazing commands do not run on lcd screens - only on hdmi. That is why i hope that one day there may be a version with hdmi... Edited 2025-06-10 04:08 by Gadgetguy |
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