Hello folks!

Yesterday my brother and I had the idea to create entirely a new calculator just for fun; we are both quite handy with electronics, he can design and 3D-print the case, and I can try to program a simple Operating System. However, this is quite a large project, and we don't want to get stuck halfway, so I wonder how feasible it is. Of course it doesn't need to be as advanced as the CE, so something like a processor, LCD, keypad and some USB stuff to connect it to a laptop would be the minimal. I'm open for all ideas, so if you have done something like this before, or have any tips, please post in this topic; we would highly appreciate it Smile
Well, I guess these could work. Smile

If you're going to make it compact, try and get a Pi-Zero W, it works for projects like that if used properly. It doesn't have a 3.5mm jack though. (Thinks about iPhones)
If you don't care how big it is, go all out and get a Pi-3 B+. You could add proper USB flashdrive support and run better software.
You'll still have to code the OS, though. Razz

Pi-Zero W: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/
Pi-3 B+: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-plus/

P.S. There's also Arduino but I have no idea how they work. https://store.arduino.cc/usa/
I have wanted to make one for a while, but I planned on making it an upgraded version of the CE. I was going to use the Pi 3 B+ and remove the USB ports after I was done to create a slimmer profile. Accessing would then be done over SSH or with a bluetooth keyboard. The Pi would run CEmu, with the Keyboard PCB being connected to the GPIO pins and linked to keybiard commands. I have not done anything with this idea and I am just throwing it out there.

In my opinion, the Pi Zero does not have enough RAM to mess around with. Its good for a slim design, and like you said, it is not going to have a OS like a CE,but I would go for the Pi 3 B+.

But then again, you have more experience than I.
LAX18 wrote:

In my opinion, the Pi Zero does not have enough RAM to mess around with. Its good for a slim design, and like you said, it is not going to have a OS like a CE,but I would go for the Pi 3 B+.

Half a gigabyte is more then enough for anything really Wink Plus you could store different OS utilities on the flash drive.
#cemetech wrote:
<MateoC> https://www.alliedelec.com/microchip-technology-inc-pic32mx250f128b-50i-sp/70451464/?mkwid=soFy3N23r&pcrid=30980760979&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=CjwKCAjwwo7cBRBwEiwAMEoXPFUByNjeEJA046Xlt4BvuAuvBAzZReruto5oHRllwfwa_mETt7axcBoCKEEQAvD_BwE
<MateoC> What more could you need
<MateoC> Then just add an lcd and some buttons, and you're good to go
<MateoC> Probably do it all under $50
<MateoC> Including a programmer
<MateoC> And a etched board
A bit off topic, but would it be feasible to use the raspberry pi compute module? Or would that be to hard / not worth it in the end? The MCU Mateo linked seems nice, though IDK how fast of a refresh rate you would be able to get on say a coloured screen.
Defining your requirements is going to be the most important part, which you haven't done very thoroughly. You want to have a keypad for input and a display for output, which could describe anything from a $2 4-function calculator through some kind of handheld spectrometer that costs as much as a nice house.

So, it's theoretically a calculator. What kind of calculating does it do? Basic 4-function? Graphing? Matrix algebra? Symbolic manipulation? Desired functions will determine all of required input options, output options and necessary computation ability and will guide your decision of platform based on how much software you want to write rather than taking advantage of already-extant packages (say, SymPy for symbolic manipulation).

And you just threw in "USB to connect to a computer." To what end? To send programs to it or something? Is the ability to load arbitrary programs on it an unspoken desired function, or is this mostly just you looking for a convenient debug interface? (I'd argue strongly against building a system that loads programs externally, since it's high complexity and if you're already building the firmware it's easy to build extra functions into that instead.)
PT_ wrote:
so something like a processor, LCD, keypad and some USB stuff to connect it to a laptop would be the minimal.

HAHAHAHA. "minimal". HAHAHAHAHA.

If you want all that; you are going to need a pre-made board. Which basically just means you should compile the CEmu core on it Razz
MateoConLechuga wrote:
PT_ wrote:
so something like a processor, LCD, keypad and some USB stuff to connect it to a laptop would be the minimal.

HAHAHAHA. "minimal". HAHAHAHAHA.

If you want all that; you are going to need a pre-made board. Which basically just means you should compile the CEmu core on it Razz


Rasberry Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Smile
It's been done.
DrDnar wrote:


Python support? Plus you can emulate it free? This is the perfect calculator! (Kind of.)
  
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