Omnimaga

Omnimaga => News => Topic started by: critor on October 29, 2013, 12:18:20 pm

Title: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: critor on October 29, 2013, 12:18:20 pm
As explained in a previous news (http://ourl.ca/19500), changes on the motherboard in new TI-Nspire CX hardware revision J and above are making them incompatible with versions 3.1, and thus with Ndless / nLaunch.

Hardware revisionMotherboardASICBoot1NANDKeyboardDockboardPhoto3.1 compatibility
InitialFirebird Color MB 64213.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075yes
AFirebird Color MB 6422ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075Firebird Color KB EVT 4421Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=1229) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=1229)yes
BFirebird Color MB 6422ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075Firebird Color KB EVT 4421Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2634) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2634)yes
CFirebird Color MB 6422ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075Firebird Color KB EVT 4421Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=1227) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=1227)yes
DFirebird Color MB 6422ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075Firebird Color KB EVT 4421Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2397) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2397)yes
E3.0.0.99yes
FFirebird Color MB 6430ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99Samsung K511F12ACA-B075Firebird Color KB EVT 4421Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2398) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2398)yes
G3.0.0.99yes
H3.0.0.99yes
I3.0.0.99yes
JNSC CR MB 4440ET-NS2010B-13.0.0.99ESMT FM60D1G12AFirebird Color KB DVT 4424Firebird Color BTB EVT1.2 2412(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2878) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2878)no
K3.0.0.99no

A Chinese online shop nosed the bargain and has started selling hundreds of TI-Nspire CX spare parts: 3.1 compatible TI-Nspire CX motherboards, thus compatible with Ndless / Nlaunch. ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)
The motherboard reference is Firebird Color MB 6421. So it's the motherboard used in the initial version of the hardware, prior to hardware revision A.
(http://i.imgur.com/Y4yds6Ms.png) (http://i.imgur.com/Y4yds6M.png)

Currently there are:
An affordable and easy to install motherboard for new extraordinary possibilities with your TI-Nspire CX! ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)

We tested, and installing the old motherboard together with the more recent keypad board doesn't cause any problem. ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)

Note that the TI-Nspire CX and TI-Nspire CX CAS motherboards are apparently identical.
But do not attempt to turn your TI-Nspire CX intro a TI-Nspire CX CAS with a TI-Nspire CX CAS motherboard, because it just does not work . TI knows of this method (commonly called 'case-switching') and has made things more difficult than that: as the motherboard, the keypad board has the CAS and non-CAS types too. If you mix the types, the OS does notice it when launched and will either:
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=1354) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=1354)
You would need to buy the CAS version of the TI-Nspire CX keypad board too for such a purpose, of course if you can find such a spare part.
Note that it may be possible to bypass this protection by using a current or future version of nLaunch, although it has not been tested yet. But even in this case, it would be dangerous to be forced to use Nlaunch to make your calculator work, when TI clearly wants to make everything possible in order to block it.


Links :
TI-Nspire CX motherboard (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.0.gePLOz&scm=1007.77.0.0&id=19332330658&pvid=d13090a7-6df1-42dc-979f-89a9af9194a0&jlogid=p29191525aab68)
TI-Nspire CX CAS motherboard (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.0.8DEVFK&scm=1007.77.0.0&id=19862690508&pvid=c65ec7fc-b01d-4388-bd54-0cc0499e89d1&jlogid=p29191318d76b6)

Source :
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=13304&lang=en
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 29, 2013, 12:22:28 pm
Interesting trick. I wonder if it's easy to switch or if it requires some soldering and stuff? It could be a particularly risky move for people who have no clue what they are doing.
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: critor on October 29, 2013, 12:24:48 pm
No soldering required. :)
The board is just clipped and screwed.
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Sorunome on October 29, 2013, 01:37:31 pm
Ha, that's a nice one :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 29, 2013, 02:12:36 pm
Ah ok, what about the screen?
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: critor on October 29, 2013, 02:18:45 pm
The screen flat ribbon is just inserted in a clipped contact.
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 29, 2013, 02:20:53 pm
Ah ok. I was worried about it being tied to the mobo and requiring some special glue or extreme care to be connected to a new one.

At least I'm glad swapping mobos works, since on the Xbox 360, you can't even swap an hard drive without flashing it first. That said, knowing TI, the days until this stops working are most likely counted, although I doubt they can do much about the store re-selling those motherboards, since it's located in China.
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: critor on October 29, 2013, 03:53:21 pm
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on October 29, 2013, 02:20:53 pm
Ah ok. I was worried about it being tied to the mobo and requiring some special glue or extreme care to be connected to a new one.

It was the case on TI-Nspire ClickPad/TouchPad.

It's not the case anymore on TI-Nspire CX/CM :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Jawis on November 20, 2013, 10:57:57 am
So I just reveiced mine today ;D! Delivery took 3 Weeks, but what do you expect when it is coming all the way from China (shipping was free)!

Anyway, just wanted to say is that they sent me a Firebird_Color_MB_6422 and not a Firebird_Color_MB_6421, as displayed in the description!

Edit: It's the CAS version btw :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Adriweb on November 21, 2013, 02:12:33 am
Interesting !
Tell us how the process goes :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 21, 2013, 03:19:25 am
Quote from: Jawis on November 20, 2013, 10:57:57 am
Anyway, just wanted to say is that they sent me a Firebird_Color_MB_6422 and not a Firebird_Color_MB_6421, as displayed in the description!

Hmm I hope that not too many people get the wrong board (at least not a non-Ndlessable one). Welcome to the forums, by the way! :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: critor on November 21, 2013, 07:04:16 am
Thank you for the report.
FireBird_Color_MB_6422 is still fine.
I hope you'll be happy with it :)

I doubt they're going to have spare parts with the J/K motherboards soon anyway.
But I suppose you can still tell the seller to check that the motherboard reference starts with "FireBird_Color_MB_64".
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Jawis on November 21, 2013, 08:36:26 am
Quote from: adriweb on November 21, 2013, 02:12:33 am
Interesting !
Tell us how the process goes :)
I used Google translate to get around the site, it runs quite well! Confirming your registration on their Website is done by SMS (there is an option for email registration but it didn't work for me...)
You can only pay by Credit Card. There is an Option for "Paypal" but that's Google translate mixing up the Chinese equivalent of PayPal, Alipay with the western used PayPal! After that it will automatically register you to Alipay, where, when you are prompted on your profile page, will need to confirm the payment. After that you just have to wait the 3 weeks (depends :)!).
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Adriweb on November 21, 2013, 09:01:39 am
Well, I meant about the switching itself but the information you told can be useful for many people, so thanks for that :)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: blue_bear_94 on November 21, 2013, 11:22:29 pm
Still such a pity that now we have to resort to hardware mods. However, this method is better than nothing!
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on November 22, 2013, 01:16:33 am
Quote from: blue_bear_94 on November 21, 2013, 11:22:29 pm
Still such a pity that now we have to resort to hardware mods. However, this method is better than nothing!
Better take advantage of that method while it lasts too. Who knows if TI won't go the same route as the Xbox 360 and iOS devices (which can't be opened through regular means). I think that it's possibility, because the HP Prime already does it to a certain extent (there are still screws, but it's incredibly hard to unclip the two parts afterward without bending the circuit board)
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: MrJoker59 on December 13, 2013, 12:57:01 pm
Quote from: Jawis on November 21, 2013, 08:36:26 am
Quote from: adriweb on November 21, 2013, 02:12:33 am
Interesting !
Tell us how the process goes :)
I used Google translate to get around the site, it runs quite well! Confirming your registration on their Website is done by SMS (there is an option for email registration but it didn't work for me...)
You can only pay by Credit Card. There is an Option for "Paypal" but that's Google translate mixing up the Chinese equivalent of PayPal, Alipay with the western used PayPal! After that it will automatically register you to Alipay, where, when you are prompted on your profile page, will need to confirm the payment. After that you just have to wait the 3 weeks (depends :)!).

Hi Jawis I need some help to buy the motherboard on the site
EDIT: Found :) http://www.taobao.com/go/act/global/teach/en/index.html
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: timwessman on December 13, 2013, 01:41:38 pm
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on November 22, 2013, 01:16:33 am
because the HP Prime already does it to a certain extent (there are still screws, but it's incredibly hard to unclip the two parts afterward without bending the circuit board)

You know, I take small issue with that. There are 6 screws. Then all you do is run your fingernail (or a plastic wedge tool) around the outside and it pops right open. Sure, the first time you do it it might be a little tricky since it is a totally new device, but it is honestly the easiest calculator to open I've ever tried (and I've opened more then my fair share).
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: Legimet on December 13, 2013, 09:20:29 pm
Idk about the Prime, but I couldn't open my Nspire because it had some weird screws which I couldn't unscrew.
Title: Re: Add 3.1/Ndless compatibility to your TI-Nspire CX HW-J/K
Post by: MrJoker59 on December 14, 2013, 04:51:21 pm
Can someone help me to unmount my Ti-Nspire CX CAS (J) to replace the motherboard with pictures ?