Omnimaga

Omnimaga => News => Topic started by: critor on July 23, 2013, 10:15:55 pm

Title: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: critor on July 23, 2013, 10:15:55 pm
In a previous TI-Planet news (http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=12690), Adriweb published a software test of the Casio ClassPad II fx-CP400 sample he received from TSPromotion (http://www.boutique-calculatrice-casio.com/casio-graphiques-tarif-promo/35-fx-cp400-4971850904045.html).
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2701) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2701)

Today let's discover its hardware together.

The calculator is quite easy to open once you get the trick. After removing all 6 screws on the back (including 4 inside the battery compartement), the entire front plate (screen and keyboard included) must be detached from the case by forcing on one of the corners :)




And now, you get the ClassPad II fx-CP400 hardware:
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2718) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2718)

The hardware consists of two distinct PCBs :
It seems that is the second version of the motherboard, but of the first version of the power supply board.
We can take that with two distinct boards, a future version powered by a rechargeable battery would be quite easy, and the system already supports it.
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2720) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2720)



The motherboard seems to have a setup close to the ones found on most recent Casio graphic calculators USB (Casio fx-9750Gii/fx-9860Gii, Casio Prizm fx-CG10/20).

It's built around 3 integrated chipsets:
About the RAM, the RAM chip was also 2MB on the Casio Prizm, but only 64KB were available for the user. And here in a similar way, we've only got 512 KB available for the user! >:(
(http://i.imgur.com/LXWss6u.png)

About the NAND Flash ROM, if the informations found on the official website are accurate (http://edu.casio.com/products/classpad/cp2/comparison.html), the chip should have a capacity of 32MB, but only 5.5MB would remain available for the end user.



About the connectivity, a huge surprise awaits us. We've got:
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=thumbnail&image_id=2719) (http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?image_id=2719)

This CN703 connector with its pinout of 9 contacts and one lateral contact, and by its shape that gives an empty space on the board is clearly a connector for an SD memory card reader! :D
Unlike older Casio Classpad models, it is possible to add a SD card memory reader to the ClassPad II! ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)




We're not sure if Casio has a future project for this since it would be a forbidden module by exam regulations of some countries (including France).
Traces of SD memory card reader support were already found on TI-Nspire and even on Casio Prizm fx-CG10/20 operating systems, although they were clearly missing from the hardware.
In fact, it seems those readers are used during hardware development where they give a way to reprogram or emulate easily the content of the ROM memory during tests - and so avoid permanently bricking the calculator prototypes with bad code: you just need to switch the SD card.

However, the community could clearly wonder if there wouldn't be some possibility for us to add a working SD card reader ourselves ;)



Source:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12716&lang=en
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 23, 2013, 10:21:55 pm
Darn it's a shame that they include such stuff but never end up using it. If they changed their mind and added SD card support that calc would have ruled. D: Good find, though ;)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: critor on July 23, 2013, 10:24:10 pm
And that's why we shall add it ourselves! ;)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 23, 2013, 11:50:46 pm
Indeed, but if that happens, it would need to not require much hardware modding, since many people aren't good with wires and especially soldering. Just remember the few bricked Nspires due to connecting cables to the wrong pin in the port at the bottom of the calc. D:
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: critor on July 24, 2013, 05:15:18 am
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on July 23, 2013, 11:50:46 pm
Just remember the few bricked Nspires due to connecting cables to the wrong pin in the port at the bottom of the calc. D:

I haven't heard of such thing...
Title: Re: Re: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 24, 2013, 11:40:00 am
Quote from: critor on July 24, 2013, 05:15:18 am
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on July 23, 2013, 11:50:46 pm
Just remember the few bricked Nspires due to connecting cables to the wrong pin in the port at the bottom of the calc. D:

I haven't heard of such thing...
it was in one thread by that one Omni member that has an extremely long nickname starting with Rhombi or something. Apparently if the wire touched one wrong pin in particular it could fry the calc. I think it was when he wanted to try Nspire Audio Player.
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: Streetwalrus on July 24, 2013, 02:17:40 pm
That was Rhombicuboctahedron. :P And yeah I heard of that issue too. Maybe it was just a short or something ?
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: Adriweb on July 24, 2013, 02:54:44 pm
Quote from: TeamFX on July 24, 2013, 10:29:02 am
Some corrections:
SDRAM capacity is 16 MB
NOR ROM capacity is 64 MB

Key sequences:
Test mode 1: [=]+[EXP]+[Clear], then [z]+[Cursor_left]
Test mode 2: [z]+[EXP]+[Clear], then [z]+[Cursor_left]
OS update: [^]+[EXP]+[Clear]+RESTART


Very nice (and welcome here), where did you find all that ? :)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: critor on July 24, 2013, 06:40:26 pm
Quote from: TeamFX on July 24, 2013, 10:29:02 am
Some corrections:
SDRAM capacity is 16 MB

Thank you.


Then 512KB RAM usable among 16MB RAMis even more unacceptable.

What are your sources by the way?
For me, 2Mbits x 16-bits x 4banks = 2MB.
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on July 24, 2013, 06:43:29 pm
Indeed. Is that extra RAM just used by the screen and as video memory or something? ??? One screen takes 337920 bytes of RAM. (assuming it's 16 bits)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: Adriweb on July 24, 2013, 06:47:47 pm
Quote from: critor on July 24, 2013, 06:40:26 pm
For me, 2Mbits x 16-bits x 4banks = 2MB.
Here's why I believe you are wrong about the "2Mbits" : The datasheet says "2M" and not 2 MBits.
Then, it's 2 mega (millions) * 16 bits (2 bytes) * 4 banks, which is, for me : 2 millions * 2 bytes, four times. Which is 4 MB, 4 times= 16 MB.

Your "2MBits x 16-bits" means that units-wise the result would be in bits² :P

So, yeah, it's neither MBytes nor MBits, just mega, for "million", hence the 16 MB as explained above.

That's what I believe at least and looks right with other similar chips with same info.


Anyway, I'm off to bed now :P
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: SimonLothar on January 31, 2015, 10:14:09 am
The LCD-controller of the CP400 seems to be some R61526- or R61581-clone. It identifies itself as R61523, when queried with command 0xBF.
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: Adriweb on January 31, 2015, 04:01:34 pm
Quote from: SimonLothar on January 31, 2015, 10:14:09 am
The LCD-controller of the CP400 seems to be some R61526- or R61581-clone. It identifies itself as R61523, when queried with command 0xBF.
Interesting ! How did you manage to do such a query ? :)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: SimonLothar on February 01, 2015, 04:12:00 am
I used the very last door, they left open. Even on the CP400 the good old protocol 7.00 function 0x56 (Upload'n'Run) still works.
(BTW: Perhaps some moderator could move this topic to the CASIO-calculators section)
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: TeamFX on February 01, 2015, 05:36:55 am
Datasheet: http://ti.tuwien.ac.at/cps/teaching/courses/networked-embedded-systems/materials/Renesas%20R61523_101_091225.pdf

Also, the fx-CP400 SH7305 processor runs at 116 MHz.
Title: Re: Classpad II fx-CP400 hardware - a hidden SD card reader ?
Post by: SimonLothar on February 04, 2015, 12:15:12 pm
This "hidden SD card reader"-thing seems to be interesting indeed.
The CP400 knows some answers like: "[SD DETECT TEST]", "[SD FORMAT TEST]", "  No Card !!         ",  "[SD WRITE TEST]", " Card Write OK!!" a. s. o..
Seems to be able to distiguish between "PANASONIC"-, "TOSHIBA"- or "SAN DISK"-cards.
Where is my soldering iron?