On his TI-Nspire CX CAS, Jim Bauwens is allready running OS 3.2.0.1180!

Don't ask him to send it to you: it's a development OS. It's signed by the development RSA keys and you won't be able to install it on your TI-Nspire which is "normally" validating the OS with the production RSA keys.



But don't be sad. Jim just shared the 1st video of a TI-Nspire running OS 3.2.

Let's discover together the new Lua physics engine :




More 3.2 informations are available from the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9367

In a previous news, we discovered that the TI-Nspire Zevio Magnum ASIC was supporting an external Boot1 NOR chip, present in TI-Nspire Lab Cradles but missing in TI-Nspire TouchPads.

Meaning that it could be possible to mod the TI-Nspire TouchPad PCB and add an external Boot1 chip flashed with whatever we want!



Did you know that TI developers do sometimes hard-mod calculators the same way hackers would do?

Just check -  thanks to Lionel Debroux, we just put our hands on a TI-73 VSC prototype:




Nothing really special from the outside? Let's just open it:


For one time, it seems we've put our hands on a prototype coming directly from Texas Instruments development team, and not from teachers evaluating it - the proof being that hardware mod around the ASIC chip.

What were TI developpers trying to accomplish?...



More and bigger images available from the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9352

We've allready warned you several times against buying Nspire prototypes online.

They won't let you install the Nspire OSes released by TI. It is now possible to mod them into commercial models which will accept any released OS, but you don't have the right to make any mistake during the mod or you could brick your prototype permanently (to my knowledge, this has never happened up to now).

The problem with Nspire prototypes is that on the 1st look, you can think it's a perfecty normal Nspire:



We had allready told you:

• to check the model name: no "TI-Nspire CAS+" or "TI-XXXXXXXXXXX"
• to check the back for a "prototype not for sale" mention on a sticker or on the case
• to check the serial for a "PVT", "DVT" or "EVT" code
• to check the Boot1 version: 1.X Boot1 have to be 1.1.8916
• to check the Boot2: 1.X Boot2 have to be 1.1.8981 or 1.4.1571
• to check for a sign in the top left-hand corner of the screen during boot

It seems that checking the Boot1/Boot2 versions is not enough to be sure you're not buying a prototype

Comtiral on TI-Planet has bought online a TI-Nspire CAS with Boot1 1.1.8916 and Boot2 1.1.8981.
But he couldn't install any of the OSes released by TI.

Although they were the exact production Boot1 and Boot2 version strings, we've determined that they were different.
(yes - now to make things more complicated, you can have different Boot1/Boot2 versions which share the same version string)

Those were development Boot1 and Boot2 using the RSA development keys which couldn't validate any production OS. And they were built... just 8 minutes before the production Boot1/Boot2!

Just check:

development TI-Nspire prototype

production TI-Nspire

Code: [Select] Boot Loader Stage 1 (1.1.8916) Build: 2007/4/23, 23:29:51 Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 Texas Instruments Incorporated Using developer keys Last boot progress: 1 Clocks:  CPU = 90MHz   AHB = 45MHz   APB = 22MHz Available system memory: 37292 Checking for NAND: NAND Flash ID: ST Micro NAND256R3A SDRAM memory test:   Pass Clearing SDRAM...Done. Clearing SDRAM...Done. Clearing SDRAM...Done. Boot option: Normal Read of bootdata failed Loading DIAGS software... Error reading/validating DIAGS image Error loading DIAGS. Switching to BOOT2. Loading BOOT2 software... 99% BOOT1: loading complete (241 ticks), launching image. Boot Loader Stage 2 (1.1.8981) Build: 2007/4/25, 23:54:51 Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 Texas Instruments Incorporated Using developer keys

Code: [Select] Boot Loader Stage 1 (1.1.8916) Build: 2007/4/23, 23:37:16 Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 Texas Instruments Incorporated Using production keys Last boot progress: 1 Clocks:  CPU = 90MHz   AHB = 45MHz   APB = 22MHz Available system memory: 37292 Checking for NAND: NAND Flash ID: ST Micro NAND256R3A SDRAM memory test:   Pass Clearing SDRAM...Done. Clearing SDRAM...Done. Clearing SDRAM...Done. Boot option: Normal Read of bootdata failed Loading DIAGS software... Error reading/validating DIAGS image Error loading DIAGS. Switching to BOOT2. Loading BOOT2 software... 99% BOOT1: loading complete (240 ticks), launching image. Boot Loader Stage 2 (1.1.8981) Build: 2007/4/26, 0:2:32 Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 Texas Instruments Incorporated Using production keys

So now, you can't even trust Nspire Boot1/Boot2 version strings when you buy online
As the case could also be switched or altered, it seems the only thing which is trustable is the little sign in the top left-hand corner during boot.



Source:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9263

The TI-CBL2 is a sensor interface for z80/68k calculators, like the Lab Cradle for Nspire calculators.

On the 1st look, the TI-CBL2 seems to be a light version of the Vernier LabPro, which adds:

• an usb connector
  
• 4 plugs for analog devices instead of 3
  
• 2 plugs for digital/numeric devices instead of 1

But by opening the TI-CBL2, we notice that the missing plugs connections are available - they're just unsoldered.


So in the end, the TI-CBL2 is a cut-down version of the Vernier LabPro.

Adding that both devices share the same OS, it might be possible to add the missing connectors and turn your cheap TI-CBL2 into a Vernier LabPro, increasing its value!

As allready annouced on TI-Planet, although the Vernier analog connectors are expensive with official resellers, they're just standard phone plugs used in Great Britain, meaning that you can buy them very cheap online!


Note that numeric/digital connectors aren't the same: they're mirror-inversions of the previous connectors and aren't standard as far as I know.



Cross-posted from TI-Planet:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9239

TI-Nspire CAS+ are prototypes which were evaluated in classes in 2006-2007.

If you had the idea of holding at boot, what became the maintenance menu combo on later Nspire, you got a very bad surprise... No menu came out, and the OS was immediately removed without asking you!

Moreover, Texas Instruments has never publicly released a CAS+ OS installation file. So you couldn't update your OS, and could never repair CAS+ in the above situation which would remain bricked forever! :'(

And there is no hope in the handheld "send OS" feature as it's either disabled or non working!



In a previous news, we performed the 1st dump of a TI-Nspire CAS+ with the OS 1.0.334T of the P1-EVT2 CAS+ development prototype by copying the OS files to the user /documents folder with commands sent to the Datalight shell through RS232! 


That OS was quite different from the latest CAS+ OSes and so couldn't be installed on the CAS+ handhelds publicly evaluated in 2006-2007. 

We needed a more recent CAS+ OS! But the Datalight shell was disabled on more recent CAS+ handhelds and the same dumping method couldn't be used again! :'(



We decided that 6 years were enough, and started some days ago a 5-1 fight against the TI-Nspire CAS+:

• Adriweb
• Bsl
• Goplat
• Jimbauwens
• and myself

Was the CAS+ going to resist much longer?



We already knew that the CAS+ was getting an IP to communicate with the computer or with other handhelds, and that for the computer it was using port 10001. But only the /documents user folder could be accessed through that port. No access to system files...

But Jimbauwens scanned the CAS+ ports, and discovered a secret shell on port 10002, which wasn't used by the TI-Nspire Computer Link, and could access all files!

The shell had a very strange syntax. We supposed that port 10002 was the one used for transfers between handhelds. Fortunately, after analysing OS 1.0.334T which was including the same 10002 shell, Goplat managed to figure out the command which would make the CAS+ send the OS files to itself, writing it in the /documents user folder!





Adriweb and myself immediatly dumped all other CAS+ OSes we had:

• OS 1.0.494 from TI-Nspire CAS+ P1-DVT1
  
• OS 1.0.529 from TI-Nspire CAS+ P1-PVT
  
• OS 1.0.554 from TI-Nspire CAS+ P1-PVT1.1 (most common version)

Looking at the TI-Nspire Computer Link 1.0 source code generated from the jar files, I correctly repacked the OS images into tnc files which should be installable.

Will we be able to upgrade/repair CAS+ handhelds? Stay connected to Omnimaga to know!





Today is an epic day. 6 years after, TI-Nspire CAS+ handhelds have finally been dumped and are ready to be opened for assembly!





TI-Nspire CAS+ OS installation files are available from the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9217

If you hold Home+Enter+P on a TI-Nspire CAS+, you don't get a maintenance menu, no... the calculator just does immediatly remove the OS without prompting!

As this prototype based on the TI-Phoenix 1 is totally incompatible with later Nspire models, and as Texas Instruments has never published a CAS+ OS installation file, your calculator is now permanently bricked.

Without Texas Instruments help, we could rebuild a compatible OS installation file if we managed to dump the NAND ROM.

There were many attemps using the TI-Nspire Computer Link, and all of them failed... So if we have no further similar idea, we have to try something else.



Jimbauwens is trying the thing another way. Following the idea suggested by mikehill2003, he has just tried the 1st hard-dumping of the TI-Nspire CAS+ with OS 1.0.554 I sent him.

The idea is to connect the NAND ROM to an xD card reader, as unlike other cards, xD cards are just raw NAND ROMs without any controller or interface.



Soldering those tiny pins was very hard and he even had to use a microscope!



But unfortunately, the computer stubornly states that there is no media in the xD reader.



Please cheer him up, as we might never be so close to dumping the CAS+ again...



Bigger photo available from the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=9179

On previous TI calculators, you could set up and use a clock: TI-84, TI-89 HW2, TI-92+ HW2, TI-Voyage 200 and TI-89 Titanium.

When testing the oldest Nspire handheld prototype, the TI-Phoenix 1 (P1-EVT1), we got some proof that the TI-Nspire had the required circuit for a clock, as the created files got some dates:


But TI has never used it for that up to now, and those dates were quickly masked with the P1-EVT2 prototype



In a previous news, Tangrs released the Clock program, which let you set up the clock and display it.


But you were loosing your clock at each reboot.



Levak from TI-Planet is about to release nClock, which was allready in development when we learned about Clock from Tangrs.

nClock lets you turn your TI-Nspire into a real clock. You can set the clock and display it.




But nClock features more than that. As you can see, it's hard to keep the Nspire in the above position. So nClock also has a 180°-rotated display mode!




Moreover, nClock uses Ndless startup and hook features to save your clock setting. Meaning that your clock setting does survive a reboot!



But there's still more! nClock also uses Ndless hook feature to constantly display and refresh a small clock on your Nspire title bar.






Bigger pictures available in the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9076

nClock will be available for download as soon as the next Ndless build is available - as it needs some patches to be applied to Ndless and doesn't work with the current version.


Edit: nClock is now available from the TI-Planet news (note that you need the latest Ndless 3.1 build)
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9076

Nover is an overclocking program for classic and CX TI-Nspire.

It lets you increase your TI-Nspire speed by modifying some frequencies: base, cpu and ahb.


On the classic TI-Nspire it was very easy: just set all values to the maximum.

On the CX TI-Nspire it was different... Maximum CPU frequency could easily go from 220MHz on one calculator to 240MHz on another one... Successfull overclocks at 250MHz were also reported to us.



The new Nover 2.1 version adds features which will make your overclocking much more easy, especially on CX Nspire.

• You had to restart Nover after each reboot, and completely reset the overclock configuration from scratch... Now you can save your overclock configuration to a file and easily reload it later. Moreover, Nover can be moved to the /ndless/startup/ folder and will then automatically set your saved overclock config after each reboot! Once set up properly, you can just forget about Nover which will perform everything automatically and without bothering you!
• Looking for the best overclock on CX was a bothering task, as each bad overclock could trigger a reboot, and you had to completely reset the overclock configuration from scratch after that... Now just save every tested stable configuration to a file and immediately resume your research after a reboot just by loading that file in Nover!
  
• On CX, determining the best config could appear as complicated or frightfull to some users... Nover 2.1 has now a mini tutorial in its ReadMe. The tutorial is also available on TI-Planet with keys lists and screen captures, but only in french for now.
  

Download from the TI-Planet news:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=9015