Author Topic: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards  (Read 26750 times)

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Offline tangrs

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #30 on: December 17, 2014, 09:29:16 pm »
I've set up a landing page so you guys can get some eye candy while we wait for the remaining parts and soldering stencil to come in :)


Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #31 on: December 18, 2014, 02:11:06 am »
Hmm... $32 AUD... isn't this like $0.00 USD?? O.O


Just kidding, I really like how this looks like. It's very professional. I just hope TI won't be d***ish enough to slightly modify the Nspire case to prevent those boards from fitting in or outright remove the dock connector like on Chinese models. On the other hand, the board needs to not be too loose, else there are risks of accidentally touching other pins upon connecting.

I should try to get one at one point. Good luck making them. :D
« Last Edit: December 18, 2014, 02:22:44 am by DJ Omnimaga »

Offline tangrs

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #32 on: December 18, 2014, 02:40:31 am »
Hmm... $32 AUD... isn't this like $0.00 USD?? O.O

It actually is :(

Quote
Just kidding, I really like how this looks like. It's very professional. I just hope TI won't be d***ish enough to slightly modify the Nspire case to prevent those boards from fitting in or outright remove the dock connector like on Chinese models. On the other hand, the board needs to not be too loose, else there are risks of accidentally touching other pins upon connecting.

Yeah, I designed it to be tight fitting so it should be okay on that front.

As to the risks of TI messing with us, I don't think it will be a huge problem. I doubt TI will modify the case to prevent this board from fitting in, lest they scrap compatibility with their lab cradle. In any case, I will be providing full CAD files for the clamp so we could just as easily adjust it.

Quote
I should try to get one at one point. Good luck making them. :D

Cheers (Y)

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #33 on: December 18, 2014, 03:00:52 am »
We never know with them, tho. After all, they did remove the connector shortly after we started messing with it, although only the Chinese Nspires were affected. And they seem ready to do anything to block third-party development.

But again this didn't make front page news on any english site yet IIRC, so maybe they didn't see it.

Offline tangrs

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #34 on: December 30, 2014, 10:59:51 pm »
Some good news and some bad news:

Good news is I finally got 4 serial boards soldered and tested today. You can order one at my website. It'll take a while for me to process and 3D print the enclosures so expect ~1 week processing time :)

The bad news is that the order for one of the crucial parts has only been partially fulfilled (hence why I could only make 4 this time) - the rest is on back order with an unknown ETA. I have ordered equivalent replacement parts which should be coming in much sooner.

So, if you missed out on this round, don't worry, as soon as the replacement parts arrive, I can make the remaining 6 as originally planned. If you miss round 2, fret not! Depending on demand, I may produce more stock. Otherwise, stay tuned for version 2!

In other news, I am still currently reverse engineering how the dock connector does USB host and plan to incorporate it into the next design as soon as I figure it out. I'm also planning on doing a dumb dock breakout board.

Finally, to everyone: thanks for the support! Most of the proceeds will go towards future TI-Nspire reverse engineering work and designing/manufacturing a version 2 of the serial breakout :)

Have a happy new year!

Offline tangrs

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #35 on: January 19, 2015, 05:15:44 am »
Update: I'm now accepting Bitcoins!

Offline Keoni29

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #36 on: January 20, 2015, 04:48:07 am »
What IC do you use for the serial to usb bridge? An FTDI chip? (Cause if you do make sure you get a legit one. The clones get bricked by the latest FTDI drivers)
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Offline tangrs

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #37 on: January 20, 2015, 04:49:32 am »
They are indeed FTDI chips and I'm aware of the bricking issue. That's why I went out of my way to ensure I bought from reputable companies like Element14 and RS-Online.

Offline Keoni29

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Re: TI-Nspire USB serial breakout boards
« Reply #38 on: January 20, 2015, 04:59:42 am »
That's good to hear. It'd be a shame if people got their breakout boards and they got bricked instantly. (I had this happen with an FTDI breakout board I got from ebay)
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