Request, new cmds for communication with educational hardware as it is arduino

[dbbotkin]

(02-25-2016 06:49 AM)debrouxl Wrote:  The key factor is that the hardware mentioned here is cheap and wide open for DIY purposes.

You don't connect an expensive StreamSmart or Lab Cradle to the Prime / Nspire. Instead, you leverage some of TI's LaunchPad boards with customizable firmware, or other similarly open and cheap boards which can be made to expose a USB CDC interface on top of a USB VID:PID that the calculator recognizes (knowing that OS patching in RAM, through Ndless 4.2, could technically kill the filtering).

I think it's a good move to keep up with the trends in technology and pricing. TI is implementing the same BASIC commands on the 83PCE/84+CE and the Nspire, providing additional more advanced Lua APIs (Asynchronous Serial Interface, Bluetooth Low Energy) on the Nspire, and defining a de-facto standard.
TI's higher-end, USB-only models are thereby gaining functionality provided on older models through the legacy I/O port, in a more standard way: the legacy I/O port used a relatively slow half-duplex protocol on layer 2.

If this is a TI supported feature, that is a very interesting development indeed. Your explanation adds much to the prior post and the LaunchPad boards are a perfect way for TI to take a giant leap forward with their calculators. I totally agree that the "classroom" solution (SmartStream or the LabCradle) adds to the cost while removing functionality.

The key will be the interface between the calculator firmware/USB and the external board; any idea if HP could do the same? There are many very inexpensive analog/digital boards available and once the calculator can talk to one, the door will be open.

If anyone is interested, the interface between a sensor or other device and the SmartStream is very complex compared to SPI or i2c owing to a legacy from the sensor vendors product protection 'features' and the role of their products in serious science.