9 replies to this topic

[AlephMobius]

Do you yall have any info on the processer used in the AFX? Not looking for anything real technical, just kind of curious. What other machines has it been used in?

[Brazzucko]

I really don't know I thing that this is the first CASIO calculator that uses that processor.....

But I really don't know.....

[CrimsonCasio]

BradN might know

[BradN]

It's an NEC V30MX - I believe it doesn't have the 8080 emulation mode that is found on some other V30's, and I know this particular processor was used at least in some handheld data collection device (I don't remember the name) as I got the cpu instruction .pdf off a site related to it. The big thing with the MX version is the extra page mapping mode that lets you address up to 32 megs of memory where otherwise you could only address 1 meg (the AFX calculators use 5.25 megs total).

I think we figured out that it runs at about 8 mhz in the FX2, and is probably capable of running up to about 27 mhz.

Now, the NEC V series in general has been used in a lot of stuff - my grandfather has an old NEC laptop with presumably a V20 in it, and I believe there were some arcade games that made use of it.

Now, the 8080 emulation mode may have been nice to have for porting TI games to the AFX, as you'll remember the Z80 is based on the 8080 core (at least software wise - it can run all 8080 code, but it wasn't developed starting with the 8080 core)...

[AlephMobius]

I just bought an HP48GX and when I was reading about it I found that the Saturn processer it uses is made by NEC of Japan, the same company that makes the V30.

[Casto Productions]

I think we figured out that it runs at about 8 mhz in the FX2, and is probably capable of running up to about 27 mhz.

Does this mean it's possible to overclock it?

[X-thunder28]

... if we change quartz ??

[dscoshpe]

saturn <> v30

they are completely different architectures. although they are manufactured by NEC, the saturn was designed by the IC company York.

- dscoshpe -

[AlephMobius]

saturn <> v30

Of course not. Just saying they are manufactured by the same people. The saturn is rated at 4mhz and the v30 at 8, although the 48gx seems to run about 5 times slower than the AFX. I found out yesterday that the saturn is only a 4 bit processer. The v30 is 16 bit, right?

[dscoshpe]

yeah thats right. the newer hp 49 still uses the same cpu they used way back. alot of people were upset they didnt update the clock speed. the reason they didnt is because all of the development (most for the hp49 was done by programmers hired from the hp-48 fan pool!) had become very highly optimised for the new cpu, and would take alot of time and money to port to a new cpu, even if only the speed was changed because alot of timings would have changed aswell as i believe most (if not all) of the caode was in assembly. the result is, of course, a very advanced calculator that has a slow and unresponsive (relatively!) gui, but can beat any calculator at high order and complex CAS problems due to the incredible optimizing of the assembly.

but to answer your question, yes the saturn is 4 bit and the v30 is 16.

- dscoshpe -