Reading Cassette Data Saved by a CASIO FX-702P Programmable Calculator
摘要
This chapter presents a project I did decades ago. My motivation for including this chapter is to showcase several aspects of electronics engineering to young engineers. The generation before mine was solely immersed in analog electronics. The digital was new; the analog and digital were not mixed yet. Then, the advent of microprocessors brought about the programmed logic paradigm. Successful circuits had to incorporate successful hardware design orchestrated by successful software design. The chapter shows the integration of the hardware with software. Unlike the other chapters in the book, the work I describe here involves reverse engineering, which is as challenging and rewarding as normal engineering. Lastly, I demonstrate how technology evolved over a couple of decades. Reading through the chapter, you will immediately notice the old 8-bit processors, the slow serial communication, and the eerie assembly programming. The contrast between now and then will likely manifest between today and tomorrow.