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Vtech child laptop programming
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:59 pm
by djtrickdog
Hey i was searching through a box in the garage today and found two of my ooollld Vtech learning laptops. I have the Vtech Talking Whiz Kid Einstein and Vtech Talking Whiz Kid Super Animated. Both have a cartridge support but the Vtech Talking Whiz Kid Einstein has a port for a printer and some phone/ethernet jack port i suppose somehow for the mouse. I looked on google to look for some hacks and specs on this and didn't find anything on the Super Animated but found only a manual for the Einstein
http://www.vtechkids.com/_f/_pw/_manual ... nstein.pdf
It doesn't give any hardware specs on it at all. I wanna know if programming this 'toy' is possible. Where can i find more info? What is the processor on this thing? Could the OS be replaced? Thanks alot
EDIT:
Motherboard
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6986/1021112sq7.jpg
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5396/1021113sw3.jpg
High Res images available for download at:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87995116/mo ... d.zip.html
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:30 pm
by Brynet-Inc
I think you'll be disappointed by your recent acquisitions...
They likely have some epoxy covered SoC with firmware inside of ROM.. perhaps a few KB of RAM.
Don't get your hopes up... but disassemble them for kicks, you never know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System-on-a-chip
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:56 pm
by djtrickdog
Brynet-Inc wrote:
Don't get your hopes up... but disassemble them for kicks, you never know.
disassemble the toys?
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:13 pm
by Alboin
djtrickdog wrote:Brynet-Inc wrote:
Don't get your hopes up... but disassemble them for kicks, you never know.
disassemble the toys?
What else could he be talking about?
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:17 pm
by djtrickdog
Ok so i cracked em open and decided to post some pictures for help. I can get the images 4x higher res if you need since my cam is a beast
.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1109.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1105.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1106.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1108.jpg
What else could he be talking about?
heh i don't know. My luck says to ask things and get specifics because if not ill screw up
In the 4th photo, you can see the two 'chips'. the top one has a logo that says Winbond with a product code or somethings and the bottum one is a chip with some serials too and with melted tape (heh, garage) with handwritting of some other serial
BTW this is the Einstein one
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:25 pm
by Brynet-Inc
I can't make out anything that's interesting... could be an EPROM and microcontoller of some sort.
If any specific company name or product number is visible.. try looking for datasheets (Maybe you'll get lucky..).
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:32 pm
by djtrickdog
WinBonid chip serial: W2465-70LL, 962C1
pic: http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1108.jpg (top)
link to chip (?): http://doc.chipfind.ru/winbond/w246570ll.htm
details: Says it is CMOS Static Ram
unknown serial:
27-5721-00 (written on tape)
(picture of Texas State) TMS JL
27C040-10 (zero not O)
LA65A01FP
SINGAPORE
pic: http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180 ... 2_1108.jpg (bottom)
link to chip (?): http://www.loadparts.com/Catalog/t/2790.htm
details: chip has a circle cut in the top covered with a plastic. small chip visible inside. Processor?
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:53 pm
by Brynet-Inc
They have a published datasheet for that, It's one of their "EOL" (End of Life) products.
http://winbond-usa.com/products/winbond ... /w2465.pdf
The other is likely a microcontroller of some sort..
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:56 pm
by djtrickdog
i just downloaded that from the link i posted...same thing. And under the tape was the "clear spot" with the chip inside
is it a processor? can i program this thing? Do i need more info (if so what)? Could i use ASM? C? C++?
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:10 pm
by Brynet-Inc
It seems to be a Texas Instruments EPROM... So you've found the RAM and ROM, Now you need to find the processor.
http://www.alldatasheet.com/view.jsp?Se ... S27C040-10
djtrickdog wrote:is it a processor? can i program this thing? Do i need more info (if so what)? Could i use ASM? C? C++?
No... They're not processors.
Good luck
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:19 pm
by djtrickdog
found 2 more smaller chips :p
unknown chip serial:
386C
JRC
6161F
pic: Will take upon request
link to chip (?): unknown
details: Chip has 4 pins each side (8 pins) small
No... They're not processors.
The processor determines whether i can program it or not huh?
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:28 pm
by Brynet-Inc
djtrickdog wrote:The processor determines whether i can program it or not huh?
Obviously, You'll need to determine the architecture being used... did you expect it was an x86 processor?
The information about the remaining chips isn't much to go on... So you're on your own.
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:41 pm
by djtrickdog
Here is the last Chip:
unknown chip serial:
98065cxh6t
(c)94 04010
pic: Will take upon request
link to chip (?): unknown
details: Chip has 8 pins on each side (16pins)
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:32 am
by JamesM
http://www.bash.org/?834654
That's an EPROM. Electronically programmable ROM. You shine a UV light through the hole to reset the ROM so it can be programmed again. That's why it was covered with tape...
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:01 am
by Combuster
I expect the processor to be that black dot in the middle where all the lines are going.
In other words: processor type unknown. You could try to dump the rom and figure what architecture of assembly's in there, but it'll be hard to give a definite answer
