It looks like a graphing calculator straight out of 1999. You know, the kind of thing people used to plot graphs and manipulate complex equations from back in the day. However, the Clockwork PicoCalc Kit is actually a handheld Raspbperry Pi computer that you can use to carry out all sorts of computing tasks on the go.
Designed for tinkerers and other folks who like to play around with underpowered computer hardware, the device is being touted as a cheap and portable MCU platform for developing your own custom projects and testing iOT applications. Heck, you can even turn it into a custom graphing calculator if you miss those, provided, of course, you’re willing to write all the code (or just cobble them together from all over the internet and compile them on this thing).
The Clockwork PicoCalc Kit is a handheld computer with a four-inch IPS display (320 x 320 resolution) and a full QWERTY keyboard. It’s got all the keys you’d expect from a modern computer keyboard, including four-way arrow keys, numbers keys, and even 10 function keys, so you can write code directly on the device, with no need for any additional peripherals. The device is powered by a first-generation Raspberry Pi Pico H Core, which features a 32-bit ARM Dual-Core Cortex M0+, 264KB of RAM, and 2MB of flash storage, which is installed on the outfit’s own Clockwork Pi v2.0 mainboard. From what we can tell, the microcontroller can be swapped out for a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 or 2W if you want a bit more CPU power, but that’s something you’ll have to do post-purchase (they don’t sell an upgraded model themselves).
It has an SD card reader with a 32GB SD card preloaded, so there’s swappable storage you can use to load new stuff onto the machine. There are also 8MB of PSRAM, a pair of PWM speakers, a 3.5mm slot for headphones, and two slots for a 18650 lithium battery. Do note, batteries aren’t provided, so you’ll have to buy them and put them in yourself.
The Clockwork PicoCalc Kit has a firmware that can be customized using the Arduino IDE or STM32 dev tools. According to the outfit, it comes with interactive BASIC and Lisp programming environments, so you can write code using either language off the bat, as well as UNIX System 7 clone, which is the last version of the operating system before it was commercialized n the 1980s. Suffice to say, this thing will make you feel like you’re an engineer from 1981 all over again. There’s also a built-in MP3 layer, so if you find yourself slacking to do anything productive with this thing, you can just turn it into a makeshift iPod.
Just like the outfit’s previous releases, the device is designed with DIY in mind, so it’s easy to repair, upgrade, and modify to your liking. According to Clockwork Pi, all schematics and design files will be available on their Github under a GPL v3 license, with the whole thing requiring nothing more than a 2.5mm hex key to open up completely.
The Clockwork PicoCalc Kit is available now, priced at $75.
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