Hi, Kevin;
let me see if I can answer some of your questions. If I am wrong, I hope others correct me...
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If a NoVRAM can hold six 4K rom page images, then a module like the 12K "Advantage" module would use three of those six pages, right? This would allow the loading of 3 more rom images only if they took 4K each, correct?
AFAIK, this is correct.
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If I placed a NoVRAM which had (6) 4K modules (and perhaps 2 more in the HEPAX) into my 41CV - which has the *real* modules "Advantage, Math/Stat, X Functions" already in there will there be any conflicts? Any possible conflict with the "Time" module?
The conflicts may happen in four forms: address conflict, function name (not a conflict, you actually commented about this in your next question), XROM ID and system functionality. By system functionality I mean features that do not allow some modules to be used in the same calculator, even when none of the other conflicts are observed. Some modules that do not work together in the same HP41 are the AECROM and the CCD ROM, for example. CLONIX, NoVRAM, NoV32 modules have no page used by themselves, only the pages addressed by the ROM images they are emulating. So, if you emulate, say, Math/Stat to pages #8 and #9 (port #1), these pages cannot be used by other ROM images. If you plug the Clonix-family module in port #1, it does not actually mean that pages #8 and #9 are being used. Although meaningless, this can actually happen: one can configure a CLONIX/NoVRAM/NoV32 to use ports #1, #2 and #3, and plug it in port #4 (pages #E and #F). What happened? None of the 'free' ports can be used by 'hardware dependant' modules, but you can use some 'address dependant' devices in these lower ports, like the peripheral printer 82143A (page #6), HPIL (page #7), and a few others. In any way, for as long as the CLONIX is plugged in port #4, no other extension will use pages #E and #F. Well... unless you plug another CLONIX in (or an MLDL2000 built in a box that allow it to be plugged in any port...), configured to use pages #E and #F with, say, CCD, in one of the other three ports. But this is too clumsy...
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If two modules happen to have the same global label/routine name, then I understand that the module with the lowest port number will be the one to execute the routine, right? Is there a way to force execution of the routine name in the higher port number? I guess that one could copy the routine from the module to the main memory of the calculator - would that work?
Yes... it would work, too. But you can assign each global routine to different keys with their different XROM #ID, by using some 'extended' functionality (synthetic assignments, fully supporetd by some third-part ROM features). This way, either by a user program or by using user keyboard assignment, you could select which of the global label/routines you wish to run/execute. An extended possibility would be copying such routines to the available RAM in one of these CLONIX-family modules and use custom name and XROM ID#, taking care of the possible relative address calls to other routines, if any. Even the 521 bytes in the original CLONIX will prove handy...
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How many K is the PPC ROM? Would that consume an entire NoVRAM?
The PPC ROM I know uses only one page (single, 4K ROM).
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I realize that this is totally subjective - but what do people think are the "all time greatest hits" of the HP41 modules? I've found the following interesting:
1) PPC 2) Advantage 3) Math/Stat 4) Real Estate 5) Securities 6) Financial Decisions 7) Circuit Analysis 8) HePAX
I'd add the AECROM to the list. I'm an electrical engineer, and was not known about it till I had the chance to buy (and built) tghe MLDL2000. It is quite a useful set of features.
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If you were purchasing a NoVRAM what would your "dream configuration" look like if you had a 41CV that was totally empty?
Have not gone so far, though. In any way, I'll try a full NoVRAM configuration: three 4K ROM images in nonvolatile RAM (any combination, like AECROM and another, or ADVANTAGE), an availalbe 4KRAM to development, HEPAX in page #5, and two other images in the last available 2 pages inside the module. In this case, two pages would be left in the HP41 system, so I could even use one physical module in, say, port #4...
Hope this gives you an idea. And I hope nothing is wrong, I wrote these lines by memory (I´m not home to check the information).
Cheers.
Luiz (Brazil)
Edited: 2 Oct 2006, 2:39 p.m. after one or more responses were posted