Help with flashing HP30 ROM / WP-34s

[BobVA]

Hi All:
I'm trying to flash the WP-34s image into my HP-30b, but haven't had much luck. What I've done:

- Installed SAM-BA V2.10 on my computer (Win 7)

- Connected HP-30b via a programming cable (thanks Tim!!) and USB/Serial cable.

- Followed Cyrille's instructions in the Development Kit on how to erase the flash, connect and download the image via SAM-BA.

Results:

- The original flash image was successfully erased! :-)

- I started SAM-BA, selected the correct serial port (COM7) for the USB adapter and then tried both the "no_board" and "at91sam7L128" settings for the "board" entry in the start screen

- In both cases I see a process called sam-ba_cdc.exe running in the system process list, but I never get a window or other indication that it's started correctly. It doesn't show up in the Application List, either.

The USB/Serial cable I'm using has been very reliable with all kinds of other weird software run on the machine (e.g. DOS disk drive emulators for old computers, flash programmers for radios, etc.) so I don't think it's the problem.

Any ideas or help greatly appreciated. The HP-30S is too light to use as a proper paperweight (the only function currently working). And sorry if I'm being especially thick.

Thanks!
Bob

Edited: 22 Apr 2011, 7:08 p.m.

[Gene Wright]

I had trouble with USB to serial converters, but others have had success. Tough to troubleshoot.

I have up and only use PCs with a serial port. Bought a $50 old laptop just for that purpose.

Have you tried the "MySamba" version of the flashing software? If you don't have it, email me and I will send the .zip file to you.

It probably should be loaded on the sourceforge location. Anyone want to do that?

If all else fails, you can send the 30b to me and I can probably reflash it for you. :-)

[Marcus von Cube, Germany]

Gene, can you tell me more about MySamba? I've never heard of it before.

[Gene Wright]

Something Cyrille created/modified.

MySamba

[Paul Dale]

Try running the sam-ba program instead of the sam-ba-cdc one. I didn't have any success with the latter.

- Pauli

[Tim Wessman]

I have been unable to get it to work with win7.

TW

[BobVA]

Thanks all!

Gene/Pauli: your suggestions got me poking around on the web looking for more information on SAM-BA (no "_CDC"), MYSAMBA and USB/Serial links. That led me to discover (as Tim notes) that Win7 + USB/Serial is a no-go for SAM-BA.

I successfully flashed the WP-34s firmware using SAM-BA under XP.

...and there, I suspect, goes my weekend :-)

For anyone playing along at home: when you install the package under XP it creates two shortcuts to executables. As Pauli said, try the one one called just "SAM-BA Vx.xx" first. I also had no luck with the "_cdc" version (Interestingly, that version didn't even show up when installed under Win7.)

Thanks again,
Bob

Edited: 23 Apr 2011, 8:03 a.m.