[WP-34s] can't flash with calc_ir.bin

[Alexander Oestert]

I'm preparing my WP-34s for crystal and IR. In order to do so, I thought it best to flash it with IR-enabled firmware beforehand. I use SAM-BA 2.10, always do the whole ERASE procedure before flashing.

I tried calc_ir_full.bin 2935, calc_ir_full.bin 2931 and calc_ir.bin 2918 - no success. SAM-BA seems to do its transmitting work properly, but the WP-34s doesn't turn on afterwards.

Before, I had calc_full.bin V3 2781 on the machine, I re-flashed the calc with this version in between the IR-firmware tries and afterwards and it always worked.

EDIT: The same result with MySamba: no flashing with IR firmware, ok flashing with 'normal' calc_full.bin 2781.

Any ideas and suggestions are welcome!

Edited: 3 May 2012, 5:36 a.m.

[Walter B]

Don't do it! See page 126 of the manual - AFAIK this chack is done automatically in the IR-image.

[Alexander Oestert]

Thanks, Walter. But I'm not sure I understand: you're suggesting the 'On+C' check is done when flashing with the IR image and the calc hangs without me doing 'ON+C' by hand? Meaning I have to solder first and flash then?

[Walter B]

Quote:

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Meaning I have to solder first and flash then?

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That's my recommendation. I'm not 100% sure *when* the HW check is done by the FW, but it does it IIRC.

[Paul Dale]

The IR (and stopwatch) image knows that you have a crystal installed and tries to initialise this instead of the R/C clock at power on. If you don't have a crystal installed, the device hangs. If you do it comes good after a second or two.

The On+C check isn't even present in the stopwatch and IR images. Saves a few bytes not having the check.

- Pauli

[Alexander Oestert]

Aaaarggghhh!

I managed to solder everything in and while reassembling the case I broke the glass of the LCD. Now I will never know if I did it right...

Let's see if I can come up with the courage to try it on the next machine...

Edited: 3 May 2012, 7:10 a.m.

[Paul Dale]

I did this one too :-(

Well, broken the LCD and black stuff leaked but not the glass.

You have to be careful to make sure the LCD is well seated when reassembling.

- Pauli

[Alexander Oestert]

After the disaster of the first try, I took my second WP-34s apart and succeeded in a fairly short time (5 minutes tops) to solder in the crystal and the IR diode, although at the moment the wires of the IR diode just stick out of the natural wholes in the case. I have not found a place to fit the diode after the position on the top of the calculator supposedly resulted in the LCD damage, maybe because the wires I used were to thick and pressed on the back of the LCD.

Anyway, I have photographed all the details and will eventually put together a little How-To pdf.

Thanks to the WP-34s team, especially Marcus for making printing possible!

[james summers]

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing your pdf as I plan to to do the Xtal and IR mod to my WP 34S when I get it up and running.

Cheers

James

[Alexander Oestert]

Don't hold your breath. This will at least take a couple of days.

[james summers]

No worries, it will be quite sometime before I get to that stage, still waiting to get the flashing cable and 30b and then there will be plenty of familiarisation (and playing) time before I start poking around inside!

[Katie Wasserman]

I used 28 AWG wire-wrap wires that run underneath the LCD. They are thin enough so that as long as they don't cross they will have no effect on the LCD or glass. I've taken my calculator apart and put it back together many times with these wires in place and only once (when they crossed) has there been any issue. The crossed wires caused a slightly dark spot on the LCD at the point of crossing.