Hello I'm wondering if there are any interests in a quicker download of ROM images from the High End Pioneer calculators HP17B, HP17BII, HP27S, HP42S.
The ROM dump way from Jean-Francois Garnier published in HP-42S: New Facts is quite slow and needs lot of manual work.
My way needs also a HP48 as receiver with 70KB or 103KB (depends on the ROM image size (64KB/96KB)) of free memory, so a HP48G+, HP48GX or any other HP48 with merged 128KB RAM card is necessary. Further you need of course the calculator which ROM you want to copy.
The trick for the faster download is, that I use a binary data capable receiver program on the HP48 and machine written code on the Pioneer calculator. This machine code must by entered by the integrated memory scanner and may destroy the current RAM content. I takes about 5 - 10 min. to enter and verify this code. The program (~50 bytes) needs the ROM point entry of the IR transmitter function.
I know the entry of
- HP17B rev. B
- HP17BII rev. B
- HP27S rev. B
- HP42S rev. A
- HP42S rev. B
- HP42S rev. C
I have written a short description how to search for this address on unknown systems, most of the addresses from above have been detected by this way.
The automated download from the Pioneer calculator to the HP48 takes about 16 - 17 min. for a 64KB ROM image. Finally you have to transfer the captured string from the HP48 to a PC and decode the string on the PC with a command line program into the final ROM image. The whole process without searching for the ROM entry on unknown software revisions takes about 40 - 45 min, most time automated. The battery consumption is quite low on both calculators comparing to Jean-Francois way.
Is this interesting? I ask because the software is working, but writing the manual takes much time I wouldn't spend if there is less or no interest.
ROM images are necessary if you want to explore the operating system internals or you want to work with an emulator. I will update the HP42DEMO emulator in the next time allowing the usage of all four calculators above.
Christoph Giesselink, Homepage