Installing latest 49g+/50g (emulator) ROM on a 49G
in [HP48]
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From: James M. Prange on 15 Dec 2006 19:30 First off, this is a rehash of information available in previous threads. It's possible to use ROM revision 2.09, or perhaps I should say the emulator ROM revision 2.09, on a 49G. A question that might come up could be, why would anyone want to use a ROM intended for the 49g+/50g on a calculator that it apparently wasn't intended to be used on? For me, the principal advantage is simply that several bugs have been fixed from ROM revision 1.19-6 to revision 2.09. For examples, see: http://bugs.hpcalc.org/query.cgi and the "readme" files included with some of the "unofficial" revisions. My guess is that there have been various undocumented bug fixes as well. Another possible advantage is that some of the earlier ROM revisions (I don't, offhand, recall exactly which revisions) have the equation library built-in, with the library using "unsupported" revision-dependent code. Starting with revision 2.08 (the 50g's initial revision), the equation library (and, more recently, the periodic table) are optional external libraries using only "supported" entry points and work with all ROM revisions back to at least 1.18. If you want these libraries, you can install them, but if you don't want them, you don't have to install them, thus saving some room in your ports. These libraries are available at: http://www.hydrix.com/Download/Hp/4950Libraries/ file name: EquationLibrary.zip. To "install" them, simply unzip the downloaded file and move a copy of EqnData.lib and EquLib.lib (for the equation library), or PerTbl.lib (for the periodic table library), to port 0, 1, or 2. Note that the documentation for the equation library and periodic table may be a bit sketchy in the current manuals. For better documentation, you could use the "HP 82211A HP Solve Equation Library Application Card Owner's Manual (for HP-48SX)" and "HP 82211B HP Solve Equation Library Application Card Manual Update (for HP-48SX)", both available on the current Museum of HP Calculators CD ROM set / DVD. See: http://www.hpmuseum.org/cd/cddesc.htm The only "glitch" that I've found with using revision 2.09 on a 49G is with the VERSION command. The 2.09 VERSION first uses IsBigApple_ to check whether the hardware is a "BigApple" (49g+ or 50g), and if so, then uses IsAppleV2_ to check whether it's a 50g. If it's not a "BigApple", then it "must" be running on a 48gII (since revision 2.09 was never intended to be used on the 49G). But the 49G isn't a "BigApple", so VERSION returns "Version HP48-C Revision #2.09" where we might expect to see "Version HP49-C Revision #2.09". I consider this to be a very minor and harmless glitch. Notably, the I/O input forms seem to "know" that IR isn't available on the 49G, and the "Baud" choices are appropriate for the 49G. Another question might be how is it possible to use a ROM written for the 49g+ or 50g on a 49G? Well, the "hardware Saturn" processor of the 48 series and 49G has been replaced by a "Saturn+" processor emulated in the underlying ARM operating system of the ARM-based models. The Saturn+ processor can use all of the opcodes of the hardware Saturn, and in addition has several new opcodes that can be used to work around some of the difficulties of working with the hardware Saturn. The ROMs for the 49g+/50g replace certain "legacy" hardware Saturn code with faster Saturn+ code, but note that the PC-based emulator (Emu48) emulates the hardware Saturn, not the ARM operating system or Saturn+, so the 49G+/50g ROM for the emulator uses only pure hardware Saturn instructions. By removing any patches (used for differences between a PC's hardware and the calculator's hardware) from the emulator's KML files, a 49g+ or 50g emulator ROM can be loaded as the ROM for the 49G emulator, and from there, the ROMUPLOAD command can transfer the ROM to a real 49G. I now have a 49G with ROM revision 2.09, the latest revision for the 49g+/50g. Of course a 49g+ or 50g ROM could be used with the 49G emulator on a regular basis if one really wanted to, in which case any patches should be left in. No, I don't know which hardware Saturn code is replaced with Saturn+ code, or how to go about replacing the code. I'm just glad that someone does, and I prefer to leave such matters to those who really know what they're doing. The ROMG+.49G file for the emulator is time-stamped (last write) 2006-06-03 03:01:16, and the 4950_92.bin file for the 49g+/50g is time-stamped 2006-06-03 05:24:00, so as far as I know, whether the 4950_92.bin file was developed first and "tweaked back" to using pure hardware Saturn code for the ROMG+.49G file, or the ROMG+.49G file was developed first and "tweaked ahead" to using some Saturn+ code for the 4950_92.bin file, is an open question. Of course the developers would know, but I haven't seen this question addressed. Of course we can't really expect anyone to support using revision 2.09 with a 49G, but it ought to work the same on a real 49G as it does in the PC-based emulator, and hopefully, except for hardware differences, the same as on a real 49g+ or 50g. But given how easy it is to get the current 49g+/50g ROM to run on the 49G, I'd think that it wouldn't be all that difficult for HP to support an updated ROM for the 49G, if any corporate red tape could be worked through. After all, I'd expect that there are quite a few 49Gs out there that still work as good as when they were new. If anyone cares to upgrade their 49G to ROM revision 2.09, first download, unzip, and install the latest version of Debug4x (currently Version 2.2, Build 104) from: http://www.debug4x.com/]http://www.debug4x.com/ (about a 7.5MB download). Now pick a 49G .kml file to use; I used: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Debug4x\Emu\R49G1024.kml but adjust the path and file name as appropriate. Make a copy of the .kml file and rename the copy; for example, I renamed the copy to R49G1024r209.kml. Open the renamed .kml file with a text editor. Mine starts out with: Global Title "HP49G 1024*768 (256 colors) for Emu48" Author "Hewlett Packard, Eric Rechlin and Christoph Giesselink" Model "X" Rom "ROM.49G" Patch "BEEP.49G" Bitmap "R49G1024.BMP" Debug 0 End with the leading spaces being actually a physical tab character (ASCII 009) (leaving it out or changing it to any "whitespace" should be okay). Edit this to: Global # Title "HP49G 1024*768 (256 colors) for Emu48" Title "HP49G special 2.09 ROM 1024*768 (256 colors) for Emu48" Author "Hewlett Packard, Eric Rechlin and Christoph Giesselink" Model "X" # Rom "ROM.49G" Rom "ROMG+.49G" # Patch "BEEP.49G" Bitmap "R49G1024.BMP" Debug 0 End That is, remark out (or remove) the old "Title", "Patch", and "Rom" lines, and insert a new title and the 49g+/50g ROM file name, and save the edited file. Now open EMU-49; it should be in your Start menu as: Start\programs\HP 49 & 48 Development Kit\EMU-49 If needed, in the "View" menu, click on "Change KML script...", and choose your modified .kml file. Enter the VERSION command and verify that it really is "Version HP48-C Revision #2.09". Now it's just a matter of transferring the ROM from the emulator to the physical 49G, much like transferring a ROM from one 49G to another, and not too different from using a ".flash" file to upgrade the 49G ROM from a PC. Of course, it's best to start with a fresh battery in the 49G. To cancel out of any test mode, hold down ON, press and release C (F3), and release ON to force a warmstart. In case a warmstart can't be forced from the keyboard, insert a partially straightened small paper-clip (or something similar) straight into the hardware reset hole in the back of the 49G. I suppose that you could force a warmstart while a ROM download is in progress, but in that case, the calculator would be rather useless until you completed a ROM download. In case of any difficulties with upgrading the 49G ROM, see the "If it fails:" instructions at: http://etud.epita.fr/~avenar_j/hp/49.html or: http://www.hpcalc.org/hp49/pc/rom/ You can always go back to using an earlier ROM revision. In the emulator's "File" menu, choose "Settings...", and then under "Serial Ports", change the "Wire:" setting to whatever COM port you normally use for connecting your 49G, and click OK. Physically connect the 49G to the COM port, then enter ROMUPLOAD on the emulator; you should have some instructions displayed on the emulator. On the 49G, hold down ON, press and release D (F4), and release ON; you should now have a "Tests" menu. On the 49G, hold down ENTER and the + key, press and release ON, and release ENTER and +; you should now have the "No System or +/ENTER pressed" menu. Press 4 (Terminal Mode) on the 49G, and then press any key on the emulator. The emulator should now be at "Xmodem Server Waiting for command" and the 49G at the "Download" menu. On the 49G, press 1 (Download System) to commence the download; the emulator should display "Xmodem Server" with various messages showing the progress, and the 49G should show various messages showing the progress. The download should take about 20-25 minutes.... Eventually the emulator will display "Xmodem Server Waiting for command" and the 49G will display "The system may not be installed. Please go to 'Download Pack' Menu"; at this point press any key on the 49G, which should get you to the "Download" menu, and then press 2 (Download Packs). After a few seconds, the 49G should display "System present Press Q twice to reboot". The first press of Q takes you back to the "Download" menu, and the second press reboots the 49G with the new ROM. On the emulator, press CANCEL to exit Xmodem Server mode, and close the emulator. Run some tests on the 49G to verify correct operation. In particular, with the HoldDown ON and D tests, run 5 (FastROM), 6 (FastRAM), 7 (FullROM), 8 (FullRAM), and 9 (FROM Format), and run the HoldDown ON and E repeating test. All tests should pass. -- Regards, James
From: Heiko Arnemann on 16 Dec 2006 13:25 Hello James, thanks a lot for your detailed information and instructions, how to update HP 49G to ROM 2.09 news:8495b$45833e29$4267ea90$4917(a)123.NET... I made the ROM-update just after the post from Andreas Moeller news:1156233631.510946.151880(a)74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com... in August this year. It is maybe requirred to call the PINIT command ones and loose some files in the flash? I canot remember well, but it was nothing dramatic and for me it was required to re-load the new EQ-library (mentioned in your post). The ROM's have obviously been updated, taking care for the HP 49G, and I can understand HP, giving not an official release of the ROM for HP 49G because of missing documentation for some bugfixes and missing effort to test it. Up to now, I did not found any negative impact to my HP 49G due to ROM update to 2.09. I would say, it is the best ROM, available for the HP 49G. Best regards Heiko
From: Veli-Pekka Nousiainen on 16 Dec 2006 14:28 "Heiko Arnemann" <Heiko.Arnemann(a)gmx.de> wrote in message news:458443dc$0$1120$ba620e4c(a)news.skynet.be... > Hello James, > thanks a lot for your detailed information and instructions, how to > update HP 49G to ROM 2.09 > news:8495b$45833e29$4267ea90$4917(a)123.NET... > > I made the ROM-update just after the post from Andreas Moeller > news:1156233631.510946.151880(a)74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com... > in August this year. > > It is maybe requirred to call the PINIT command ones and loose some > files in the flash? I canot remember well, but it was nothing dramatic and > for me it was required to re-load the new EQ-library (mentioned in your > post). > > The ROM's have obviously been updated, taking care for the HP 49G, > and I can understand HP, giving not an official release of the ROM for > HP 49G because of missing documentation for some bugfixes and missing > effort > to test it. > > Up to now, I did not found any negative impact to my HP 49G due to ROM > update > to 2.09. I would say, it is the best ROM, available for the HP 49G. Is it? You can use the same ROMUPLOAD from Emulator procedure and Parisse's ROM where there is the Spreadsheet extension, too It is! Because there exists a better library, which handles columns up to ZZ and it also includes a nice stack handling super-command :-D
From: John H Meyers on 16 Dec 2006 17:45 On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:30:25 -0600, James M. Prange wrote: > a calculator that it apparently wasn't intended to be used on It looks to me as though compatibility was thought of throughout the entire development (which included development on an emulator), which may be why it is in fact compatible still, both with emulator and the real thing that is emulated, and continues to work with Prof. Parisse's recently mentioned "capes" project, containing even more recently modified components. Your time-stamp sleuthing is very interesting; I would take a guess that it correctly indicates which is the "master," and which other is derived from it, as in the following ending to the classic story "Farewell to the Master," by Harry Bates, which later inspired the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" ["spoiler" below -- better to read the complete story, http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/bates.html if you have never heard it from the beginning] "I want you to tell your master -- the master yet to come -- that what happened to the first Klaatu was an accident, for which all Earth is immeasurably sorry. Will you do that?" "I have known it," the robot answered gently. "But will you promise to tell your master -- just those words -- as soon as he is arrived?" "You misunderstand," said Gnut, still gently, and quietly spoke four more words. As Cliff heard them a mist passed over his eyes and his body went numb. As he recovered and his eyes came back to focus he saw the great ship disappear. It just suddenly was not there anymore. He fell back a step or two. In his ears, like great bells, rang Gnut's last words. Never, never was he to disclose them until the day he came to die. "You misunderstand," the mighty robot had said, "_I_ am the master." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still
From: Veli-Pekka Nousiainen on 18 Dec 2006 10:00 "James M. Prange" <jmprange(a)i-is.com> wrote in message news:8495b$45833e29$4267ea90$4917(a)123.NET... X > pressed" menu. Press 4 (Terminal Mode) on the 49G, and then press > any key on the emulator. The emulator should now be at "Xmodem > Server Waiting for command" and the 49G at the "Download" menu. On > the 49G, press 1 (Download System) to commence the download; the > emulator should display "Xmodem Server" with various messages X After 4 Terminal mode I only get a blank screen whether the (right type of) cable is plugged or not -- Veli-Pekka
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