HEPAX-0C Prototype version ROM images.

[Ángel Martin]

(09-20-2020 01:31 PM)SteenPetersen Wrote:  All the code was made by hand - first written on an A4 sheet of paper and when I thought it was complete, then I entered it on the HP-41 via the ASM3 assembler. I will write about this another day ;-)

What an amazing feat, I can't imagine how tricky that must have been!
Will be checking the the other thread...

Cheers,
ÁM

[Sylvain Cote]

(09-03-2020 11:48 PM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  After, proper cleaning and repair, it is back to life and shown its contents on CAT 2: -HEPAX 0C

I am very happy to report that the HEPAX Prototype 0C is finally home and perfectly working.

But it has been quite an epic ...

1. HEPAX module is found by Richard Nelson (AZ, USA).
2. Module is sent to Robert Prosperi (NY, USA).
3. After several tests Robert finds that the module is not working.
4. Module is sent to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
5. Diego diagnoses and successfully repair the module.
6. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada).
7. Testing reveals more problems.
8. Module is sent back to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
9. Diego finds more corrosion and decides to create a new PCB. (Wow!)
10. New PCB is received, components are moved from the old PCB to the new one.
11. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada)
12. Testing shows that everything is now perfectly working. Amazing!
    

Module internal pictures



One year ago I was able to acquire an HEPAX original box with manuals and associated papers but unfortunately the module was missing.
The prototype is now going with that kit ...



I would like to thank Richard, Robert and especially Diego to have made this possible. Incredible!

Sylvain

[Jurgen Keller]

(12-06-2020 01:20 AM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  

(09-03-2020 11:48 PM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  

I am very happy to report that the HEPAX Prototype 0C is finally home and perfectly working.

But it has been quite an epic ...

1. HEPAX module is found by Richard Nelson (AZ, USA).
2. Module is sent to Robert Prosperi (NY, USA).
3. After several tests Robert finds that the module is not working.
4. Module is sent to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
5. Diego diagnoses and successfully repair the module.
6. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada).
7. Testing reveals more problems.
8. Module is sent back to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
9. Diego finds more corrosion and decides to create a new PCB. (Wow!)
10. New PCB is received, components are moved from the old PCB to the new one.
11. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada)
12. Testing shows that everything is now perfectly working. Amazing!
    

Great story which shows what a wonderful community we have and how people with different skills but equal enthusiasm and spirit can perfectly cooperate. That's what I would like to see in politics, too.

[CY-CL]

(12-06-2020 07:21 AM)Jurgen Keller Wrote:  

(12-06-2020 01:20 AM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  I am very happy to report that the HEPAX Prototype 0C is finally home and perfectly working.

But it has been quite an epic ...

1. HEPAX module is found by Richard Nelson (AZ, USA).
2. Module is sent to Robert Prosperi (NY, USA).
3. After several tests Robert finds that the module is not working.
4. Module is sent to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
5. Diego diagnoses and successfully repair the module.
6. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada).
7. Testing reveals more problems.
8. Module is sent back to Diego Diaz (CI, Spain).
9. Diego finds more corrosion and decides to create a new PCB. (Wow!)
10. New PCB is received, components are moved from the old PCB to the new one.
11. Module is sent to me (QC, Canada)
12. Testing shows that everything is now perfectly working. Amazing!
    

Great story which shows what a wonderful community we have and how people with different skills but equal enthusiasm and spirit can perfectly cooperate. That's what I would like to see in politics, too.

Very true and good words. Thanks Jürgen

[grsbanks]

Incidentally, does anyone know of or even have a PDF version of the manual, Vol. 1?

Vol. 2 "M-Code programing" is easy enough to find but I've not yet managed to lay my hands on Vol. 1. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places....

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(12-06-2020 09:54 AM)grsbanks Wrote:  Incidentally, does anyone know of or even have a PDF version of the manual, Vol. 1?

Vol. 2 "M-Code programing" is easy enough to find but I've not yet managed to lay my hands on Vol. 1. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places....

I have a copy. Don't remember where I found it.
Let me know where to e-mail it.

[grsbanks]

(12-06-2020 10:24 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  Let me know where to e-mail it.

Thanks, Massimo. You have a PM.

[Diego Diaz]

Hi Sylvain, all,

And thanks for your kind words.

Regarding the PDF manuals, I did a PDF reprint of Vol. 2 several years ago. It is included in the software archive available for download at my site: Here.

I was half way on the job of the Vol. 1 PDF but Robert Meyer was faster than me ;-) and did an excelent job in reprinting that one.

Of course, both are publicly available on TOS.

As an anecdote about the HEPAX-0C prototype PCB replacement; once I had the new design finished I sent the Gerber files to a well known manufacturer. I thought I was ordering a single panel 3x5 for a total of 15 PCBs.

Seems that I didn't fill in the order form correctly enough, and placed an order for 15 panels instead. :-D

I'm now the proud owner of a life time (several lifes in fact) 224 PCBs supply... though I can hardly imagine I would ever need another one. I may "repurpose" some of them as fridge magnets... :-D

In case you're wondering, they are so inexpensive that one can hardly tell the difference in price. For example, in this case, 15 panels 3x5 PCBs was just US$9.50 more than a single panel, shipping being more than half the overal order cost.

Keep safe and best wishes from Caribbean.

Diego.

[rprosperi]

Volume 1 of the HEPAX manual, painstakingly recreated to match the original by Robert as Diego explained, can be found in a post here from 2016:

https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-83...73207.html

This is such a great community!!

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(12-06-2020 01:55 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Volume 1 of the HEPAX manual, painstakingly recreated to match the original by Robert as Diego explained, can be found in a post here from 2016:

https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-83...73207.html

This is such a great community!!

And that's were I downloaded mine, two days later.
Thanks for the pointer Bob!

[SteenPetersen]

(12-06-2020 01:36 PM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  Hi Sylvain, all,

And thanks for your kind words.

Regarding the PDF manuals, I did a PDF reprint of Vol. 2 several years ago. It is included in the software archive available for download at my site: Here.

I was half way on the job of the Vol. 1 PDF but Robert Meyer was faster than me ;-) and did an excelent job in reprinting that one.

Of course, both are publicly available on TOS.

As an anecdote about the HEPAX-0C prototype PCB replacement; once I had the new design finished I sent the Gerber files to a well known manufacturer. I thought I was ordering a single panel 3x5 for a total of 15 PCBs.

Seems that I didn't fill in the order form correctly enough, and placed an order for 15 panels instead. :-D

I'm now the proud owner of a life time (several lifes in fact) 224 PCBs supply... though I can hardly imagine I would ever need another one. I may "repurpose" some of them as fridge magnets... :-D

In case you're wondering, they are so inexpensive that one can hardly tell the difference in price. For example, in this case, 15 panels 3x5 PCBs was just US$9.50 more than a single panel, shipping being more than half the overal order cost.

Keep safe and best wishes from Caribbean.

Diego.

Amazing job! - cool that you have been able to reverse engineer the PCB layout. I guess the price of a PCB is much lower now than what it was when we developed it back in 1988.

Regards,
Steen

[Diego Diaz]

Hi Steen, all,

Indeed current FR4 PCB manufacturing cost is several orders of magnitude lower than those in the eighties. (Not that much for ceramic PCB's though)

Anyhow, the traces routing was fortunatelly very straighforward; even though I have just two layers instead of the original three layers design.

It's been a very interesting experience overall and I've enjoyed a lot during the whole process.

Best wishes from Caribbean Sea.

Diego.