WP34s Programming Cable

[Dave Frederickson]

I need to make a serial cable per Katie Wasserman's directions, but Amazon is out-of-stock of the beryllium copper sheet to make the retaining clips.
Does anyone have a scrap they could send to me?

Thanks,
Dave

[Mark Hardman]

(01-15-2014 05:24 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  I need to make a serial cable per Katie Wasserman's directions

Ebay seller "pingf123" has a wide variety of pogo plugs, pogo plug adapters and JTAG adapters. For example, his BIN auction 261075193437 appears to be close to what is necessary.

I am not affiliated with "pingf123" and trade on eBay as user "LED".

Mark Hardman

[Dave Frederickson]

Thanks Mark,

It looks like they're using that Shapelock low-temp thermoplastic that Katie mentioned.
That particular item appears to have the wrong pin pitch and arrangement. My issue is more with the retention clips rather than the pogo pins. Perhaps they can make the whole thing for me. I like one-stop shopping.

Dave

[Mark Hardman]

(01-15-2014 10:00 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  Perhaps they can make the whole thing for me. I like one-stop shopping.

In the referenced auction he says, "*** we can custom made 1- 8 position, pleased ask if need ***".

Let us know what you find out.

Mark Hardman

[StephenR0]

This should sound familiar to that seller because I sent him a message about it, too. He said that he didn't have the 2mm pitch parts. I built the connector, but I used steel instead of beryllium copper. It does bend a little, but basically works just fine.

[walter b]

(01-16-2014 04:26 AM)StephenR0 Wrote:  This should sound familiar to that seller because I sent him a message about it, too. He said that he didn't have the 2mm pitch parts. I built the connector, but I used steel instead of beryllium copper. It does bend a little, but basically works just fine.

Good ol' spring steel?

[Dave Frederickson]

So I suggested to pingf123 that he might be able sell a few cables to us considering that this thread has over 1200 views. I don't know what the issue is with 2mm connectors considering that he makes 1.27mm assemblies.
I've never, that I can think of, tried to solder to steel before, but it looks like I'm going to have to fetch a cat food can out of the trash, break out the tin snips, and fashion a couple of latches.

Dave

[StephenR0]

I didn't have any trouble soldering it. Mine was tin coated. I wouldn't mind finding something a little more springy, but it doesn't turn out to be that much of a problem.

[dewster]

What kept me from taking the WP34s plunge for the longest time was all the voodoo surrounding the cable. I had to really dig before discovering it was 3V non-inverted serial (the signals normally found on the other side of the RS232 inverter / driver / level shifter) and that the special buttons on the adapter aren't necessary.

Buy a USB logic level serial cable from China for $4 delivered, hold the RX & TX connectors on the pads with your fingers during the programming phase, and it's game over. If you plan on reprogramming it 10 times a day or something, take it apart and solder pins onto the pads.

A pogo connector - finding and buying all the parts and assembling it - is way overkill IMO if you're only going to repump it every now and then.

[StephenR0]

I do mostly agree with this. But I find the pogo pin cable convenient. It's handy when I go to update since I'm running trunk now.

[walter b]

(01-18-2014 05:04 PM)StephenR0 Wrote:  It's handy when I go to update since I'm running trunk now.

Emphasis added. What shall that mean??

d:-?

[StephenR0]

I checked out the trunk version of the code and built it.

Edit: I see that I just repeated the same word. What I mean is that I checked out the latest version (trunk) from the code repository and built it. "Trunk" is the term that's usually used to refer to the continually updated latest version of the code repository. Sometimes it's call the "tip", but more often "trunk". I hope that's clearer.

[walter b]

(01-18-2014 05:55 PM)walter b Wrote:  

(01-18-2014 05:04 PM)StephenR0 Wrote:  It's handy when I go to update since I'm running trunk now.

Emphasis added. What shall that mean??

Ah, you meant: I'm running 'trunk' now. How can I know what you meant as long as I can only read what you wrote?

[sa-penguin]

Hi, new member here. I hope to be converting a 30b to 34s "soon"...

I'll try using a "bus pirate" courtesy of dangerous prototypes .com and seeedstudio. It does I2C, SDI, serial, even JTAG, and runs at 3.3V. Wish me luck.

A little history: I cut my programming "teeth" on a HP41C, back in 1981. Nostalgia got the better of me recently, and I started designing my own [RPN] calculator. 5 rows of 10 keys, plus big enter, made a 49-key pad on a 100mm x 60mm board. My layout followed the HP12C style, with the final format planned as a clamshell, a bit like the 28C/S.

When I was researching the functions for the keys, I stumbled on the links to the WP34s. Whoa! The only fault I can pick is the display - and now I hear a 43s is in the pipeline. I know it isn't finished - I want one, anyway.

[Marcus von Cube]

(01-26-2014 04:21 AM)sa-penguin Wrote:  Hi, new member here. I hope to be converting a 30b to 34s "soon"...
...
A little history: I cut my programming "teeth" on a HP41C, back in 1981. Nostalgia got the better of me recently, and I started designing my own [RPN] calculator. 5 rows of 10 keys, plus big enter, made a 49-key pad on a 100mm x 60mm board. My layout followed the HP12C style, with the final format planned as a clamshell, a bit like the 28C/S.

Welcome on board! I think the 34S is the most than can be expected from the 30b hardware platform. We've put some efforts into the project. I wish you luck but I don't understand what the mentioned "bus pirate" can provide here.

Your own project will surely be very interesting for the rest of us, so feel free to tell us more (pictures, documentation, code, ...).

[sa-penguin]

(01-26-2014 12:38 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  I wish you luck but I don't understand what the mentioned "bus pirate" can provide here.

Well I'm in Adelaide Australia, and the chances of finding a serial programming cable is... slim. From my reading the WP-34s book [reminds me of the PPC ROM book - big & comprehensive] there's a USB adapter board, but I can't find a website that sells it & several searches of MoHPC have come up "dead link". So the search is on, for another way to link to the calculator...

The guys at Dangerous Prototypes make several projects that each require assorted serial comms protocols. They came up with a project to talk to "anything" while it was still a jumble of parts on a breadboard. You can read about it at:
http://dangerousprototypes.com/2009/10/0...pirate-v3/

As for my own attempt: has a Digilent PMOD connector, and uses TI chip TCA8418. Plenty of blank space left on the bottom - the next version is planned to have USB battery charger. I'll try a Dropbox photo link.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/vduubcnj71panny/Board_V1a.jpg

[Marcus von Cube]

(01-26-2014 11:55 PM)sa-penguin Wrote:  From my reading the WP-34s book [reminds me of the PPC ROM book - big & comprehensive] there's a USB adapter board, but I can't find a website that sells it & several searches of MoHPC have come up "dead link".

From the old forum:

Quote:Re: Homemade ARM-based Calculator Programming Cable
Message #14 Posted by Harald on 25 Aug 2012, 5:58 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Katie Wasserman

Hi Katie,

very nicely done! Thanks for sharing. I think this is probably most interesting for people who do not wish to modify their calculator with the USB board. Sorry there is no link for ordering the PCBs, just email to: h dot pott at gmx dot net. Originally the board was intended to replace the PCB in the HP cable, so the cable could directly be connected to the USB port without an RS232 adaptor. For that purpose it seemed best to reuse the original pushbutton - hence I don't have any of those right now. But if there is an interest in these boards I can order some buttons and maybe even make the connectors. Unfortunately I don't think I can buy beryllium copper in Germany.

Harald.

Harald's board is slightly smaller then the one shown on your photo.

[walter b]

(01-28-2014 03:00 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  Harald's board is slightly smaller then the one shown on your photo.

Please see the manual, App. A (p. 167) or App. H (pp. 217ff) for pictures of said board.

d:-)

[dewster]

(01-26-2014 11:55 PM)sa-penguin Wrote:  Well I'm in Adelaide Australia, and the chances of finding a serial programming cable is... slim. From my reading the WP-34s book [reminds me of the PPC ROM book - big & comprehensive] there's a USB adapter board, but I can't find a website that sells it & several searches of MoHPC have come up "dead link". So the search is on, for another way to link to the calculator...

This worked for me ($4 USD):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...2E614S7991

Is there a problem with getting things shipped directly from China to Australia?

[sa-penguin]

(01-28-2014 08:56 PM)dewster Wrote:  This worked for me ($4 USD):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...2E614S7991

Is there a problem with getting things shipped directly from China to Australia?

Nothing wrong with that, I'm sure. I've also seen several clones on eBay, selling for a few bucks. But I feel like I'm making delaying excuses, worried the flashing procedure won't work. It's time to "have a go" with what I have on hand.

If the wheels fall off, I'm happy to buy a pre-configured 34s.