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USB power module and 41CL update - Printable Version

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USB power module and 41CL update - JurgenRo - 03-20-2019 03:22 PM

Hi all! I'm owning a USB power module by Diego Diaz which works great and which is absolutely reliable. I'm just wondering if this module is a reliable alternative for a fresh set of batteries in case of a 41CL update. Does anyone have experience with it? Thanks!
Best Wishes,
Juergen

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Diego Diaz - 03-21-2019 11:15 AM

Hi Juergen,

Along the years I've provided two different USB power solutions for the HP-41.

The simplest one is a bare USB (white) cable attached to a module housing with just power connection.

The other one is the USB-41 (black cable), which includes HP<>PC interface module allowing page transfer, printer emulation, 8 Clonix ROM pages and, of course, power connection too.

Both can power the HP-41 indefinitely as long as the USB port used is functional.

Hope this helps.

Diego.

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - burkhard - 03-21-2019 01:25 PM

Jürgen's question was a great one. I also have both a 41CL and one of Diego's USB-41 modules.
I completely forgot I could take advantage of this capability of the USB-41 for the sometimes long reflash of the (v5) CL! I shall do that next time.

Thanks!

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - cdmackay - 03-21-2019 07:02 PM

(03-21-2019 11:15 AM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  The simplest one is a bare USB (white) cable attached to a module housing with just power connection.

Is that still available, please Diego?

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - JurgenRo - 03-21-2019 08:17 PM

(03-21-2019 11:15 AM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  Hi Juergen,

Along the years I've provided two different USB power solutions for the HP-41.

The simplest one is a bare USB (white) cable attached to a module housing with just power connection.

The other one is the USB-41 (black cable), which includes HP<>PC interface module allowing page transfer, printer emulation, 8 Clonix ROM pages and, of course, power connection too.

Both can power the HP-41 indefinitely as long as the USB port used is functional.

Hope this helps.

Diego.

Hi Diego,
thank you very much for the valuable note, I will pay attention!
One final question: should the USB power module be used with or without batteries inserted into the HP-41?

Thanks again and Best Regards,
Jürgen

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - JurgenRo - 03-21-2019 10:43 PM

(03-21-2019 08:17 PM)JurgenRo Wrote:  
(03-21-2019 11:15 AM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  Hi Juergen,

Along the years I've provided two different USB power solutions for the HP-41.

The simplest one is a bare USB (white) cable attached to a module housing with just power connection.

The other one is the USB-41 (black cable), which includes HP<>PC interface module allowing page transfer, printer emulation, 8 Clonix ROM pages and, of course, power connection too.

Both can power the HP-41 indefinitely as long as the USB port used is functional.

Hope this helps.

Diego.

Hi Diego,
thank you very much for the valuable note, I will pay attention!
One final question: should the USB power module be used with or without batteries inserted into the HP-41?

Thanks again and Best Regards,
Jürgen

... found the answer given by Diego on his homepage (sorry for the unnecessary question, Diego):

" ... As long as you have a USB port handy (or any other stable power source for that matter), there's no need to be messing around with external D-cells, adaptors or anything else.
In fact you don't even need the 41's N-cell battery pack in most cases, (see note on Halfnuts)."

"... NOTE on Halfnuts: Due to its internal circuit design, Halfnut may show the BAT annunciator permanently ON, with the power arrangement described above, if no battery pack is present; and will more likely fail to operate the Card Rader showing the "LOW BAT" message on the display. Normal operation will perform as expected though (even if no battery pack is present)"

Juergen

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Ángel Martin - 03-22-2019 06:30 AM

(03-21-2019 01:25 PM)burkhard Wrote:  Jürgen's question was a great one. I also have both a 41CL and one of Diego's USB-41 modules.
I completely forgot I could take advantage of this capability of the USB-41 for the sometimes long reflash of the (v5) CL! I shall do that next time.

Call me paranoid but I always have the USB cable connected to my CL during FLASH write/erase operations. It's a great safeguard in case your battery goes down in the middle pf the process...

I have also used it without batteries for YFERASE, and accidentally for some YFWRT but I won't recommend you do that last one just in case!

Cheers,
ÁM

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - cdmackay - 03-22-2019 06:54 PM

So is there any available item I can get to power my 41CL, or do I need to get a module cover and try to make my own?

thanks…

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - JurgenRo - 03-22-2019 07:38 PM

(03-22-2019 06:54 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  So is there any available item I can get to power my 41CL, or do I need to get a module cover and try to make my own?

thanks…

You may ask Diego per pm or per mail which is available at his homepage http://www.clonix41.org/. Here you also find the link to the instructions/schematics to build the (white cable) power module: http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv020.cgi?read=183722#183722

Regards,
Juergen

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - cdmackay - 03-22-2019 11:53 PM

(03-22-2019 07:38 PM)JurgenRo Wrote:  …

thanks very much Juergen Smile

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Diego Diaz - 03-24-2019 04:11 PM

Hi all,

I've received several mails requesting about availability/price of these USB power cables in the last few days.

I'm glad to reading from you ;-) Regrettably I'm not able to provide/build such cables at the moment (nor in a foreseeable future) due to lack of spare module housings. :-(

Best of lucks with your CL upgrades and cheers from Caribbean.

Diego.

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - MeindertKuipers - 03-24-2019 06:47 PM

I still have emodule connectors left, maybe use them with 3D printed housings?

(03-24-2019 04:11 PM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  Hi all,

I've received several mails requesting about availability/price of these USB power cables in the last few days.

I'm glad to reading from you ;-) Regrettably I'm not able to provide/build such cables at the moment (nor in a foreseeable future) due to lack of spare module housings. :-(

Best of lucks with your CL upgrades and cheers from Caribbean.

Diego.


RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Diego Diaz - 03-25-2019 12:05 AM

Hi Meindert,

Hope you're doing well.

Regarding the 3D printed module housings, I haven't had the chance to check one of those, but as long as they have the same internal dimensions and tabs to firmly retain the connector in place, it should be ok.

I assume that the connectors you have are remaining from your MLDL2K project. Do they still have the securing tabs? (These tabs have to be removed to install the connector in the Card Reader housing. As you know for sure :-)

Look forward to reading from you.

Best wishes.

Diego.

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - burkhard - 04-18-2019 06:51 PM

I did a 41CL v5 flash update yesterday using my USB-41 for power--worked great!

One more question occurred to me on the topic of using the USB-41 as a power source.
Is the battery pack somehow isolated from the power coming through the USB-41?

I ask because while it would be neat to have a rechargeable pack (or NiMH N-cells) replenished, I would suppose charging conventional alkaline N-cells in situ might incur a risk of leakage.

Thanks!

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - JurgenRo - 04-18-2019 07:27 PM

(04-18-2019 06:51 PM)burkhard Wrote:  I did a 41CL v5 flash update yesterday using my USB-41 for power--worked great!

One more question occurred to me on the topic of using the USB-41 as a power source.
Is the battery pack somehow isolated from the power coming through the USB-41?

I ask because while it would be neat to have a rechargeable pack (or NiMH N-cells) replenished, I would suppose charging conventional alkaline N-cells in situ might incur a risk of leakage.

Thanks!

That was my fear, too. You can find some information here: https://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv020.cgi?read=183722#183722

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - MeindertKuipers - 04-18-2019 07:32 PM

Hi Diego,

I have the connectors, some with and some without the tabs. I also have some modules left that I think have limited commercial value. Maybe it would be nice to have the module housings printed with the tab more or less included, so more module connectors could be used. I think I have a total of 10-12 connectors available.

In case you consider to actually use my connectors, contcat me by mail or PM,

Regards from NL!

(03-25-2019 12:05 AM)Diego Diaz Wrote:  Hi Meindert,

Hope you're doing well.

Regarding the 3D printed module housings, I haven't had the chance to check one of those, but as long as they have the same internal dimensions and tabs to firmly retain the connector in place, it should be ok.

I assume that the connectors you have are remaining from your MLDL2K project. Do they still have the securing tabs? (These tabs have to be removed to install the connector in the Card Reader housing. As you know for sure :-)

Look forward to reading from you.

Best wishes.

Diego.


RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Sylvain Cote - 04-21-2019 11:53 PM

I had some free time this weekend, finally, and I used a little of it to do some soldering:
  • I successfully repaired a 41C-FN-TK who had a broken 100K resistor and a defective LCD controller.
  • I built a USB power module using a defective Advantage ROM module.
I still have ~10 broken 41C, ~8 gummy 41 card readers and several HP things that need to be repaired, but a little progress have been done. Smile

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - burkhard - 04-22-2019 12:23 PM

(04-21-2019 11:53 PM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  [*]I successfully repaired a 41C-FN-TK ...

A what? "FN"? "TK" ?
Ahhh, "TK" is probably "tall keys".
You've got me stumped on "FN", though.

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - grsbanks - 04-22-2019 12:40 PM

Fullnut (as opposed to halfnut)

RE: USB power module and 41CL update - Sylvain Cote - 04-22-2019 01:06 PM

Acronyms:
  • FN = fullnut (removable motherboard)
  • HN = halfnut (cost saving, cpu soldered on keyboard PCB & other enhancements)
  • TK = tall keys
  • BN = blank nut (most keys have no marking on them, hence blank)
Possible combinaison:
  • FN-TK -> 41C, CV rare or very rare
  • FN -> 41C, CV & CX
  • FN-BN -> 41C, CV & CX
  • HN -> 41C rare, CV & CX
  • HN-BN -> 41C very rare, CV & CX

edit: modified after Patrik (CY-CL) comment.