+- HP Forums (https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum)
+-- Forum: HP Calculators (and very old HP Computers) (/forum-3.html)
+--- Forum: General Forum (/forum-4.html)
+--- Thread: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem (/thread-22235.html)
HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - knife31 - 08-28-2024 03:01 AM
Hey
Every time I turn on the HP-48GX I get an "Invalid Card Data" Warning. I tried a 'PINIT' with no luck. I changed the batteries in the card and fooled with some other stuff but still no luck. Does anyone have an idea or can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
Randy
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - Joe Horn - 08-29-2024 03:49 AM
(08-28-2024 03:01 AM)knife31 Wrote: Hey
Every time I turn on the HP-48GX I get an "Invalid Card Data" Warning. I tried a 'PINIT' with no luck. I changed the batteries in the card and fooled with some other stuff but still no luck. Does anyone have an idea or can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
Randy
This can indicate a corrupted file on the card. The fastest solution is to format the card. A slower but less destructive solution is to delete the files one by one, starting with the most recently added, since the most likely culprit is a recently added file. In my experience, the culprit was always a recently installed library.
EDIT -- If the card has no files on it, and the card is write-enabled, and PINIT doesn't solve the problem, then I have no idea what's wrong or what to do next, and I'll be eager to hear other members' suggestions.
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - knife31 - 08-29-2024 06:49 PM
Joe
I traced the problem to the 128K ROM Card in Port 1 (Shows as ROM with 'PVAR' and card is not write protected). If I do a 'MERG' it appears to be doing its thing. Turn the calculator 'off' and 'on' and still get the "Invalid Card Data". I looked at the card thru 'PVAR' and it seems to be empty. Tried to merge it no luck. Pulled the battery out for ten min changed to a new battery, same problem. I guess I will try to format the card but other than 'PINIT', don't know how to do it in the calculator.
Randy
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - Allen - 08-30-2024 12:42 AM
I've had good luck troubleshooting this problem by evenly spreading a drop of DEOXIT (c) across the card connectors using an anti-static brush applicator. Then inserting and removing the card several times in both card slots. This ensures the otherwise-unreachable connectors inside the 48GX slot get a magic coating.
Don't put too much DEOXIT on there, or it could attract more dust in the GX card slot.
Less likely, but I've seen the ABS in the card-slot warp a little towards the back of the calculator, putting mechanical stress on SLOT1 cards. I have no fix for this other than ensuring SLOT2 is also full, which may or may not alleviate the condition.
a small DEOXIT sample: See Amazon: B0015A5AAY
See the photo by "wipes" here: https://caig.com/deoxit-gold-g-series/
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - knife31 - 08-30-2024 02:01 AM
Allen
Gave it a try, no soap. Took an eraser and cleaned the contacts, no soap. The Slot 2 card is a 1mb card. Put both of them in, well it was a good try. I'm going to re-format the card soon as I figure out how. I don't see a format command in the User Guide or Reference Manual but still looking.
Thanks for the tips, should have thought of them myself. In the meantime I guess I will go Deoxit all my old stereo equipment.
Randy
PS: I put my old 32K card in and merged it. Seems to work fine so it must be the card.
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - calc_freak - 09-02-2024 12:09 AM
This problem just happened to my backup 48GX today with my HP 128KB card. Here is what I did to "fix" it:
First I checked the battery - 3.055 V, just fine. Left the battery out for a bit, maybe 10 minutes, put it back, ran PINIT, no change.
Next, I took the battery out again for about 30 minutes, cleaned the contacts on the card, put it back, ran PINIT, no change.
Got irritated and took the card out/re-inserted it a couple times while the calculator was powered on - no change.
Last thing I did was to take the HP 1MB card out of slot 2 (card was working fine), put the 128KB card in slot 2, tried PINIT, powered off and back on a few times - all of a sudden, no error message present anymore.
Put the cards back where they belong (128K in slot 1, 1MB in slot 2). No error message, and no data on the 128KB card. No problem, merged the 128KB card with main memory, copied the Meta Kernel over, and now it runs just fine. I hope this helps others with the same issue.
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - rprosperi - 09-02-2024 12:43 AM
(09-02-2024 12:09 AM)calc_freak Wrote: This problem just happened to my backup 48GX today with my HP 128KB card. Here is what I did to "fix" it:
Interesting that this resolved the problem, even though it "shouldn't".
Thanks for posting this. Like Kirk's solution to the Kobayashi Maru, your solution had the virtue of never having been tried before...
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - knife31 - 09-02-2024 01:26 AM
Kirk must hate me.
Tried the same thing and it didn't work. You wouldn't know how to format the card would you? I'm still in the game and hopefully I can fix it before I have to turn it into a frisbee. I did try to merge it, and it shows nothing in Port 1. I'm glad yours is fixed. Thanks
Randy
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - calc_freak - 09-02-2024 01:27 AM
The only utility close to formatting is PINIT, as far as I know.
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - knife31 - 09-02-2024 04:31 AM
Saw this thread from 2006
I have been using my 128K card merged for years and it worked fine. I wonder if it got corrupted as per this thread.
>>Re: Ram card on HP48GX
Message #10 Posted by Han on 22 Mar 2006, 7:30 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by sarkiss
In order to expand user memory on an HP48GX, you must use the MERGE1 command with a 128KB RAM card in card slot one. This "merges" the memory in the RAM card with the default 128KB user memory.
I do not recommend using a 512KB RAM card in slot one. While the HP may see one of the banks on the 512KB RAM card, it is not clear that it is always the same bank. In fact, there are various pins in card slot one which correspond to the LCD signals. If these are read as input for the 512KB RAM chip, you may end up corrupting the data on your RAM card. Also, if you merge memory with a 512KB RAM card in slot one, the HP may use the wrong bank the next time you turn on the calculator or re-insert the card.
I recommend re-reading your user's manual and try to abide by the rules set out by HP regarding card slots.
Best of luck, Han>>
RE: HP-48GX RAM Card Problem - calc_freak - 09-02-2024 05:43 AM
According to the manual (p. 28-2) Slot 1 can't use a RAM card over 128KB. There does not appear to be a restriction on using the RAM card as merged memory, but you do have to free the memory before you pull out the card (p. 28-17) or risk data corruption. That old post appears to be in reference to using a 512KB card that isn't supported in Slot 1.