WP34S: Reset when printing statistical registers?

[rkf]

Dear community!

When playing around with my newest aquisition, a WP34S equipped with IR and printer-enabled FW 3666, I always get an "Reset" message when printing the statistical registers to my 82240B. See the photo attached after entering statistical data from page 169 of WP 34S Beginners Guide by Ciaran J. Brady.

Am I doing anything wrong, or is my WP34S faulty, or is there a bug in the FW? Thanks in advance for your help!

Kind regards,
Ralf.

[Paul Dale]

Check the battery?

I seem to remember that the IR draws a bit of current.


- Pauli

[rkf]

Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately, I don't have fresh batteries at hand, at least for now. I switched the batteries between both of my WP34S, where that with IR had according to BATT 2.9V, and that w/o IR had 3.0V (i.e. before the batteries were switched), but the result was the same ("Reset"). May I assume the Reset-message is with respect to the IR communication between printer, and WP34S?

BTW, all other printing is fine (e.g. printing stack or trace mode).

Kind regards,
Ralf.

[rkf]

Problem solved. Via (printer symbol)DLAY 5 I set a delay of five ticks, and the Reset message has gone. Obviously the massive output of the print summation registers command came too quickly for my IR printer.

BB4N, Ralf.

[Paul Dale]

Sending data too fast for the printer will result in garbled output, not a reset calculator.

Setting a print delay causes the calculator to enter a low power mode while waiting. This will rest the batteries a little.

Still, you've got a work around.


- Pauli

[pito]

(07-03-2014 05:19 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  Check the battery?
I seem to remember that the IR draws a bit of current.
- Pauli

Do we measure the battery voltage (BATT) under full load??
When not, the BATT does not show the proper numbers..

[walter b]

Thanks for reporting. I added your case to the Troubleshooting Guide (for all prints after today).

d:-)

[walter b]

(07-03-2014 09:24 AM)pito Wrote:  Do we measure the battery voltage (BATT) under full load??
When not, the BATT does not show the proper numbers..

Do you want to switch the WP 34S to full load just for measuring the voltage by BATT?

d:-?

[rkf]

(07-03-2014 08:51 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  ... will result in garbled output, not a reset calculator. ...

Just to avoid misunderstandings: It seems that the WP34S is not really resetted, at least the registers keep their values (after a reset they should be cleared IMHO).

[walter b]

(07-03-2014 09:29 AM)rkf Wrote:  

(07-03-2014 08:51 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  ... will result in garbled output, not a reset calculator. ...

Just to avoid misunderstandings: It seems that the WP34S is not really resetted, at least the registers keep their values (after a reset they should be cleared IMHO).

Pauli, can we specify when such a "Reset" message is thrown?

d:-?

[Paul Dale]

(07-03-2014 09:29 AM)rkf Wrote:  It seems that the WP34S is not really resetted, at least the registers keep their values (after a reset they should be cleared IMHO).

This message indicates that the CPU has been reset and is restarting. This doesn't mean memory lost. This shouldn't occur during normal operation and is generally a sign of a low battery.

The other failure state we've got shows the message "Erased" and that's exactly what happens and memory is lost.


- Pauli

[Paul Dale]

(07-03-2014 09:31 AM)walter b Wrote:  Pauli, can we specify when such a "Reset" message is thrown?

Only when the CPU is starting up and memory appears intact.

The only reasons I can think of for the CPU to restart are low power and some software bugs. Marcus might know other possibilities.


- Pauli

[rkf]

(07-03-2014 09:29 AM)rkf Wrote:  ... Just to avoid misunderstandings: It seems that the WP34S is not really resetted, at least the registers keep their values (after a reset they should be cleared IMHO).

Citing from HP 82240B User's Guid pg. 21:

The (see attached photo) character is printed if information is lost because the printer cannot print fast enough to keep up with incoming data.

So clearly an I/O problem, with a workaround by ()DLAY command.

[walter b]

(07-03-2014 09:39 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  The only reasons I can think of for the CPU to restart are low power and some software bugs.

When the CPU restarts after low power I'd expect to see "Restored".

d:-?

[Dieter]

(07-03-2014 09:39 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  

(07-03-2014 09:31 AM)walter b Wrote:  Pauli, can we specify when such a "Reset" message is thrown?

Only when the CPU is starting up and memory appears intact.

The only reasons I can think of for the CPU to restart are low power and some software bugs. Marcus might know other possibilities.

FWIW, my 34s also displays a "Reset" message every once in a while. Usually this happens when the calculator is busy with a function that requires some computational effort, for instance the one or other statistical distribution, incomplete Gamm/Beta etc.

I am not sure whether this is a software issue – is there any way this might be related to a hardware problem?

Dieter

[Paul Dale]

(07-03-2014 09:40 AM)rkf Wrote:  So clearly an I/O problem, with a workaround by ()DLAY command.

That doesn't explain the "reset" message on the calculator. There is no communication from the printer to the calculator, so nothing that happens on the printer can impact the calculator. Something is happening on the calculator causing the reset condition -- this is almost certainly low power. That you can print with the delays is indicative of this and not of a bug in the firmware.

I rather suspect that losing communications mid character will look like lost data to the printer and it is this that is causing the printer to print that character out.


- Pauli

[Paul Dale]

(07-03-2014 10:13 AM)Dieter Wrote:  I am not sure whether this is a software issue – is there any way this might be related to a hardware problem?

Most likely, we're drawing too much current from the coin cells and their voltage is dropping because of this. I've seen this too from time to time and sometimes the low battery indicator comes on briefly. It the programs are yours, insert short pauses before the heavy computations. PSE enters a low power state.

Of course, it is possibly a software problem. Several bugs in the past have caused similar behaviour albeit repeatably.


- Pauli

[rkf]

(07-03-2014 10:30 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  ... Most likely, we're drawing too much current from the coin cells and their voltage is dropping because of this. I've seen this too from time to time and sometimes the low battery indicator comes on briefly. ...

What a pity, just set ()DLAY to 0 again to provoke the Reset message, and watched closely the LCD panel while doing a print summation registers, trying to glimpse the Low Batt annunciator. Unfortunately, this time neither a Reset shows up, nor a broken I/O character is printed - no matter how often I try.

?!?

Kind regards, Ralf.

[walter b]

(07-03-2014 10:39 AM)rkf Wrote:  What a pity, just set ()DLAY to 0 again to provoke the Reset message, and watched closely the LCD panel while doing a print summation registers, trying to glimpse the Low Batt annunciator. Unfortunately, this time neither a Reset shows up, nor a broken I/O character is printed - no matter how often I try.

Something for the "Journal of Irrepeatable Observations" (or alike)?

Anyway, Ralf, if you can reproduce it once again, please SAVE your data before. I'd be interested in whether "Restored" will show up instead of "Reset" then. TIA.

d:-)

[Marcus von Cube]

Here is a short summary of the possible startup messages:

Memory is lost and no backup in flash: "Erased"

Memory is lost but a valid backup exists in flash: "Restored"

Memory seems to be intact: "Reset"

"Reset" is an indication that the processor failed for some reason, be it a programming error (illegal instruction, stack corruption, etc.) or some physical condition (power too low for the selected processor speed).

To create a valid backup of RAM in flash press ON+STO twice. This way, you can safeguard your work in case of a bad crash corrupting user RAM space. If you want to reflash you unit with new firmware, do not use the ERASE function of the programming cable but press ON+S twice. This will put the device in programming mode without completely erasing the flash beforehand. Your backup will be retained and automatically restored when you restart your calculator after the update. Flashing will always kill user RAM contents so make sure you have a decent backup in flash!