PX41CX

[revwillie]

(08-25-2024 09:21 PM)Pierre Wrote:  

(08-25-2024 07:51 PM)revwillie Wrote:  Thanks to Alex's outstanding design and assembly instructions, it only took me about 4 hours to assemble my PX41CX today. Now, I need to spend some time looking through Pierre's tools and documentation.

Congratulations on your PX-41CX!
Please feel free to contact me for any information that may be helpful to you.
Pierre

Thank you so much. I'm digging through your manual at this very moment!

[agarza]

(08-25-2024 07:51 PM)revwillie Wrote:  Now, I need to spend some time looking through Pierre's tools and documentation.

Pierre has some great tools and documentation! Also, check out Darren's scripts.

[agarza]

A new firmware version is now available for download on the PX-41CX website.

New Feature: Alarms are working!

View Registers now display their values in the current display format (FIX, SCI, or ENG) and correctly show alpha strings.

[krischik]

I stand corrected. You can get your hope up. Of course now I have to hope my soldering skills are still up to it.

           

[revwillie]

(08-26-2024 05:09 PM)krischik Wrote:  I stand corrected. You can get your hope up. Of course now I have to hope my soldering skills are still up to it.

Well, I've soldered a few kits and Alex's are the easiest. Patience during the positioning of each part pays off when you get to the actual flowing of solder. If you have a flux pen with a fine tip, you can let the flux do some of the work for you. This time around, I used a pointy kabob skewer to add a very small amount of flux to the inside of the through holes so there would be less residue left outside of the holes.

It's funny I bought the px16c kit right after the aluminum plate redesign and the kit has been sitting on my workbench. I will probably finish that this week. I previously made the older version of the px41c with the red PCB that goes with a 3D printed enclosure and it was a breeze. That was before you could use a front aluminum plate as an alignment guide for the key switches. If you are looking for solder practice before doing the PX41CX, the 16 kit will be a good warm up.

[tangdfx]

Hello,

I received my Px41X.

It is really good.

I also find a display bug.

Try this: 2 cos enter 5 cos

When the X stack up to Y stack ,result is show -9.4161 which should be -0.4161.

It seems the 0 change to 9.

[krischik]

The soldering is was easy enough but the case is a disaster. There is almost no space between the PCB and the aluminium plane. The manual suggest to cut as all wire as close as possible but when you do that you start to damage to PCS with the cutters. Cutters are hardened steel after all.

   

Right now I can't get any closer and it still doesn't fit. Taller washer would have helped. 1 … 2 mm extra thickness is better then a case that doesn't fit.

Well, I will try to grind them down with a Dremel.

An then the connector to AVR Programmer doesn't quite fit in the case. But that is easy enough to fix with a sharp knife.

   

My suggestion is: go for the 3D printed case with short tactile switches.

[agarza]

(08-27-2024 02:03 PM)tangdfx Wrote:  Hello,

I received my Px41X.

It is really good.

I also find a display bug.

Try this: 2 cos enter 5 cos

When the X stack up to Y stack ,result is show -9.4161 which should be -0.4161.

It seems the 0 change to 9.

Thank you for catching the bug.
This bug occurs in FIX notation when the number is between -1 and 0.

It has been fixed. You can download the new firmware (0.901 August 27) from the PX-41CX website.

[revwillie]

(08-27-2024 02:43 PM)krischik Wrote:  The soldering is was easy enough but the case is a disaster. .....

I was just looking at the bumper that came with my px16c kit and it has corner stops inside that I would expect help with spacing. I couldn't see what the inside of your bumper looks like in the picture. Is it like one of the renders here? https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5205942

[agarza]

(08-27-2024 02:43 PM)krischik Wrote:  Right now I can't get any closer and it still doesn't fit. Taller washer would have helped. 1 … 2 mm extra thickness is better then a case that doesn't fit.

The washers are ONLY used if you are not planning on using the 3D printed case.
Leaving the sides open.

(08-27-2024 02:43 PM)krischik Wrote:  Well, I will try to grind them down with a Dremel.

Using a Dremel will likely damage the PCB.

(08-27-2024 02:43 PM)krischik Wrote:  An then the connector to AVR Programmer doesn't quite fit in the case. But that is easy enough to fix with a sharp knife.

That happened because you use the washers.

(08-27-2024 02:43 PM)krischik Wrote:  My suggestion is: go for the 3D printed case with short tactile switches.

The 3D printed case with short tactile switches was a very early development.
If you want to go this route, check out Guidos website.

[krischik]

(08-27-2024 05:25 PM)agarza Wrote:  The washers are ONLY used if you are not planning on using the 3D printed case.
Leaving the sides open.

My main mistake was that I treated the assembly instructions like an IKEA assembly instructions: Starting at step one working downwards. So I was half way through the „Aluminium Panels Assembly“ when I noticed that didn't have to do any of that. That there was a fork in the road I and I should have skipped to „3D Printed Bumper Assembly“.

It would be helpful if there was a „For bumper skip to «3D Printed Bumper Assembly»“ at this place of the instructions:

   

(08-27-2024 05:25 PM)agarza Wrote:  Using a Dremel will likely damage the PCB.

True. But the damage done with the Dremel is similar to the damage I already did with cutters as I already scratched the paint with the cutters. The case assembly was the real challenge for me.

[krischik]

How my PC16C assembly went and lessons learned from a noob:

https://www.minds.com/krischik/blog/px-1...7030070275

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #computerhardware #computerscience #hewlettpackard #calculator #hp16c

Alternative sites:

• https://steemit.com/hive-175254/@krischi...c-assembly
• https://blurt.blog/retrocomputing/@krisc...c-assembly
• https://peakd.com/hive-163521/@krischik/px-16c-assembly
  

[tangdfx]

(08-27-2024 05:16 PM)agarza Wrote:  

(08-27-2024 02:03 PM)tangdfx Wrote:  Hello,

I received my Px41X.

It is really good.

I also find a display bug.

Try this: 2 cos enter 5 cos

When the X stack up to Y stack ,result is show -9.4161 which should be -0.4161.

It seems the 0 change to 9.

Thank you for catching the bug.
This bug occurs in FIX notation when the number is between -1 and 0.

It has been fixed. You can download the new firmware (0.901 August 27) from the PX-41CX website.

Hello,
I download from your website the Hex file is still built Aug 26 2024

Could you upload the latest firmware?

[Pierre]

(08-28-2024 01:19 PM)tangdfx Wrote:  Could you upload the latest firmware?

The firmware is also available for download on my site px41cx.phweb.me (courtesy of Alex)
Pierre

[revwillie]

Thanks, Pierre.

This was very confusing. I would like to request that the firmware version number can be different for any change. it looks like there are now three separate V .901 . I can adapt moving forward but there will likely be others who raise the issue. However, I am still a big fan.

I'm currently trying to figure out how to integrate my own custom off image. I can see where the decoded dump files specify an image file name but where does the bitmap go?

PS. one thing I learned from IKEA is to read all the instructions start to finish in as many languages as I know before I even take the parts out of their packaging

[agarza]

(08-28-2024 01:49 PM)revwillie Wrote:  Thanks, Pierre.

This was very confusing. I would like to request that the firmware version number can be different for any change. it looks like there are now three separate V .901.

You are right, Pierre has a much better organized list of firmwares.
There's only one version: V0.901 (Build Aug 27, 2024).
I have updated the firmware downloads on the PX-41CX website.

[Pierre]

(08-28-2024 01:49 PM)revwillie Wrote:  Thanks, Pierre.
This was very confusing. I would like to request that the firmware version number can be different for any change. it looks like there are now three separate V .901 . I can adapt moving forward but there will likely be others who raise the issue. However, I am still a big fan.
I'm currently trying to figure out how to integrate my own custom off image. I can see where the decoded dump files specify an image file name but where does the bitmap go?
PS. one thing I learned from IKEA is to read all the instructions start to finish in as many languages as I know before I even take the parts out of their packaging

For version numbers, Alex determines them but he seems to do the same as me and other developers: the number only changes if the version really changes but the "build" (date or suffix...) evolves as minor corrections occur on the version (debugging) without feature developments. The latest "build" (date) therefore corresponds to the latest version corrected on the date of...
On my site I keep the latest versions for history and because I am constantly testing the px-41cx and making comparisons between developments.
For BMP image problems you should use Darren's px41cx-utility.py.

(Regarding Ikea, you have the PX-41CX manual in English and also in French on my site.)
Pierre

[revwillie]

(08-28-2024 03:04 PM)Pierre Wrote:  For BMP image problems you should use Darren's px41cx-utility.py.

I have that but I'm trying to figure out where to put that and the intelhex stuff I just downloaded from github. Can the files from intelhex go into the python3 folder or should they be in the tools folder or their own folder in one of those folders?

(08-28-2024 03:04 PM)Pierre Wrote:  (Regarding Ikea, you have the PX-41CX manual in English and also in French on my site.)
Pierre

Oui monsieur

[Pierre]

(08-28-2024 03:17 PM)revwillie Wrote:  Can the files from intelhex go into the python3 folder or should they be in the tools folder or their own folder in one of those folders?

I put the python folder directly under c:\
and intelhex under tools\libs

[Pierre]

I put the python folder directly under c:\
and intelhex under tools\libs

and the folder "Scripts" from intelhex directely under python with :
bin2hex.py
hex2bin.py
hex2dump.py
hexdiff.py
hexinfo.py
hexmerge.py

(I hope I haven't forgotten anything...)