HP-71B IL Module Version

[Craig Bladow]

I've searched this site and the web but without success. What is the command to show the ROM version of the HP 71b IL module?

[Gerson W. Barbosa]

Have you tried VER$ ? On mine that returns HP71:1BBBB HPIL:1B MATH:1A

[Craig Bladow]

Thanks! I just finished a hand built PIL-Box and one of the jumpers is dependent on the HP-IL module version. Turns out I have version 1A, so I have to shift the jumper.

[Dave Frederickson]

(01-27-2018 03:55 AM)Craig Bladow Wrote:  I just finished a hand built PIL-Box and one of the jumpers is dependent on the HP-IL module version.

Where did you get that information? JP2 sets the transfer rate of the PIL-Box, based upon the PIL-Box firmware version, and JP3 isn't used.

[Craig Bladow]

I purchased a bare chip, with firmware version 2.1, from Jean-Francois. Older schematics I used to wire my board showed SW1 and SW2 which in the latest hardware is JP2 and JP1 respectively. Per email from Jean-Francois SW1/JP2 is reserved for HP-71B IL modules versioin 1A which have a timing problem with the PIL-box. SW2/JP1 in my firmware version selects between 230 and 115 kbps.

[Dave Frederickson]

(01-27-2018 04:46 PM)Craig Bladow Wrote:  I purchased a bare chip, with firmware version 2.1, from Jean-Francois. Older schematics I used to wire my board showed SW1 and SW2 which in the latest hardware is JP2 and JP1 respectively. Per email from Jean-Francois SW1/JP2 is reserved for HP-71B IL modules versioin 1A which have a timing problem with the PIL-box. SW2/JP1 in my firmware version selects between 230 and 115 kbps.

Oh! I didn't know you made your own board, I thought you bought the kit. In equating the older schematic in this document,

http://www.jeffcalc.hp41.eu/hpil/files/ilser.pdf

JP1 is connected to the Serial I/O
JP2 is SW2
JP3 is SW1



JP2/SW2 is used to select the transfer rate. 115k with the JP2 installed or 230k with it removed if using the latest firmware, v2.1.

If JP3 is used for the 1A 71 IL module then that was not mentioned when beta testing the v2.1 firmware.

How does this affect use with the 41, the Portable's, Series 80, etc?

[Craig Bladow]

The only information I have is that the jumper is needed for a specific HP-71B IL ROM version 1A timing issue.
   
   

[J-F Garnier]

(01-27-2018 05:50 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  If JP3 is used for the 1A 71 IL module then that was not mentioned when beta testing the v2.1 firmware.
How does this affect use with the 41, the Portable's, Series 80, etc?

Some rare (not all) HP-IL module 1A have a timing issue with the PIL-Box, that I mentioned a few times (here and here for instance).

The PIL-Box firmware has support for a optional fix (since version 1.4). The fix is enabled with jumper JP3.
The fix is to be used with these rare HP-71B HP-IL modules version 1A that have problems with the PIL-Box, it has no interest at all with other controllers (HP41/75/110).
Moreover the fix is optional because it can safely fix the problem when only one HP-71B is connected to the PIL-Box but may incorrectly modify HP-IL frames if there are more HP-IL devices in the loop.
So this fix must be considered only as a workaround if you really need to use one of these problematic modules 1A, and only for a simple PIL-Box + HP-71B configuration.

J-F