HP Prime corrupting programs

[Gene]

Note to all.

Welcome Scorpio. Glad you are a new member here on the forum. I would like to request being careful and patient to all so no feathers get ruffled.

We generally allow for threads to drift as long as they are generally related. If something gets too out of line the moderators will step in and clear things up.

So as the new person here, welcome. Allow for some flexibility and the moderators will handle the rest if need be.

[Tim Wessman]

(07-19-2018 08:33 PM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Please, if HP Prime developers are reading this, please review this case and provide a fix that will make this calculator really perfect. A fix of this level will certainly ensure a very important stability needed by the users. This will be a really big fix and important step.

I've spent an hour or so trying the steps you have given and not been able to see any of the things you report. The codeviewer app does indeed have a problem with its logic (trying to allocate 22MB for a picture which would work fine on the desktop but not the calc), but it is not wiping things out or corrupting things.

Can you please start from the beginning with a video (doesn't need to be high res or anything), show how/what you are loading, and then go through the steps to show the symptoms? If there is an issue I would like to fix it. With the description given however I cannot see any issues and exact steps are needed. You could make it a private link on youtube or some other site, or drop it somewhere. Thank you!

[scorpio72]

(07-20-2018 01:00 AM)Gene Wrote:  Note to all.

Welcome Scorpio. Glad you are a new member here on the forum. I would like to request being careful and patient to all so no feathers get ruffled.

We generally allow for threads to drift as long as they are generally related. If something gets too out of line the moderators will step in and clear things up.

So as the new person here, welcome. Allow for some flexibility and the moderators will handle the rest if need be.

Dear Gene,

Thank you very much for welcoming me on this forum.

I hope I could contribute positively to the HP Prime community and I really appreciate your support.

Best regards;

[scorpio72]

(07-20-2018 03:04 AM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  

(07-19-2018 08:33 PM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Please, if HP Prime developers are reading this, please review this case and provide a fix that will make this calculator really perfect. A fix of this level will certainly ensure a very important stability needed by the users. This will be a really big fix and important step.

I've spent an hour or so trying the steps you have given and not been able to see any of the things you report. The codeviewer app does indeed have a problem with its logic (trying to allocate 22MB for a picture which would work fine on the desktop but not the calc), but it is not wiping things out or corrupting things.

Can you please start from the beginning with a video (doesn't need to be high res or anything), show how/what you are loading, and then go through the steps to show the symptoms? If there is an issue I would like to fix it. With the description given however I cannot see any issues and exact steps are needed. You could make it a private link on youtube or some other site, or drop it somewhere. Thank you!

Hello Tim,

I appreciate your valuable work and attention with respect to my request. Thanks a lot for the time spent on this issue.

I will make a video to explain the situation and will let you know soon.

If you repeated all my steps and nothing wrong happened, then I must have a faulty device. I noticed 1 badblk but I don't believe that this is the problem. When the available RAM change after each time I do a full reset...this is strange. Something is wrong with the RAM may be? My settings are not saved until I make many full resets. Very strange.

[JDW]

I thought the February 2018 firmware was the newest, but now it seems that July 6. 2018 is the newest? If so, I would like to know 2 things:

1. What hardware is the G2 firmware for?
2. What has changed in the July firmware versus the February?

Thanks.

(07-19-2018 04:36 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  There seem to be different latest firmwares on HP's FTP site, presumably for the different hardware revisions?

• HP_Prime_Calculator_Firmware_20180706.zip
• HP_Prime_Calculator_G2_Firmware_20180706.zip
  

[Tim Wessman]

(07-20-2018 08:40 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  I will make a video to explain the situation and will let you know soon.
...
If you repeated all my steps and nothing wrong happened, then I must have a faulty device.

It is more likely that I am NOT doing the steps or there is some other simple difference. That is the point of the video.

[ijabbott]

(07-20-2018 08:41 AM)JDW Wrote:  I thought the February 2018 firmware was the newest, but now it seems that July 6. 2018 is the newest? If so, I would like to know 2 things:

1. What hardware is the G2 firmware for?

You've probably found out by now that the G2 firmware is for a new hardware iteration with a more recent CPU. See New Version: 2018.07.06 2.0.0.13865 Post #6 onwards.

Quote:2. What has changed in the July firmware versus the February?

See New Version: 2.0.0.13865 (2018 07 06). (It's a different thread to the one above, but both threads contain the Release Notes for the new version.)

[scorpio72]

Hello Tim,

Finally, I decided to give the calculator to store where it was purchased for a replacement (still 1 year of warranty running). They are checking it for the moment.

Thanks for your help, hope I will get a new machine without memory issue.

(last tests I"ve been doing : At every full reset (with format c: ) I get a different amount of free RAM (between 15.xx Mb and 17.xx Mb) and sometimes, the settings are not saved after on/off cycles. After some resets, the memory is back to 17.xx Mb (at max) and the settings are saved. But if I run some big programs, again List and Matrix takes some second to come up, even if empty, meaning another reset is needed...) if someone could test (format c and "9" reset) and check everytime if the settings are saved after on/off and how much RAM are left after each time, may be I'm not alone...

[JDW]

(07-26-2018 07:15 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  ...if someone could test (format c and "9" reset) and check everytime if the settings are saved after on/off and how much RAM are left after each time, may be I'm not alone...

I purchased to Type-C Primes (for my kids' educational use) from Walmart about a week ago and they are currently in transit to my address in Japan. I've never used an actual Prime before, just the buggy Virtual Prime on my Mac that crashes all the time and where menu text vanishes. To help me do a test perfectly, please assume I am a complete idiot and give me a drop-dead easy to understand (don't assume I know the Prime) list of step-by-step instructions that you think would reproduce the problem every time. I will then follow your steps when I get my 2 Primes and then share the results in a new post in this thread.

Thanks.

[scorpio72]

Hello JDW,

Congratulations for your new purchase the physical one is much better than the virtual one believe me!

The step in order to reproduce the errors are :

1. Turn off the calculator (shift ON)
2. Press the 3 keys orange marked F C O and while keeping them pressed, power ON
3. You will be taken to a kind of service menu numbered from 1 to 9
4. Press 4 then 3 (format C: )
5. once you get OK, press ESC key then press 9 "Reset"
6. Your calculator will restart like new
7. once you finish the initial setup, things to test are :
8. shift Mem then Info to get the available free RAM, take note
9. Shift Home Settings then check or uncheck the checkbox right to the complex numbers
10. press Esc then turn OFF, ON again and check if the check mark settings was saved from last change or not

Repeat all these steps from point 1 and notice if the settings are saved and notice the available RAM at each time. If after 4 cycles you get consistent results, then your HP Prime memory isn't faulty.

Hope other people could do this test and tell us if they didn't notice anything wrong...

Thanks a lot !

[ijabbott]

(07-26-2018 08:04 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Hello JDW,

Congratulations for your new purchase the physical one is much better than the virtual one believe me!

The step in order to reproduce the errors are :

1. Turn off the calculator (shift ON)
2. Press the 3 keys orange marked F C O and while keeping them pressed, power ON
3. You will be taken to a kind of service menu numbered from 1 to 9
4. Press 4 then 3 (format C: )
5. once you get OK, press ESC key then press 9 "Reset"
6. Your calculator will restart like new
7. once you finish the initial setup, things to test are :
8. shift Mem then Info to get the available free RAM, take note
9. Shift Home Settings then check or uncheck the checkbox right to the complex numbers
10. press Esc then turn OFF, ON again and check if the check mark settings was saved from last change or not

Repeat all these steps from point 1 and notice if the settings are saved and notice the available RAM at each time. If after 4 cycles you get consistent results, then your HP Prime memory isn't faulty.

Hope other people could do this test and tell us if they didn't notice anything wrong...

Thanks a lot !

I repeated the above sequence (but pressing "Enter" at step 3 to do the format) ten times and got consistent, good results each time. This was done on a new Rev C (G1) calculator that I received a few days ago. The only change I've made since receiving it is to update to the latest 2018.07.06 2.0.0.13865 firmware.

EA656 Version Info

DATA Version : V0.048.635
OS Version : V0.050.640
Released Version : V1.21
PCB Version : 03
Touch IC FW Ver : 4160

ONLY RECH: 3.98
BOOT ARMUboot V17
Hynix HY27UF082G2A 256MB SLC

On initial start-up after FORMAT C and RESET, I selected English and hit OK a few times for default settings. Shift Mem > Info showed the following each time:

Memory: 17.68 MB
Storage: 197.84 MB

Settings were saved between Off and On cycles.

Hope this helps!

[grsbanks]

FWIW I get the same results as Ian on both my Rev. C Primes.

[JDW]

(07-26-2018 08:04 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  The step in order to reproduce the errors are...

My two new Type-C Primes arrived today, for now I have tested one of them.

I started by charging it for several hours, and then I performed the initial setup and checked memory:

Memory: 17.51MB
Storage: 197.83MB

I then followed your instructions to reset and test again:

Memory: 18.60MB
Storage: 197.83MB

There was no checkmark to the right of Complex in Home Settings so I added a checkmark. I then turned the Prime OFF and then ON and I can verify the checkmark is still there.

[scorpio72]

(07-28-2018 09:30 AM)JDW Wrote:  

(07-26-2018 08:04 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  The step in order to reproduce the errors are...

My two new Type-C Primes arrived today, for now I have tested one of them.

I started by charging it for several hours, and then I performed the initial setup and checked memory:

Memory: 17.51MB
Storage: 197.83MB

I then followed your instructions to reset and test again:

Memory: 18.60MB
Storage: 197.83MB

There was no checkmark to the right of Complex in Home Settings so I added a checkmark. I then turned the Prime OFF and then ON and I can verify the checkmark is still there.

Are you getting 18.60MB consistently after every full reset following my instructions?
between each, please check the settings if they are saved after a ON+Symb quick reset. It should be kept as standard. But if they are not, it may be ok the next time you do the full reset.

[JDW]

(07-28-2018 09:44 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Are you getting 18.60MB consistently after every full reset following my instructions?
between each, please check the settings if they are saved after a ON+Symb quick reset. It should be kept as standard. But if they are not, it may be ok the next time you do the full reset.

I just ran through your steps again, and this time I get this:

Memory: 18.68MB
Storage: 197.86MB

Checkmark next to Complex is missing after every restart (which is normal), and when I add the checkmark and power OFF then ON, it still shows the checkmark, so no problems there.

I pressed On & Symb keys to do a quick reset and I see the checkmark is still there. I then check the Memory Manager again and I see this:

Memory: 18.71MB
Storage: 197.83MB

Now we just need a few more HP Prime users to follow your steps and report back to have a more complete set of data that can help determine what is normal and what is not.

[scorpio72]

Hi JDW,
Just to point out about the RAM amount you are getting from the beginning:
17.51MB
18.68MB
18.60MB
18.71MB
The difference Min/Max is 1.20MB which is, for a calculator, huge space that we don't know what is using it when we know that most of the programs are in KB...

In the 18MB range, we have 30KB lost. A large program can fit in that space.

Is it a bug in the low level boot program when performing initialization ?

[JDW]

(07-28-2018 11:21 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Is it a bug in the low level boot program when performing initialization ?

Tim Wessman needs to answer that.

(By the way, Tim, I sent you an email many days ago regarding the buggy Virtual Prime app on MacOS. I never heard back from you or anyone else at HP, so please check your SPAM folder so you can email me a reply to let me know you did indeed get an email from me -- James W.)

[ijabbott]

(07-28-2018 11:21 AM)scorpio72 Wrote:  Hi JDW,
Just to point out about the RAM amount you are getting from the beginning:
17.51MB
18.68MB
18.60MB
18.71MB
The difference Min/Max is 1.20MB which is, for a calculator, huge space that we don't know what is using it when we know that most of the programs are in KB...

In the 18MB range, we have 30KB lost. A large program can fit in that space.

Is it a bug in the low level boot program when performing initialization ?

JDW, Since there is some variation in your results, did you press exactly the same buttons etc. each time after FORMAT C and RESET? I just kept pressing the 'OK' button during the initial setup and immediately checked the memory afterwards and got consistent results.

EDIT: The differences noted by scorpio72 could be just due to how memory is managed and garbage collected.

[JDW]

(07-28-2018 11:49 AM)ijabbott Wrote:  ...did you press exactly the same buttons etc. each time after FORMAT C and RESET?

Yes. But I set the date and time correctly each time I reset. Time changes, you know. So obviously that was a minor change I made. But let's say that a mere "time/date" change affects Memory. SHOULD it affect memory? That's the question here.

[ijabbott]

(07-28-2018 11:53 AM)JDW Wrote:  

(07-28-2018 11:49 AM)ijabbott Wrote:  ...did you press exactly the same buttons etc. each time after FORMAT C and RESET?

Yes. But I set the date and time correctly each time I reset. Time changes, you know. So obviously that was a minor change I made. But let's say that a mere "time/date" change affects Memory. SHOULD it affect memory? That's the question here.

Strange... I didn't have to set the date and time after each reset because it picked it up from the internal RTC.