DM41X

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(02-01-2020 11:40 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Interesting! The TK CV must be a frankencalc, right? I'm pretty sure production switched from TK to normal before CV production began, right?

Errr... no. I was too busy pasting 'quote' tags to pay attention at what I wrote: actually all my TKs are model C.

(02-01-2020 11:40 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Actually I find the DM41L to be much more interesting than I expected. It's soo different from a normal 41, it's like exploring an entirely new machine. It is very interesting. It is not a 41.

I find USB connectivity and memory dump, patch and reload the only appealing feature.

(02-01-2020 11:40 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Yes, July is coming and I hope the 41X will introduce the 41C to a bunch of new users on its 41st birthday.

Really hope so, me too.

[kimwood]

My recently ordered DM41X beta unit arrived in Australia today (s/n: 00037). It didn't take too long at all. I also own a SwissMicros DM42 or three plus a number of other SwissMicros calculators including the recently available DM10L collector's edition.

Initial DM41X impressions? Uses same tough metal shell as the DM42 and is sturdy. The display looks to be the same used in the DM42 and is sharp and crisp. The keyboard has been reworked with lower profile keys and feels very nice. The key action is precise with a discernible click. Not too clicky though - and not too stiff. I like the keyboard a lot. That should silence any concerns. The yellow and blue shift keys are a little dull, but do not detract from the overall appearance.

There are three small slots on either side of the keyboard as per the DM42, so I assume that ROM overlays will be available in the future (from third parties?). The keyboard printing, both keys and fascia, is crisp and looks great. I guess that the keys are painted and not two-shot moulded, and may eventually show some wear. I have given my DM42's a lot of work, and can not see any key wear whatsoever, so I am optimistic that the DM41X will have a very long and useful life. Battery life, too early to tell yet, but I have not changed any button batteries on my various SwissMicros calculators since purchase. Assume battery life is long, very long.

As for the actual operation of the calculator, well you all know how an HP41 works. This particular SwissMicros implementation is beautifully done, and I am looking forward to playing with a few ROM images that I have not used previously.

Bottom line? A very nice implementation in brand new hardware. No brittle plastic to worry about. No NOS or printed parts to source on eBay. No messy battery compartments to clean up or battery packs to build. No need to worry about it expiring on me one day with no available replacement. No N-size batteries to find every couple of hundred hours. USB access for file/ROM upload/download. I/R implemented. Fairly priced. I have not detected any downside yet. Well worth considering by enthusiasts.

[burkhard]

(02-06-2020 02:12 AM)kimwood Wrote:  Well worth considering by enthusiasts.

Nice review, thanks!
Are they "officially" for sale yet? I think all these initial ones are beta like yours, right? I didn't see the the DM41X on the order page of SwissMicros yet.

[rprosperi]

(02-06-2020 09:22 PM)burkhard Wrote:  

(02-06-2020 02:12 AM)kimwood Wrote:  Well worth considering by enthusiasts.

Nice review, thanks!
Are they "officially" for sale yet? I think all these initial ones are beta like yours, right? I didn't see the the DM41X on the order page of SwissMicros yet.

The BETA program is still available and you can order a BETA DM41X on this special order page:

https://www.swissmicros.com/order.php?special=dm41x

Nothing about purchasing a BETA unit requires you to submit bug reports, do testing, etc. but we hope that everyone in the program is interested in reporting issues they find, to be corrected at various times during the program easily installed via f/w updates.

Eventually (no fixed timeline, but think months, not weeks or years) the 41X will be considered ready for production and sale of production units will begin via the 'normal' order page.

[HP-Collection]

And how is the inplementation of custom roms working?
I hope, I can load hundrets of .roms/.mods through UBS into the calculator and then I can configure the visible/invisible roms in the menu?

[rprosperi]

(02-09-2020 04:45 PM)HP-Collection Wrote:  And how is the inplementation of custom roms working?
I hope, I can load hundrets of .roms/.mods through UBS into the calculator and then I can configure the visible/invisible roms in the menu?

Every module I've tried so far works fine, including my 'normal' configuration of:

LIB4
OSX
Printer
HEPAX
WARP_CORE+

so about as custom as can be.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'invisible' ROMs?

[burkhard]

(02-09-2020 05:00 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Every module I've tried so far works fine, including my 'normal' configuration of:

LIB4
OSX
Printer
HEPAX
WARP_CORE+

Wow, that is great––those you mention are true tests.
So I assume the calculator itself has the same 64K address space of a true 41 and these extra "modules" are "plugged" as with a 41CL into the 8 free 4K pages at $8000...$F000. (well, if it takes LIB4, then that would go at page 4 ($4000), right?).

And pages 6 and 7 (normally the printer and HPIL) on a real 41 are likewise accessible with the same care and restrictions people are used to with the 41CL?

So at any given time, one is always limited (just a smidge....) by the 64K address space and then needs to plug and unplug.
→ How many pages of 4K are available to hold ROMs that are not in use? Is that flash or RAM?

[rprosperi]

The 41X has the exact same address space, available pages, etc. as a genuine 41CX.

Pages 4 and 6-F are available to have modules 'plugged-in'.

Page 5 is taken for the CX TIME module

The provided Printer module always plugs-in to page-6. (Printing to the HP IR Printer)

Page 7 is always available as there is no HP-IL here.

Pages 8-F are the same as the original ports 1-4.

When plugged-in, modules are in RAM (that looks like ROM to the 41, except that it can also be configured as RAM/qROM for MLDL or HEPAX type uses), however there is also a Flash storage area to hold 'ready to plug-in' modules, which are moved onto the machine via simple USB virtual disk drag-n-drop, just like copying files to the DM42.

[burkhard]

(02-09-2020 07:38 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  <SNIPPED>
however there is also a Flash storage area to hold 'ready to plug-in' modules, which are moved onto the machine via simple USB virtual disk drag-n-drop, just like copying files to the DM42.

Thanks, Bob! Just this one last item. So how large is that flash storage area? How many 4K pages can it hold?

[rprosperi]

(02-09-2020 08:25 PM)burkhard Wrote:  Thanks, Bob! Just this one last item. So how large is that flash storage area? How many 4K pages can it hold?

At the moment, it appears there is 510KB available, however this could change as the system evolves.

You can see this value using the FLASH button in the Manage Modules in Flash function (shift-SETUP/2/2) where you see the total / used / available amount of storage.

[burkhard]

(02-09-2020 09:17 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(02-09-2020 08:25 PM)burkhard Wrote:  Thanks, Bob! Just this one last item. So how large is that flash storage area? How many 4K pages can it hold?

At the moment, it appears there is 510KB available, however this could change as the system evolves.

You can see this value using the FLASH button in the Manage Modules in Flash function (shift-SETUP/2/2) where you see the total / used / available amount of storage.

Thanks! At 4K or maybe 8K (rarely 12K or 16K) for a typical module, that is a LOT. Excellent.

[cdmackay]

It's a lot less than is offered on the 41CL, which I believe has 8MB, giving 1,204 8KB "pages", which I think is still 4,096 words, but 16-bit words as opposed to the 41's 10-bit.

But given the inconvenience and time required to load images via serial connection, on the 41CL, it's good that it has huge space and comes pre-installed with most things.

Given the ease of adding/removing modules on the 41X, the smaller space seems reasonable.

[HP-Collection]

Is there a manual for the 41X?
Can the configuration be stored on the computer and be shared with others?

[rprosperi]

The DM41X Manual cane be found here:

https://www.swissmicros.com/dm41x/doc/dm...er_manual/

Note that this explains features and aspects of the 41X that differ from a normal 41CX and does not attempt to include information on the standard HP features or operation, and familiarization with that by the reader is assumed.

The DM41X will let you save your complete RAM (programs, XMEM, Key-Assignments, etc.) in a state file that you can download to a PC via USB, but at the moment, you cannot save and share your module configuration in a file to share.

However, the easiest way to do that is to simply take a screen shot of your Active Modules screen and post or send it to whomever you want to share it with. If the modules in your configuration are not commonly available, just send them the .mod files as well.

Note: To take a screen shot, hold down [Shift] and press/release [DISP], and the screen shots can be found in the /SCREENS folder on the FAT drive.

[Ignatz]

Well mine arrived while I was away in Germany, so I've just got around to playing with it...

First look: nice weight, solid feel, lovely display but... eeeew, those gold and blue buttons are waaaay off... moreso than they appear in the photo and the facia seems to be very susceptible to fingerprint smudging.

IMG_0618 by Tim, on Flickr

it rocks when you use the outside buttons: the underside is very slightly curved, as has been confirmed over on the beta forum. In this respect, it mimics my original HP41 C perfectly: mine was warped straight out of the box...

The keyboard is every bit as nasty as I had feared it would be... the keys feel tiny, even when compared to the Voyager-series keys.

My facia has a little 'ding / Macke' at the bottom :0(

IMG_0615 by Tim, on Flickr

I really hope that SMs add the option for a DM42-style display option. Seems a shame to waste that lovely hi-res display...

[Olivier (WA)]

Received mine today, S/N=00098, ten days for shipping to the PNW.

[anetzer]

(02-14-2020 03:08 PM)Ignatz Wrote:  I really hope that SMs add the option for a DM42-style display option. Seems a shame to waste that lovely hi-res display...

My words exactly.

There should be an option to the default display style - which mimics the segment lcd of the hp-41c in a great way. One could eventually get much more information on that screen a small standard font could be used.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(02-20-2020 12:50 PM)anetzer Wrote:  

(02-14-2020 03:08 PM)Ignatz Wrote:  I really hope that SMs add the option for a DM42-style display option. Seems a shame to waste that lovely hi-res display...

My words exactly.

There should be an option to the default display style - which mimics the segment lcd of the hp-41c in a great way. One could eventually get much more information on that screen a small standard font could be used.

And exactly how could you get such an amount of info on the display, without reengineering the OS? Something SM said will not do.

[Dave Britten]

(02-20-2020 01:11 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  

(02-20-2020 12:50 PM)anetzer Wrote:  My words exactly.

There should be an option to the default display style - which mimics the segment lcd of the hp-41c in a great way. One could eventually get much more information on that screen a small standard font could be used.

And exactly how could you get such an amount of info on the display, without reengineering the OS? Something SM said will not do.

Peeking at and displaying values in CPU registers or specific memory locations wouldn't be unreasonable, though.

[hth]

(02-20-2020 01:11 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  And exactly how could you get such an amount of info on the display, without reengineering the OS? Something SM said will not do.

That is fair I suppose. The real question is whether they will to allow or prevent others from doing it? If they hide the source code, it is not feasible for others to improve it beyond what SM want or can do.