NEW: HP 15C Collectors Edition

[Mark Power]

(11-04-2023 05:04 PM)Divasson Wrote:  Does anyone know about a utility (be it Mac or Windows) that can send a text to a USB HID device and receive (and store as a file) data from said USB device?

The problem with talking to USB HID devices is that operating systems will generally not allow you to access them. The very good reason for this being that USB HID devices are used in keyboards. If you can access the device you can very easily write a key logger and reputable people don't really like you doing that.

On the other hand, it is relatively easy to read and write to HID devices from the HP Prime, which is what I show in my HHC 2023 presentation:

https://youtu.be/uLfWcqBqexM?feature=shared



However, you might like to have a look at this blog.

[Katie Wasserman]

(11-08-2023 11:31 AM)Divasson Wrote:  A full new design just for USB to HP's proprietary 6-pin POGO - had to draw the calculator side in 3D from scratch. Huge mould costs since standard industry pin pitch is 2.54mm and nothing off-the-shelf could be used. Now dealing with CE-testing and certification.

Nice! A big step up from my design of many years ago posted on the old forum here.

[ijabbott]

(11-08-2023 11:31 AM)Divasson Wrote:  A full new design just for USB to HP's proprietary 6-pin POGO - had to draw the calculator side in 3D from scratch. Huge mould costs since standard industry pin pitch is 2.54mm and nothing off-the-shelf could be used. Now dealing with CE-testing and certification.

Is the new design just a passive USB cable with some buttons and the special connector? I'm wondering if it could be used to flash a HP-30b by wiring the D+ and D- pins on the standard USB connector (Type A?) to TTL 3.3V serial TX and RX signals.

[Harald]

(11-09-2023 07:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  Is the new design just a passive USB cable with some buttons and the special connector? I'm wondering if it could be used to flash a HP-30b by wiring the D+ and D- pins on the standard USB connector (Type A?) to TTL 3.3V serial TX and RX signals.

It is just a passive cable. You would have to make a PCB like this to use it for the 30b.
Depending on how closely Jose's design follows the original HP design, my PCB might or might not fit his cable.
I don't know if there still is a market for the 30b cables, the calculators aren't that easy to find anymore. But maybe we can convince Jose to offer a version for the 30b as well.

Cheers,
Harald

[tgwell2]

Successfully patched my 15CE with my hacked-together cable! Really appreciate all the info in this thread, and all the work that went into this calculator!

Would somebody else that has performed the patch mind to confirm their checksum? I'm getting AF90h.

Thanks again!
Tyler

[ebs]

(11-09-2023 09:09 PM)Harald Wrote:  

(11-09-2023 07:57 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  Is the new design just a passive USB cable with some buttons and the special connector? I'm wondering if it could be used to flash a HP-30b by wiring the D+ and D- pins on the standard USB connector (Type A?) to TTL 3.3V serial TX and RX signals.

It is just a passive cable. You would have to make a PCB like this to use it for the 30b.
Depending on how closely Jose's design follows the original HP design, my PCB might or might not fit his cable.
I don't know if there still is a market for the 30b cables, the calculators aren't that easy to find anymore. But maybe we can convince Jose to offer a version for the 30b as well.

I think this could be possible without disassembling the new cable: make a pigtail with one end connected (or soldered) to the USB-Serial adapter serial lines, the other end with a Type-A USB receptacle, then connect it to the new cable.

If I'm not wrong the reset and erase lines are connected to the same pins in the pogo connector.

The USB-Serial adapter has to have its own USB cable to connect to the computer.

Just a bit weird to have a segment of the cable with USB connectors carrying serial signals (I would label it clearly), but it should work.

[Divasson]

Hi,

For reference regarding pinouts:

Post about pinouts of both cable types

[J-F Garnier]

(11-09-2023 11:17 PM)tgwell2 Wrote:  Successfully patched my 15CE with my hacked-together cable! Really appreciate all the info in this thread, and all the work that went into this calculator!

Would somebody else that has performed the patch mind to confirm their checksum? I'm getting AF90h.

Correct ! Same as on my patched machine.

J-F

[Dave Frederickson]

(11-02-2023 05:00 AM)dmh Wrote:  So if you can roll your own pogo type connector could you could make a new cable the same way?

Instructions for making your own POGO cable can be found here:
https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-18...ml#pid4013
https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-25...l#pid23831

[SamB]

(11-03-2023 05:53 PM)Valentin Albillo Wrote:  .

(11-03-2023 04:08 PM)Divasson Wrote:  [...] with this big memory, it is a pity to lose all programs every time you move back and forth from HP16c to HP15c, so working this weekend on backing up the user memory space to a file and restoring it later. (better solution: buy another !! )

For those interested in using both the HP-15C and the HP-16C it's indeed the best solution by far: you buy a second unit and then you keep one of them permanently in HP-15C/192 mode and the other one permanently in HP-16C mode, both always ready to use at a moment's notice without losing all your programs and data and without wasting time performing tedious backup procedures before the switcheroo.

Matter of fact, to put my money where my mouth is, I'm getting my second unit precisely for that very purpose (and also to play it safe in case something would happen to my first one, perish the thought ! ). Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow from The Calculator Store.

Besides, come to think of it, people here often express their desire for the release of an HP-16C "Collector's Edition", incredibly fast and with vastly increased memory, which would allow e.g. programming the six trig functions, exp, log, y^x, all of them executing almost instantly and with plenty of program memory to spare.

Well, with the overlay in place this is it !

Since you can download the firmware, then upload again, is there anything preventing you from downloading the HP-15C Collector’s Edition firmware, then uploading to a HP-12C Platinum? If you are using the 16C overlay, it should not matter if the keys under the overlay are the 12C keys…. Is there any difference in speed between the 12C and 12C platinum if the 15C firmware is uploaded? Can this even be done?

I have ordered the cable from TheCalculatorStore.com and am excited about the possibilities!

I also have the HP-15C LE and wish I could upgrade the firmware, but don’t have the correct cable nor the required software and files…

[ctrclckws]

(11-14-2023 05:52 AM)SamB Wrote:  Since you can download the firmware, then upload again, is there anything preventing you from downloading the HP-15C Collector’s Edition firmware, then uploading to a HP-12C Platinum? If you are using the 16C overlay, it should not matter if the keys under the overlay are the 12C keys…. Is there any difference in speed between the 12C and 12C platinum if the 15C firmware is uploaded? Can this even be done?

I have ordered the cable from TheCalculatorStore.com and am excited about the possibilities!

I also have the HP-15C LE and wish I could upgrade the firmware, but don’t have the correct cable nor the required software and files…

I believe the 12C Platinum is 6502 CPU based. I think you would need a recent 12C, to get the correct hardware.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(11-01-2023 05:24 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  NB: The HP-16C is one of very few calculators that I don't have in my collection yet. Because I missed some opportunities 20 years ago (I was very arrogant then regarding calculators and wouldn't touch anything that did not glow in the dark) and now prices have risen to a level that far exceeds my allowance for unnecessary toys...

Normally I would not quote myself, but because of some strange coincidence, within less than a week, I was able to fill two of the few remaning gaps in my HP calculator collection. Not cheap but not insanely expensive either. The HP-16C in the picture below is in very nice condition and came with box and manual for less than another 15C-CE with overlay and bug eradication service would have cost me.
So now I really don't know what to do about the 15C-LE - spend more money on it an remove the bug or leave it as it is? Bug infested Calculators have a very special charm about them as shown by the other calculator in the photograph...

Regards
Max

Edit: I downsized the image due to an (anonymous) user request. It was my mistake for which I apologise, because I assumed, from other fora I frequently visit and where I post more pictures than here, the the forum software would somehow adjust the picture size.

[Didier Lachieze]

A nice Red Dot ! What’s the serial number ?

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(11-16-2023 08:40 PM)Didier Lachieze Wrote:  A nice Red Dot ! What’s the serial number ?

2719 - I had long ago given up every hope to ever find an affordable one, but "hope dies last" as an old german proverb says (die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt). It is in good general shape but the lettering around the power switch is almost completely worn away, espescially the "ON" label.

Regards
Max

[Sylvain Cote]

(11-16-2023 09:20 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  

(11-16-2023 08:40 PM)Didier Lachieze Wrote:  A nice Red Dot ! What’s the serial number ?

2719

This one is not listed on Michael Eckstein's HP-35 Version 1- Red Dot web page.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(11-16-2023 10:08 PM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  This one is not listed on Michael Eckstein's HP-35 Version 1- Red Dot web page.

According to the seller, it was self-imported from the U.S. in 1972. Someone replaced the battery cells with "Cadnica" ones, incidentally the same brand that came with my first "Privileg" calculator in 1975 or 76. I will contact Michael Eckstein to include it in his list!

Regards
Max

[Eddie W. Shore]

Where do you find the updated patch to download? Just want to be sure before I spend $40-$50 to get buy the cable needed?

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(11-17-2023 02:53 AM)Eddie W. Shore Wrote:  Where do you find the updated patch to download? Just want to be sure before I spend $40-$50 to get buy the cable needed?

As I understand it, after having read every single post in this thread of 34 pages (and growing!), you perform the patch yourself. With the aid of the cable you can download the firmware of your calculator to a computer. Once there, you use a HEX editor to alter the contents of three memory locations. Which ones and to what can be found in post #643.

The question is: How often and on how many calculators do you intend to perform this operation? At least one of the resellers of the HP-15C CE now offers a patching service which costs considerably less than the cable, basically the shipping fees. So if it is only for one calculator it will be cheaper and safer (one can actually brick the calculator with a failed update) to get it done.

Regards
Max

[Divasson]

As a comment to Herr Hohmann's post - these units are much more resistant to bricking than the previous LE model. So far I have patched around 30 units with no problem whatsoever, while all but one of my LEs ended up bricked over time. Same with wp34s...Also the process is much simpler.

(This also implies that I have tested all 30 machines. Just one had small erasures on the bezel - which I have kept for myself. I have come to the opinion that these are not caused at the factory, but during transport, by the constant contact of the box plastic with the bezel + some vibration. Just a 2mm deeper well for the calculator in the box would save most of the problems. Keyboard-wise all but one passed the keyboard test on first try; that one passed it on the second test after some exercising of the offending key (no more than 10-15 key presses). To be fair, this test does not catch repeating keys, just missing keys.)

[ebs]

(11-17-2023 11:32 AM)Divasson Wrote:  (This also implies that I have tested all 30 machines. Just one had small erasures on the bezel - which I have kept for myself. I have come to the opinion that these are not caused at the factory, but during transport, by the constant contact of the box plastic with the bezel + some vibration. Just a 2mm deeper well for the calculator in the box would save most of the problems.

Mine also came with a couple of very small scratches on the bezel, but are so small (1mm at most) that I don't care.