[FRAM71] Pre-Production Batch

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

(02-22-2015 06:30 PM)Hans Brueggemann Wrote:  dave, thanks for the feedback, that's great news!


5) afaik, bob had the idea to run an image of the HPILROM in FRAM71 to overcome the bugs found in HPILROM 1A. although the image runs fine, it can't "talk" to the IL-processor of the HPIL-module, probably because the module is locking the mailbox area to the processor. i tried to disable the ROM of the module by disconnecting it from DIN, but that disabled the IL-processor as well. question to the hardware guys 'n gals here: is there a way to only disconnect the ROM inside the HPIL-module from DIN and keep the processor connected?

hans

Unfortunately you cannot just disconnect DIN as you noted above it is still required to assign I/O addresses to the interface hardware. I have seen the inside of the module however I don't remember if there was an obvious separation between the ROM and the HPIL interface hardware and if it where, it would require some delicate and possibly irreversible surgery. It is very likely that the ROM in the module uses chips of the same design as the system ROMs and as such would have a facility to disable them and it may even be accessible either as a pad on the modules board or may even be brought out to the OD pin on the module. Even if it was brought out there it would not normally contact anything as the connector pad for OD at the HPIL position is located behind all the other contact pad.

If your replacement ROM was configured ahead of the ROM in the HPIL module, then the keywords in the replacement ROM would be found ahead of the original always, this is why the manual for the dual adapter advises you to put the newest version of the module in the bottom slot of the dual adapter. The problem is the FRAM is installed in the card reader port so will always be found after the HPIL module.