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Expanding RAM
04-24-2016, 04:17 AM
Post: #1
Expanding RAM
Just out of curiosity, has anyone considered/experimented with expanding the hardware to increase RAM? I vaguely recall someone doing this kind of thing to the HP-41C years ago (before the quad RAM modules became available). It was something like piggybacking another RAM chip onto the existing chip?

Just wondering...
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04-25-2016, 05:38 AM
Post: #2
RE: Expanding RAM
Hello,

disclaimers: - any mod will break your warranty, - I work for HP, but my post does not reflect HP, - this post in no way give you license to mod your calculator...

The ram is a GBA chip, so piggy backing most likely will not work. you would need to de-solder the current chic and resolder a new one.
My understanding is that you can find a slew of pin compatible chips that you could solder there...
What I do not know is if the Operating system can dynamicaly figure out the size of the RAM, or if it is hard codded. In the first case, it would work directly. Else you would need to do some SW work to make it work...

sorry that I can not help more...
On the plus side, with the new version of the software, you have around 18MB of RAM, which is quite a lot!

Cyrille

Although I work for the HP calculator group, the views and opinions I post here are my own. I do not speak for HP.
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04-25-2016, 07:54 AM
Post: #3
RE: Expanding RAM
(04-25-2016 05:38 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote:  Hello,

disclaimers: - any mod will break your warranty, - I work for HP, but my post does not reflect HP, - this post in no way give you license to mod your calculator...

The ram is a GBA chip, so piggy backing most likely will not work. you would need to de-solder the current chic and resolder a new one.
My understanding is that you can find a slew of pin compatible chips that you could solder there...
What I do not know is if the Operating system can dynamicaly figure out the size of the RAM, or if it is hard codded. In the first case, it would work directly. Else you would need to do some SW work to make it work...

sorry that I can not help more...
On the plus side, with the new version of the software, you have around 18MB of RAM, which is quite a lot!

Cyrille

18 or 8 MB?
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04-25-2016, 08:28 AM (This post was last modified: 04-25-2016 08:29 AM by primer.)
Post: #4
RE: Expanding RAM
(04-25-2016 07:54 AM)akmon Wrote:  18 or 8 MB?

firmware 10077 recovered 8MB, that makes now 18MB free RAM.

primer
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04-25-2016, 06:39 PM
Post: #5
RE: Expanding RAM
(04-25-2016 05:38 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote:  [...]
My understanding is that you can find a slew of pin compatible chips that you could solder there...
What I do not know is if the Operating system can dynamicaly figure out the size of the RAM, or if it is hard codded. In the first case, it would work directly. Else you would need to do some SW work to make it work...

sorry that I can not help more...
On the plus side, with the new version of the software, you have around 18MB of RAM, which is quite a lot!

Cyrille

Thank you fo your courteous insight. It is a thought to ponder. Oh for the days of socketed DILs!
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