Yes, I said I did a hard reset. Control @ and entered the new time,etc and pressed ENTER and verified that all my programs were gone. But, even with no BASIC ROMs in the HX-20, it still gives me the BASIC and Monitor options AND I can select either one. I even entered a BASIC program and executed it (all without the BASIC ROMs installed) Wierd!
When you did the reset, did you do ALL of the reset? I take it you pressed the reset button, but then to reinitialize the memory you have to press "control @" while in the menu. You then enter time and date and all RAM gets wiped and ROM reloaded.
Mike Davis wrote:
Nope! No manufacturers mark. Only the numbers given beow and a date code like A27 119.
But like I said, I have two HX-20. One has the BASIC ROMs, the other has 27C64 EPROMs. I just can't read the BASIC ROMs into my Data I/O PROM Programmer. Not sure of family/pin code. I have tried all of the 8K codes, with no luck.
I also tried swapping them (not sway :-) but there appears to be something else at play here that I'm not familar with. When I pull all of the BASIC ROMs, the system still runs BASIC (with no ROMs at all). Only way I can see this is if there was some code pulled from ROM and resident in the HX-20. Epson did this with the PX-8 but there is no mention in the manual and I can't force a reload.
I'm asking some HX-20 experts but have not heard back yet.
Is there a manufacturers mark on these ROMs? Is it possible they are Motorola? Motorola had some ideas about Eprom/Rom compatibility that wasn't shared by Intel and others and Motorolas' design did not catch on. Motorola was (it seems) more aligned with TI in those days (both from Texas?) and were also making 2564's that have a different select pinout than 2764s. Do the 2764 Eproms work in the board that has these mystery ROMs?
On another note, I hope it isn't too hot where you are - you mention swaying the ROMs and I'd hate to think you were succumbing to the weather... ;-) Heatstroke? (going back into hiding...)
John:-#)#
At 08:12 AM 22/06/2002 -0700, Mike Davis wrote:
Like I said below: EPSON BASIC1R0 M64020AA EPSON BASIC1R0 M64021AA EPSON BASIC1R0 M64022AA EPSON BASIC1R0 M64023AA
The other writing is simply date code information.
The thing is, like I have said, I have a 2nd HX-20 that has 27C64s installed. So, I was going to copy the BASIC to 27c64s and use in the 2nd unit to have a BASIC machine.
Someone suggested that the masked ROMs might have some sort of special non-standard select method within the ROMs. But if that was the case, the 27C64 wouldn't work, unless there was some difference in the board (No PALs on this board). I'm going to disassemble it today and see if the 2nd unit has some rewired ROMs.
But, I have a 2nd problem that I'm trying to work off of this board. I pulled the BASIC ROMs from the 1st unit and performed a hard reset, clearing RAM. Still ran BASIC and the monitor program that were supposed to be in ROM (ROMs were completely out of the system).
I was going to simply sway ROMS and see if they worked in the other system but for some reason, the systems behave the same, regardless of which set of ROMs is in either machine.
I thought perhaps the program is loaded into resident memory but the manuals don't mention this and I don't know how to force a reload. I know their other machine, PX-8, behaved this way.
Is there any common numbering on the masked parts that might give a clue as to what they REALLY are?
Mike Davis wrote:
That was the first thing I tried. It read in all blank. That is the problem that I'm trying to resolve.
> If 2764s are known to work just read the ROMs as 2764s. > > > Mike Davis wrote: > > > > I have verified that I can read and write other 27c64s > > and I also tried swapping ROMS however there is another > > small glitch. > > > > Apparently the HX-20 runs the programs out of RAM. I > > guess it loads from PROM and runs from RAM. I removed > > all of the BASIC ROMs and performed a hard reset and > > when it comes back, it's still running BASIC, without > > the BASIC ROMs even installed. Wierd! > > > > I have looked through the manuals to try and find a way > > to force a reload but no go (so far). I might try > > removing the internal batteries and see what happens. > > > > The manual also mentions that one can use 27C64s in the > > HX-20. There may also be one other thing that is causing > > the problem. I am trying to read the ROMS using > > family/pin codes for other ROMS. I don't find that part > > number and have tried a number of other 8K ROM fam/pin > > codes and none give me anything but blank loads. > > > > Perhaps that is part of the problem? > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > Verify that you can read another 2764 (incase you have > > > reader problems). > > > > > > Can you swap the 2764 for the Masked ROMs & work > > > without changing jumpers/settings/wiring? > > > > > > I see there are a few HX-20 collectors on the net, > > > they may be more informed. > > > > > > Kev > > > > > > > > > > > I think I understand what you are saying. I'm sure > > > > they are Masked ROMS or at least that would make > > > > sense. They are a 4 chip chipset with numbers: > > > > EPSON BASIC1R0 M64020AA to M65023AA. > > > > > > > > The thing is however, that in identical machines, > > > > the other EPROMS are 27C64 so the pinout would seem > > > > to have to be the same or the EPROMS would not work > > > > right in the other identical machines, would they? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >