SwissMicros Calculator Forum

This latest update to both the DMCP and DM42/Free42 parts of the DM42's firmware brings the following improvements:

• DMCP-3.12
  • Firmware update from FAT - doesn't wait for key press after successful flashing
  • RESET+[+] jumps directly to MSC mode (checks for firmware and keymap file and installs them without confirmation)
  • Support for reset.bmp (loaded from /reset.bmp)
  • (Devel) System keymap support (loaded from /keymap.bin)
  • (Testing) "System->Power OFF mode" menu item
  • DMY/MDY switch on date setting screen
• DM42-3.12
  • Update Free42 core to 2.0.22
  • Fixed message font size (earlier followed font size of topmost register)
  • Fixed missing pixels (as reported in EEVblog #1159 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ong91Ji3iDk)

Firmware update from FAT

Earlier versions of DMCP would flash firmware from a file on the FAT disk and then wait for a keypress before rebooting the DM42. There's no need to wait, the DM42 is restarted automatically now.

RESET+[+]

If there's a firmware file and/or keymap file on the FAT drive, you can have it/them flashed and loaded by holding the [+] key down while pressing the RESET button on the back of the DM42.

reset.bmp

If there's a reset.bmp file in the root of the FAT drive, it will be loaded and displayed after a RESET. This file must be in the same format as the OFFIMG files (1-bit, 400x240 Windows NT Bitmap).

keymap support

This is only used in a development environment.

Power-off mode

Offers several levels of power off with different components switched on/off. Useful for diagnosing excessive power consumption.

DMY/MDY switch

To make it easier to switch between DMY and MDY notations for dates, the "-1m" soft menu key has been removed and a "DMY" or "MDY" context-sensitive soft menu entry added on the "Settings > Set date" SETUP page.

Free42-2.0.22

Recent updates to Free42 have been rolled into the DM42. For details see Free42's history page

Message font size bug

This is a fix for the message font size bug identified by forum user pica in this forum topic: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=2081

Thanks for that, pica

Missing pixels

The bug reported in EEVblog #1159 has been fixed.

The method for updating your DM42 is covered in the manual.

The latest firmware binaries are available here.

SHA1 checksums:

• be1ef5544c5ac5aa8abab2550974a71a9c7f3474 DM42-3.12.pgm
• bce80bddcdbd68af4d924b63fff9c31231e9f1d9 DMCP_flash_3.12.bin
• cd766ea3657b25fdf35f785a2d6af5ef44378bcc DMCP_flash_3.12_DM42-3.12.bin

Smooth update, no bumps, as usual.

A couple quick questions:

1. What is MSC mode?
2. Is the purpose of showing the reset.bmp image simply to know that a reset has occurred?
3. Presumably the keymap file is to pave the way for future programs such as the WP43S, and the mapping for the DM42 has been retrofitted into DM42-3.12?

rprosperi wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:57 pm

1. What is MSC mode?

Mass Storage Class.

The DM42 basically mounts the FAT drive to look at its contents.

rprosperi wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:57 pm

2. Is the purpose of showing the reset.bmp image simply to know that a reset has occurred?

It was Michael's idea so that we can program the DM42 units with a screen saying "Thanks for purchasing this DM42. Docs are here, updates are there etc." the first time someone switches on a brand new DM42.

rprosperi wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:57 pm

3. Presumably the keymap file is to pave the way for future programs such as the WP43S, and the mapping for the DM42 has been retrofitted into DM42-3.12?

Good guess

grsbanks wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:04 pm

[*](Testing) "System->Power OFF mode" menu item

The four levels aren't documented in the manual. What are they?

Hi,

updated just a minute ago, which was an absolutely flawless process!

One very minor """"issue"""""":
The update procedure in the manual says:
Activate USB disk from DM42 program "SETUP → Files → Activate USB Disk" or directly from DMCP System menu.
Connect USB cable from DM42 to PC/Mac computer.
Copy both DMCP_flash_x.x.bin and DM42-x.x.pgm files from the PC/Mac computer to root folder of calculator disk.
Eject (safely remove) the calculator disk from PC/Mac computer. Please, be patient this can take some time. Don’t unplug USB cable until safely ejected from OS.
Calculator detects presence of new firmware file and asks for update. You can confirm it immediately or press EXIT key and activate flashing process later using "Flash firmware from FAT" either from DM42 program "SETUP → System" or directly from DMCP System menu "Enter System Menu"
Once finished the calculator resets and displays the DMCP System menu.
Choose "Load Program" and select appropriate DM42-x.x.pgm file, loading process should start
Once loaded the system should (after key-press) restart to DM42 program.

My DM42 does not automagically detect the new firmware ... I had to stop USB-drive mode by pressing EXIT before...which is not mentioned
in the manual.
Since "firmware updates" and "flashing" makes some people nervous (me included), it may be helpful to explicetly mention to stop USB drive
mode after ejecting / unmounting the drive (I flash via Linux, so "unmounting" is, what I did.

Thanks a lot for the update - will test it in the next days!
Cheers!
Meino

All is fine updating from 3.12t03; even Power OFF mode setting was retained!
Thank you.

akaTB wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:17 pm

All is fine updating from 3.12t03; even Power OFF mode setting was retained!
Thank you.

I'd love to hear more about the power off modes.

I just tested reset.bmp on the root of the FAT drive and it works as advertised.

grsbanks wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 3:11 pm

rprosperi wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:57 pm

2. Is the purpose of showing the reset.bmp image simply to know that a reset has occurred?

It was Michael's idea so that we can program the DM42 units with a screen saying "Thanks for purchasing this DM42. Docs are here, updates are there etc." the first time someone switches on a brand new DM42.

Clever!! Bravo Michael.

Of course this will lead to a whole new selection of image screens to share...

Help... I've crashed and I can't get up

Reset! Why should I reset?

Etc.

revwillie wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:34 pm

akaTB wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:17 pm

All is fine updating from 3.12t03; even Power OFF mode setting was retained!
Thank you.

I'd love to hear more about the power off modes.

I just tested reset.bmp on the root of the FAT drive and it works as advertised.

I can only report what David wrote me last october, while testing my beta unit that showed high current drain with firmwares > 3.9.
I don't know if all of this is still valid, I hope DM will soon release more info on this setting.

There is new item in System submenu "Power OFF mode". So, no need to
switch between firmwares to test different power off mode behaviors.
For you should work mode0 (which means no deep sleep for QSPI giving
~12uA sleep current) and mode1 (which corresponds to pre 3.9 fws -
which should give ~4-5uA on your machine. Modes 2 corresponds to 3.9
and further and mode 3 is very last update to mode 2 which should fix
theoretical deficiencies of mode2 and should be default in further
releases.

Note that the "Power OFF mode" values is preserved during calculator
RESETs, but is lost when battery is removed.

I am currently set @ PowerOFF mode = 1, showing the least current drain from the battery.

Hello everybody there,

I am a new happy owner (5 days only) of this DM42 fantastic tool, and my fingers know where to go by instinct. I did use the HP42s daily long time ago, but not only : I have had HP33, HP34, HP41, HP28, HP42, HP48... and now HP12Platinum & HP35s. I don't like the last two ones, as you may understand.

Yes very old machines, but I started in late 70's with a TI57, switching quickly to HP, and unable after that to use a 'mortal' tool.

So, what about the Update ?

Hem, nothing special ! All went right and I can now display the date as DMY

For the rest, I have sent an eMail to Michael thanking him to give us the chance of having such a marvelous machine, well built, very fast and easy to use.

Patrick, Tours, France