why would they put the math feature firmware on the main board and then not turn it on until you bought the extra back side module?
Well, to get you to buy that module of course !
You need the module anyway to implement the physical part of the interface, i.e give you a connector to plug your GPIB or serial or // cable to !
The details of the implementation of the F/W is only HP's business and engineering decisions, customer should not have to care or know about it.
Want GPIB ? Buy GPIB module Sir ! The technical details you don't need to know !
(edit either way.....the extra feature firmware is in rom somewhere and not in nvram. so i am not gonna try to dissect those damn things and wire in external batteries)
Exactly ! That's the main point to take away I think ! We now know neiother of these two NVRAM hold any critical / snesitive stuff, so we don't care if the batteries go out !
Only need to worry about it if you want your data to be preserved.
am looking forward to someone reading the data off those chips (not me!) and deciding this issue.
Would love to that, and there is a GPIB module for sale here, but priced at 60 Euros + shipping, it's not going to happen !!!
Dragon likes to tinker, he will read his EPROM chip from his module.
Actually I am extremely surprised that the HPAK guys on their forum have not already read every EPROM there is in all the module sand scopes available ?!
Well maybe they have, I don't know I have not researched, I am not subscribe to their forum, well I guess there are more than one as well, doesn't help...