HP PCMCIA Card - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 11:31:20 pm
content: I would like to be able to read a PC card for a HP 8935 service monitor. Would HP iBasic work?I cannot seem to unzip the HP Basic file from HP Computer museum. I thought that might work to view the files.I do have a very working old Laptop with windows 3.1 and a PCMCIA portAny Suggestions??Wally KC9INK

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 11:36:46 pm
content: Are those cards even regular flash? You can get PCMCIA type I cards that are SRAM and linear flash which you need to handle differently.Link to the HP iBasic file?

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 11:40:43 pm
content: Thanks for respondingI believe they are flashHere is the link:http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?sw=441Wally KC9INK

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 11:52:49 pm
content: That file extracts okay for me with the built-in ZIP functionality in Windows. I get 28 compressed files as part of a Windows installer.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 12:00:12 am
content: Bonus if the 8935 can read a DOS format. For my 8920B it has pcmcia linear flash. You can read/write the entire card at once with a compatible pccard slot and an old windows program called Memory Card Explorer.Reading is easy, writing requires 12 volts on the write protect pin which very few machines support.edit - pretty sure the 8935 is linear flash/sram only (same as the 8920B) and as such no PC will natively read/write to the card like more modern memory. You will need to use MCE.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 02:20:27 pm
content: Very interesting...OK can I get a copy of Memory Card Explorer and will it work on my old laptop with windows 3.1There appear to be free downloads but are any reliable?Wally KC9INK

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 02:37:35 pm
content: I also get 28 compressed files However I do not think I can get them to work without LaTexWally

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 06:02:49 pm
content: Quote from: Wallace Gasiewicz on December 14, 2018, 02:37:35 pmIs that what the installer is complaining about and refusing to install? I find it odd if so.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 06:10:03 pm
content: What minimum version of the OS does that version of MCE require? Win 3.1 is pretty old and MCE may not install under it.Is your card an HP card? Other brands may not work. Also is it SRAM or Flash. If SRAM then it will almost certainly have a door on it access a button battery, Flash card won't have a door. Flash PCMCIA cards will NOT work in any equipment that's intended to use SRAM. My experience with a bunch of leCroy scopes, an old HP SA and some NV gear and they all required SRAM cards and Flash would NOT work in any of them.Does your HP 8935 have an option setting to save files in an ASCII, text or other computer readable form instead of the HP tokenized file format?

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 06:11:52 pm
content: I've only used it with WinXP myself.And it only read/writes images from what I recall, you don't see individual files or anything.I used to to backup/restore firmware images and to copy the rftools app to my 8920B.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:12:25 pm
content: OKTalking about iBASIC. it will not install using SETUP on my windows 7 machineversion of i BASIC not compatible with version of windows I am running (or so it says)Having trouble loading it onto my old windows 3.1 machineWally

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:47:49 pm
content: Quote from: Wallace Gasiewicz on December 14, 2018, 07:12:25 pmIf your PC is running a 64 bit version of Windows 7 then it isn't compatible with old Win16 apps. I'm uncertain if this copy of IBASIC is even any use for you.Quote from: Wallace Gasiewicz on December 14, 2018, 07:12:25 pmYou need to actually say what happens instead of just saying it doesn't work with no explanation. We're not mind readers.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:53:31 pm
content: And maybe let us know specifically what it is you're trying to do with the 8935/files.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 10:58:17 pm
content: Thought I told you it said that the program was incompatible with my version of windows. Then it said windows 32 o r 64. I suppose this means that the program is 16 and won't work.However I did get it loaded on the old PC running windows 3.1, I actually boots,Unable to read the card though, Syst system error unable to read from F.Wally