Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 8

Does anyone know of a way to check if my platinum has flash ROM *without* opening it up?
Even if there's no way to check directly, does there seem to be any consistency between the date purchased/serial number and whether or not the platinum has the correct chip?

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Manchester, England
Posts: 83

probably not...yet =)

I would think all the programs utilizes FlashROM are used for flash that are already being used by the system, but not for detecting unused ones. I don't know much about how this works, so I don't know if someone might be able to develop some sort of software to detect the ones we found in our Visors. I'm not so sure about the serial numbers cuz ppl probably don't want to post their no. on this kinda popular board. And I yet to discover anyone who's got the same AMD flashROM as me, since everyoneelse found it has said they had Hyundai ones. Think about it, it might be a prob even someone figured out how to utilize them, I might need a different version of whatever may be developed.... =(

__________________
Always have my Visor with me...... =)

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 54

Just opened my Prism and found the following chip:

SAMSUNG 025
K4E6616120-TL60
UEE 302CA KOREA

Maybe that helps the discussion and I got to open it (was looking for an excuse anyway)

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

I still think folks are getting way too excited by this..

I think if these units were in fact *user* flash upgradeable, handspring certainly would have made it a (big) point to list it as a feature.. I know LOTS of folks wanted this on the Visor Deluxe. I was thinking, it may be there in the event you send you unit back to be replaced, that way they can "flash" update the recycled rom/system board at the factory if need be (so to speak). Unless you go the Japanese hack way and have a Handspring compatible OS version, I doubt you and I will ever be able to upgrade the OS. I could be wrong, but this seems to make the most sense to me. (honestly I hope yo can upgrade it)..

- Eric

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

quote:

---

Originally posted by nightingales
Just opened my Prism and found the following chip:

SAMSUNG 025
K4E6616120-TL60
UEE 302CA KOREA

Maybe that helps the discussion and I got to open it (was looking for an excuse anyway)

---

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

Still really doesn't mean anything...

If they didn't enable (all) the correct lines to the chip on the system board, it might as well be a true ROM chip, you won't be able to modify it's contents short of hacking your Visor's system board and adding the extra lines and/or control chips and other support components to make the flash chip write enabled. Even if you get that far, without a Handspring optimized version of Palm OS you are dead in the water.. You'll have to lift that from another Handspring Visor that has the OS you want, (and hopefully nothing changed between models i.e. Prism's USB vs Deluxe's USB circuits) is different.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 54

quote:

---

Originally posted by MPM


That is the RAM chip, and the correct part number is K4E661612D-TL60.

---

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Houston
Posts: 1

Well, I opened my Plat. visor I got last Wednesday from Amazon. It had E2 written on the ROM chip. Underneath was the following:

Toshiba 51538V
JAPAN 9931HAK
TC58FVB160 FT-10

I checked Toshiba's site and found that this chip is a flash rom.

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

EVERYONE PLEASE!

EVERYONE PLEASE!

I have a STRONG feeling that people who have OS 3.5.2h2 burned into ROM have flash, where peopel who have OS 3.5.2h1 DO NOT!

What OS is BURNED into all you people's ROM?

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-miradu

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Deep Space.
Posts: 76

Hmmmm. My three week old Visor Platinum reports via Info|Version that I have 'Palm OS software v.3.5.2.H1' but I have physically verified that I have a Hyundai HY29LV160BT-90W flash ROM chip.

Where did you get v.3.5.2.H2? Handspring offers an upgrade from v.3.5.2.H to v.3.5.2.H1 on their web site at http://www.handspring.com/support/t...11_readme.jhtml
but no mention of H2.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 54

I would also love to know if there is an H2 version out there... no mention of it on Handspring's site.

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</font></B><BR><FONT face="verdana,arial,helvetica" size="1" >It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, a half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. - Hit it.</font>

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 2

Visor Prism ROM?

I ventured to open my Prism, looking for my type of ROM. Following previous threads, I looked at the chips sandwiched between the LCD and the board. Found three Texas Instrument 16 bit i/o contollers, a Phillips USB interface chip, an Epson LCD controller. Also a chip that reads:
hdspring
11-0075-00RevA
Thai 0442BFF

I do not know what this ROM or not, whether flashable or otherwise. Does anyone know what it is? If its not the ROM, where is my ROM?

BTW-I bought my VPR from Amazon on 12-05-00.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 39

allrighty. ill open up my plat, which was preordered from handspring the day it came out, if someone tells me how. ive got no problem getting the screws out, but then what? just pry it apart?

also, ive tried palmos 4.0 and its nice, but not a major look and feel improvement. just that there is different file system support and things like that. if you were to somehow reflash your visor, if it even worked and installed, you would most likely loose springboard functionality and other minor things.

hmmm, when someone gets an edge, could they check it?

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 39

oh, if someone im's me the instructions, ill do it tonight

AIM: NtEon

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 39

okokok. just opened it myself.

there was one chip that had this :
R27V1602E

anyone know if its flash ram or not? there was a samsung chip next to it...

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

Re: EVERYONE PLEASE!

quote:

---

Originally posted by miradu2000


I have a STRONG feeling that people who have OS 3.5.2h2 burned into ROM have flash, where peopel who have OS 3.5.2h1 DO NOT!

---

__________________
-miradu

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: mass
Posts: 56

bpowers:

bpowers-

I think you've got one time programmable rom, not flash, in your visor. I don't know the manufacturer designated by the leading "r" in your part number, but I am almost certain that the "27" indicates UV-EPROM. The part that you saw is OTP only because they don't bother to put in a window to allow ultraviolet light to erase the chip.

All indications are that handspring has used various memory technologies to give them flexibility in manufacturing. This way they could order parts well in advance and tweak the OS "up to the last minute". OTP allows them to program the parts just before soldering them to boards. Flash is even better: solder the parts to the boards first, inventory the boards, and only program them when you are about to assemble/package the product.

Regardless of why handspring might have used flash rom, it is increasingly clear that some prisms and plats have it and some don't. My prism has flash, bpowers plat does not.

This is bad news for bpowers, and bad news for everyone hoping that our plats and prisms are flash upgradable. I doubt that handspring would ever issue flashable OS upgrades for the lucky ones with flash roms because it would just cause too much confusion. They might have if we all had 29 series flash chips. Seeing as we don't, I doubt they ever will. I guess this explains why they never bragged about having flash roms in these units. It was never intended to be a feature for the end user, only a convenience for engineering and manufacturing.

Last edited by pjs on 03-14-2001 at 11:57 PM

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 2

Flash Rom?

1. How do I find out what version of 3.5.2, whether H1 or H2, I am running on my Prism?

2. When I opened my Prism, I saw two cartoon caricatures on the board, with the name Boxster. Anyone have any what this means? (possible code name for Prism in development?)

3. Instructions to take the Prism apart.
To take the Prims apart, there are six screws on the back, four in plain sight, two in the Springboard slot, at the top near the outside edge. First of all, back everything up, as you are about to perform a hard reset. Next, use the screwdriver in the back part of the stylus to remove the screws. The two halves of the case will be held together by several tabs on both sides; using a very small flat screwdriver (I used a nail file that came with my very small pocket knife), pop one side open (just enough to fit the tip of the screwdriver). Do the same on the other side. Now the rear half of the case should lift easily off, but be careful as the battery and speaker are glued to the rear half, and plug into the board on the front half (you don't want to rip the cables out). Unplug the speaker and battery from the board (this is the hard reset). At this point you should see the Dragonball chip, and the RAM chip below it.


Next, note the two thick wires coming from the LCD screen and plugging into the board (the board says high voltage, which is why the battery needs to be unplugged). There is a piece of sponge (at least in my Prism) securing the two halves of the plug together. Gently peel off the sponge from the part of the plug that connects to the wires (and leave it stuck to the part that stays on the board). Unplug the LCD wires. The only thing holding the board to the case are two plastic stems at the top of the board , and a hard connector at the bottom connecting the circuit board for the buttons to the main board. If you gently separate the main board from the button circuit board, you will find they separate easily. The main board also lifts of the plastic stems at the top with ease.

At this point, you are ready to peek on the reverse side of the board, where the LCD, USB, I\O, and ROM chips are located. Before flipping the board, note that you still have flat ribbon cabling coming from the LCD screen to the board. In my case, I did not remove them, but peeked underneath by lifting the board with care so as to not strain the flat ribbon wires. If you allow yourself sufficient room, you will see several chips. The largest one (at least in my case) is the EPSON LCD contoller chip. Near it, and possibly the second largest chip, is the ROM chip. Per other posts some ROM chips have a white E or E2 scribbled on the chip. Mine had a black E written on a chip that I believe to be the ROM chip, but am unsure (see my prior post), as it made no reference to Hyundai, AMD, OKI or any other brand.

By the way, I found that everything came apart with relative ease and little force necessary. So be patient and gentle, and you should get to where you need without any damage. Also, while I did not have one handy, small needlenose pliers will help unplug the LCD wires from the board, which is probably the hardest thing to unplug.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 103

So people what we've got here is a differience of opinion between the manufacturing dep. at handspring and the marketing Jackholes the try to sell people on the idea that flash is unimportained. Thats pretty funny now that I think of it.

__________________
Bane

Evil Geniuses kick ass.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

My replacement Prism that arrived a few days ago has the following chip in it :

HYUNDAI KOREA
HY29LV(16)0BT-90W
0045A

the number 16 in parens was covered by a blue dot of paint. I think I agree witht he people who have said this chip is not user accessible. I believe this because the Prism I was shipped came with the 1.1 Update preinstalled on it. Since when I tried to use my backup module to restore the info from my old Prism, the backup app said it couldn't replace the update since it was in use. Maybe it was preinstalled, or maybe it was in the Flash.. Don't know.

I originally bought my Prism from handspring, I live in North Western USA. I thought only overseas people were getting it originally