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Reward $50 for HP/Agilent E4916A Upgrade/Firmware/Software
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Hugoneus:
So, Keysight support has no info on this instrument anymore...

Here is the photo of the board. The file I posted earlier is the content of the EPROM which is missing from the board right now (the PLCC socket). That is the bootloader as pointed out earlier.

There are 4 FLASH ICs also on the board, plus two SRAMs. But I could not find any other memory. Perhaps the options and firmware are stored in the FLASH memory together?

If anyone can crack this bad boy, I will include the instructions in the video about the unit and of course send you $50.   :popcorn:
Hugoneus:
A few additional points:

There is a VEE software which is used for upgrading the firmware, configuration and (I assume) applying options, like Option 010 which is the LCR mode. However, that software is nowhere to be found. It uses the GPIB port.

But it should be possible in theory to upgrade the unit through the GPIB port...  :-//
Hugoneus:
I bought some sockets to look at the data through the flash memory and maybe download the content.

Has anyone had any luck with this?
picburner:
I have read the service manual and it says that the calibration/configuration data are stored in the flash memory.
So there are no other memories to look for.
The temporary data is stored in the two SRAMs, probably powered by the Supercap near the 10MHz TXCO.

The code that allows you to update the firmware (instrument side) is found in the BootRom AM27C1024. This code takes care of loading the firmware into RAM via GPIB (I suppose in more steps since the ram is smaller than the Flash), erase the flash and rewrite it.
One could study the code contained in the BootRom to write a Python program that does this job on modern computer.
Always reading the manual, I read that the original program only runs on the VEE 3.21 version, therefore an additional complication.

If you want to read the contents of the Flash memories without unsoldering them, you could try to keep the cpu in reset state and read the memories
connecting to the data/address buses as long as the hardware configuration allows it (CS/WR/OE signals should also go IDLE).
free_electron:
if it as a VEE program tht will be hard to find. you will either need a 9000 series computer running hp/ux or a windows NT 3.51 , maybe a windows 2000 box . good luck finding the vee runtime.
i scanned all the backups i have from the old FTP site and website and could not find anything for those machines (15 and 16).
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