TransEra 641-RTC
The TransEra 641 Real Time Clock ROM Pack (641-RTC) is a ROM pack for the 4051 microcomputer.
Command set
| Command | Rev 1 | Rev 2 | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CALL "TIMSET", T | yes | yes | Sets the actual time. T must be a floating point number containing the count of seconds + fractions since the 01-01 of the current year. The resolution is 1/128 of a second. |
| CALL "TIMSET",T$ | yes | yes | Sets the actual date & time. T$ must be a string in the format "MM-DD-YY HH:MM:SS". The time must be always given in 24h format. |
| CALL "TIME",T | yes | yes | Returns the actual time. The result T is a floating point number and contains the count of seconds since 01-01 of the current year. The resolution is 1/128 of a second. |
| CALL "TIME",T$ | yes | yes | Returns the actual date & time. T$ contains a string in the format "WEK MM DD YY HH:MM:SS [AM/PM]". The string is formatted depending on previous calls of 24HOUR or 12HOUR. Examples: MON 07 MAR 21 4:15:20 PM MON 07 MAR 21 16:15:20 Remark: As with all 4050 RTC modules the 641-RTC is not Y2K compatible. So in this example the weekday of march, 7th, 1921 is returned. |
| CALL "CLOCK",T$ | no | yes | Same as "TIME",T$ and "TIME",T |
| CALL "PAUSE",T | yes | yes | Pauses the Program for T seconds. The parameter T must be an integer value. The maximum delay is 65535 seconds (~18hours) After the pause the program execution starts at the next line. |
| CALL "TIMER",T,L | yes | yes | Starts an asynchronous timer with the delay T and jumps to line L when the timer is done. The maximum delay is 65535 seconds (~18hours). The timer is not retriggered automatically. |
| CALL "12HOUR" | no | yes | Sets the format of the returned time strings to 12-hour format. This is the default time format after a power-cycle. |
| CALL "24HOUR" | no | yes | Sets the format of the returned time strings to 24-hour format. |
Revisions
At least 3 revisions were released. The first version came without a battery, so all time information was lost after a powercycle. The second revision added a battery for counting the seconds within the year. But the year information was still unprotected. The manual of the TransEra 741-RTC explicitly talks about a 741-RTC and a 641-RTC with identical command set. The command set in the manual differs from the command set of the units shown on this page. So a third hardware revision of the 641 should exist.
Pictures revision 1
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Label view
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Top view of PCB
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Bottom view of PCB
Pictures revision 2
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Label view - Note: The first "TIMSET"-CALL is misspelled.
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Front view
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Top view of PCB
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Bottom view of PCB
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Schematic of revision 2
Pictures revision 3
Firmware (uploaded BIN files)
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| TransEra-641-RTC-1978.bin (?) | Original Firmware revision 1978 |
| TransEra-641-RTC-1984.bin (?) | Original Firmware revision 1984 |
| TE-rtc-641_y2k.bin (?) | Modified 1984 Firmware for Y2k compatibility |