Looking for data formate for Rate Proms for pitney bowes postal scale

[Dave]

I bought a Pitney Bowes A510 digital scale on Ebay originally just to
use it for weighing shipments to calculate by hand what the postage
should be (goes up to 10 pounds in 0.1oz increments).

However this scale has a built in price calculator - it'll show what
the $$ should be to ship something. Problem is the rates are not
updated ( for example first class 1 oz is $0.33 instead of $0.37). It
would be nice to use this function.

Rates are stored on a pluggable card containing a 27c64 ROM chip.
I've dumped the code, looked at it in a hex editor but don't know what
bytes to change, where the checksum is stored, etc.

Anyone have a current hexdump of the rate prom from a Pitney Bowes
A510 or similar scale? Or know how the data is arranged so I know
what bytes to change to update to the current postage rate?

TIA
Dave

 

[NSM]

| I bought a Pitney Bowes A510 digital scale on Ebay originally just to
| use it for weighing shipments to calculate by hand what the postage
| should be (goes up to 10 pounds in 0.1oz increments).
|
| However this scale has a built in price calculator - it'll show what
| the $$ should be to ship something. Problem is the rates are not
| updated ( for example first class 1 oz is $0.33 instead of $0.37). It
| would be nice to use this function.
|
| Rates are stored on a pluggable card containing a 27c64 ROM chip.
| I've dumped the code, looked at it in a hex editor but don't know what
| bytes to change, where the checksum is stored, etc.
|
| Anyone have a current hexdump of the rate prom from a Pitney Bowes
| A510 or similar scale? Or know how the data is arranged so I know
| what bytes to change to update to the current postage rate?

You can't buy the upgrade chip?

If I had to do this, I would substitute an sram chip configured to look like
the eprom, then try changing bytes and see what affects what. Pain to do,
but unless you can analyse the rest of the system I see no other way to do
it.

N

 

[Franc Zabkar]

I bought a Pitney Bowes A510 digital scale on Ebay originally just to
use it for weighing shipments to calculate by hand what the postage
should be (goes up to 10 pounds in 0.1oz increments).

However this scale has a built in price calculator - it'll show what
the $$ should be to ship something. Problem is the rates are not
updated ( for example first class 1 oz is $0.33 instead of $0.37). It
would be nice to use this function.

Rates are stored on a pluggable card containing a 27c64 ROM chip.
I've dumped the code, looked at it in a hex editor but don't know what
bytes to change, where the checksum is stored, etc.

Anyone have a current hexdump of the rate prom from a Pitney Bowes
A510 or similar scale? Or know how the data is arranged so I know
what bytes to change to update to the current postage rate?

TIA
Dave

I'd be interesting in looking at the hex dump. You would need to
provide a list of the scale's rate data, though.


- Franc Zabkar

 

[Franc Zabkar]

| I bought a Pitney Bowes A510 digital scale on Ebay originally just to
| use it for weighing shipments to calculate by hand what the postage
| should be (goes up to 10 pounds in 0.1oz increments).
|
| However this scale has a built in price calculator - it'll show what
| the $$ should be to ship something. Problem is the rates are not
| updated ( for example first class 1 oz is $0.33 instead of $0.37). It
| would be nice to use this function.
|
| Rates are stored on a pluggable card containing a 27c64 ROM chip.
| I've dumped the code, looked at it in a hex editor but don't know what
| bytes to change, where the checksum is stored, etc.
|
| Anyone have a current hexdump of the rate prom from a Pitney Bowes
| A510 or similar scale? Or know how the data is arranged so I know
| what bytes to change to update to the current postage rate?

You can't buy the upgrade chip?

If I had to do this, I would substitute an sram chip configured to look like
the eprom, then try changing bytes and see what affects what.

How would you modify the contents of an SRAM while it is in circuit?

I'd use a flash memory device instead.


- Franc Zabkar

 

[NSM]

| How would you modify the contents of an SRAM while it is in circuit?
|
| I'd use a flash memory device instead.

That'd work, but you can buy or make an adaptor with an SRAM which lets you
download updates from a computer without unplugging. Some models have the
SRAM off board and just connect via a cable. You need to tweak one byte at a
time to see what it changes, or note a particular 'weight/price' and find
out which bytes affect it.

N

 

[Dave]

Rate chips are ~$200, at least that's what I've been able to determine
regarding their pricing for other countries. In the US they just say
that "rate prom upgrades are free when you have an active pitney bowes
service contract".

I changed 2 bytes of data, burned another Eprom and plugged it in but
upon powerup I got an error message. There must be a checksum burned
in there.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Rate chips are ~$200, at least that's what I've been able to determine
regarding their pricing for other countries. In the US they just say
that "rate prom upgrades are free when you have an active pitney bowes
service contract".

I changed 2 bytes of data, burned another Eprom and plugged it in but
upon powerup I got an error message. There must be a checksum burned
in there.

What was the error?

I once hacked a 386 Award BIOS that had a simple zero checksum. If
yours is of this type, then locate an innocuous text string (eg the
copyright notice) and change one of those bytes to return the checksum
to zero, or whatever it was.


- Franc Zabkar

 

[NSM]

| Rate chips are ~$200, at least that's what I've been able to determine
| regarding their pricing for other countries. In the US they just say
| that "rate prom upgrades are free when you have an active pitney bowes
| service contract".
|
| I changed 2 bytes of data, burned another Eprom and plugged it in but
| upon powerup I got an error message. There must be a checksum burned
| in there.

I assume the idea of analysing the rest of the circuit is unprofitable? Can
you post a hex dump of the ROM somewhere? Some of us are good at guessing.

N

 

[Dave]

Sure, once I figure out where. I didn't see a binaries newsgroup
related to this one to post it in.

 

[NSM]

| Sure, once I figure out where. I didn't see a binaries newsgroup
| related to this one to post it in.

Try to find a really quiet one if you can and post a pointer to it or post
it on a website. I've looked at a lot of hex dumps myself and may be able to
give you some pointers if they haven't been to clever.

Also, post as much info as you can, i.e. what weights vs. what $$ the scale
currently computes.

N

 

[PJ]

I bought a Pitney Bowes A510 digital scale on Ebay originally just to
use it for weighing shipments to calculate by hand what the postage
should be (goes up to 10 pounds in 0.1oz increments).

However this scale has a built in price calculator - it'll show what
the $$ should be to ship something. Problem is the rates are not
updated ( for example first class 1 oz is $0.33 instead of $0.37). It
would be nice to use this function.

Rates are stored on a pluggable card containing a 27c64 ROM chip.
I've dumped the code, looked at it in a hex editor but don't know what
bytes to change, where the checksum is stored, etc.

Anyone have a current hexdump of the rate prom from a Pitney Bowes
A510 or similar scale? Or know how the data is arranged so I know
what bytes to change to update to the current postage rate?

TIA
Dave

Hi Dave: Don't know if it would help you, I have a scale rate module p/n N582000-x.
Firmware 06130211 Effective 30JUN02 Model N500. This one has a flash chip on it...Paul

 

[NSM]

|
| Hi Dave: Don't know if it would help you, I have a scale rate module p/n
N582000-x.
| Firmware 06130211 Effective 30JUN02 Model N500. This one has a flash chip
on it...Paul

Comparing the two hex dumps (if different) would give a lot of pointers as
to what is where.

N

 

[Dave]

Sorry guys, posting Pitney Bowes rate PROM firmware on the net gave me
cold feet. I'm betting they have some rules against that.

Dave

 

[NSM]

| Sorry guys, posting Pitney Bowes rate PROM firmware on the net gave me
| cold feet. I'm betting they have some rules against that.

Use an anonymizer then.

N