Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Looking for GEM (Baldwin) RP-200 update board

I recently acquired a second hand GEM RP-200, still running the original version 1.0 firmware. This firmware can be updated through an eprom-board that slots into the main board. From v2 upwards it can be updated through the serial port.

So I'm looking for the upgrade board that will take it to v2.0.

I have been trying local GEM service centres, but got nowhere. One even replied they used to have these boards but got rid of them. You'd expect these to be small enough to keep in store forever, especially if you still provide GEM service and repairs!

Anyway, if anyone knows a potential source for these upgrade boards I'd be very glad to hear. I'm in The Netherlands, and obviously it would be easiest if the board could come to the piano instead of the other way round...

I would be happy with pics of the pcb and a dump of the eprom as well. That would allow me to recreate the board.

Here is the Service manual for the RP220 (Rp200), which has instruction for updates, the part number for the board and schematics. The password is 2571

http://www.generalmusic.us/GEMFiles/Service/Gem/Digital_Pianos/270247-RP220.pdf

GEM is gone, and I don't thing anyone out there had a chance to save a cache of parts. I'm still looking for eprom files for my PRO2. Good Luck!

If you have it open, be sure to check the condition of the Battery. They can leak very badly and ruin the CPU board. If you have soldering experience, you can replace the NiCd with a Varta 3.6 80MaH NiMh or equivalent. Not sure though if taking out the battery will affect Rom data, usually it is just for user data back-up.

BTW, here is what happened to GEM. It helps if you understand Italian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEkJ6FSMoz8

Have you contacted Artie Specht from GEM service in Illinois?

I was in touch with him a month ago at this email and he still has (some) GEM parts for service.

aspecht@generalmusic.us

Sorry I'm late in replying. I had assumed the forum would mark the thread as watched automatically, but it didn't.

Thanks. I already had the service manual from another source (a paid one, sadly).

Yes I've got a bit of soldering experience. I have a small synth repair business, so this one was easy, and I did this right away. The minimum retaining voltage for the SRAM chips is 2V according to the datasheet so I opted for a socketed CR2032 instead and removed the charge circuit. Will keep for years and non-charging ones are less likely to leak.

I haven't, and I will. Thanks.