-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
HP48 Frequently Asked Questions List (FAQ)
Andre Schoorl <aschoorl@engr.uvic.ca>
v4.62, 14 April 2000
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about HP48 calculators
______________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 This FAQ in Other Formats
1.3 Translations of this FAQ
2. Miscellaneous Questions
2.1 I'm a novice, and I have some questions. Where should I start?
2.2 What Usenet Newsgroups are there for the HP48?
2.3 What are some good sites for the HP48?
2.4 Are there any good WWW links for HP48 stuff?
2.5 Is there an HP48 IRC Channel?
2.6 How can I search for a specific HP48 file?
2.7 What are good places to buy HP48's and accessories?
2.8 What happened to EduCalc?
2.9 Are there any CD-ROMs with HP48 software?
2.10 Where can I find HP conference videotapes?
2.11 Are there any HP48 Emulators?
2.12 How can I make a dump of my HP48 ROM?
2.13 Is the HP48 Allowed on SATs, AP, or ACT Tests? (U.S.)
2.14 What is the HP49G?
2.15 How does the HP48 compare with other calculators?
2.16 What is the Universal Font Library (UFL)?
2.17 What are the best alternate editors?
2.18 Are there any PC fonts for the HP48?
2.19 Is the HP48 serial number available in memory?
2.20 What is the format of the HP48 serial number?
3. Questions about ROM versions
3.1 What does the SX/GX have that the S/G doesn't?
3.2 What is the difference between the HP48 G/GX and the HP48 S/SX?
3.3 What is the HP48 G+?
3.4 How can I tell what ROM revision I have?
3.5 What bugs exist in the various versions of the HP48?
3.6 What is new with the revision "J" ROM? (S/SX)
3.7 What happened to ROM revisions G, H, I, O, and Q?
3.8 Can I upgrade my HP48 S/SX?
3.9 Can I upgrade my buggy GX to the latest ROM revision?
3.10 What's the latest ROM version?
3.11 Why would I buy a S/SX rather than a G/GX?
4. Questions about the Operating System and Using the HP
4.1 How do I find the checksum of an object?
4.2 I typed RULES on my G/GX and got a crossword puzzle!
4.3 Why does my HP48 occasionally "freeze" for a moment?
4.4 What do I do if my HP48 locks up?
4.5 My HP48 seems to take longer to turn on and off.
4.6 What are all the different ON-KEY combinations?
4.7 What are the different interactive self-tests?
4.8 Why do I get an ESD error when I check my batteries with the self test?
4.9 I can't account for some of the RAM in the HP48!
4.10 What are the best methods for installing and removing libraries?
4.11 How can I attach large libraries?
4.12 What are those little numbers near the top of my screen?
4.13 Can I use my HP48 as a remote control?
4.14 Can the HP48 be used as a DTMF phone dialer?
4.15 How can I run a program on warmstarts and/or power-up?
4.16 I could speed up my HP-28S. How can I speed up my HP48?
4.17 What is the hidden directory and how do I access it?
4.18 How can I recall one object from a memory archive?
4.19 Are there any key combinations that aren't in the manual?
4.20 How do I find out about commands not in the GX manual?
4.21 How can one delete (or purge) an entire directory?
4.22 How does binary wordsize affect my calculations?
4.23 Can I add my own equations to HP's Equation Library?
5. Questions about Math, Plotting, and Equations
5.1 Why does (1/3)*3 equal 0.999999999999?
5.2 Why does my HP say that 0 to the power of 0 equals 1?
5.3 What is RPN?
5.4 Why did HP use RPN in their calculators?
5.5 Is there an alternative to calculating in RPN?
5.6 Why do I get unexpected values when I add temperatures?
5.7 How can I add my own units? What's the 1_? unit for?
5.8 I want `pi' to be a numeric value, not a symbol.
5.9 What tricks are there for manipulating matrices?
5.10 Can I make my HP graph any faster?
5.11 How do I plot inequalities?
5.12 How do I take the logarithm of a base other than 10 or e?
5.13 How do I solve quadratic equations?
5.14 Why do I get a complex answers for roots of negative numbers?
5.15 Why doesn't '(-8)^(2/3)' give me the right answer (4)?
5.16 How do I solve polynomials?
5.17 How can I do statistics for grouped data?
5.18 How do I generate a function table?
6. Questions about cards, data transfers, batteries, and hardware
6.1 My HP48 seems to making a high pitched noise.
6.2 Can I upgrade my S or G to more than 32K ram?
6.3 Can I add a lithium battery backup?
6.4 How can I get/build a cable for my HP48?
6.5 HP seems to offer two link kits with different prices.
6.6 Is there any communications software available?
6.7 Why doesn't the I/R port work farther than a few inches?
6.8 Can my HP48 talk to my HP100LX via Infrared?
6.9 Can I use my HP48 to communicate with IrDA devices?
6.10 Can I print to a LaserJet printer with an HP48?
6.11 I downloaded a program but all I get is "HPHP48-..."!
6.12 What is the structure of HP48 ASCII headers?
6.13 Why do Kermit transfers seem to get slower?
6.14 Why does XRECV not work sometimes? (GX)
6.15 Additional Tips on Transfers
6.16 What do the funny symbols in this document mean?
6.17 What are the pinouts for the HP48 serial connector?
6.18 Is there any information on interfacing to the HP48?
6.19 How can I transfer programs/data from my HP-28S to my HP48?
6.20 Can I use rechargeable batteries with the HP48?
6.21 How can I tell, from within a program, if the battery is low?
6.22 I lost the information on my RAM Card when I changed the battery!
6.23 Why do I get an "Invalid card data" error when I merge a RAM card?
6.24 I've heard about other manufacturer's RAM cards. Will they work?
6.25 How does RAM card locking work?
6.26 What are the advantages and disadvantages of covered ports? (GX)
6.27 Why does the HP48 display flicker slightly?
6.28 I broke the LCD screen - is there an easy way to get another?
6.29 How can I protect my LCD?
6.30 Is there a rigid (protective) case for the HP48?
6.31 Can I use my Amateur Radio with my HP48?
7. Questions about programs
7.1 Where can I get programs and information for the HP48?
7.2 What are the Goodies Disks and where do I get them?
7.3 How do I get access to the HP Calculator BBS?
7.4 What are files that end with ".zip", ".Z", ".gz", or ".bz2"?
7.5 What is a "ship" file?
7.6 What is the ASC format and how can I use it?
7.7 What is the HYDE library, and how do I get rid of it?
7.8 What is the Minehunt game, and how do I use it?
8. Questions about programming and advanced user functions
8.1 I've heard the names RPL, Saturn, STAR, GL etc... What are they?
8.2 Is there a C compiler for the HP48?
8.3 Why do SysRPL programs run faster than UserRPL programs?
8.4 What is a good reference for learning SysRPL and ML?
8.5 Can I make my own libraries? Can I split others?
8.6 How do I know what library ID number to use for my program?
8.7 What information is there on the internals of the HP48?
8.8 Where can I get some programming development tools?
8.9 I know UserRPL. How do I get started in SysRPL?
8.10 Are there any viruses for the HP48?
8.11 How do I store fields of variable length effectively?
8.12 What is "Vectored Enter", and how do I use it?
8.13 What is "WSLOG"?
8.14 What are SYSEVALs?
8.15 What are some useful SYSEVALs?
8.16 What are LIBEVALs?
8.17 What are some useful LIBEVALs? (GX)
8.18 What is the format of a GROB object?
8.19 What is the AUR and what information does it contain?
8.20 What is the syntax for INFORM, CHOOSE, and MSGBOX? (GX)
8.21 How do I put checkfields in my INFORM menus?
8.22 What is the syntax for the INPUT command?
9. Appendix A: Various Useful Functions
9.1 ASC Functions
9.2 OBJFIX
9.3 FIXIT
9.4 LASTX
9.5 Compact Data Storage
9.6 HP82240B Printer Codes
10. Appendix B: GX Specific Information
10.1 What's new in the HP48 G/GX?
10.2 Examples of INFORM, CHOOSE, and MSGBOX
10.3 Some useful LIBEVALs
11. Appendix C: Details of Bugs
11.1 The EquationWriter Bug
11.2 Rotation Rate to Angular Frequency Conversion Bug
12. Appendix D: Hardware Additions
12.1 How to Make a Serial Cable
12.2 Using a modem with the HP48
12.3 Additional Information on the HP48 and RS-232
12.4 Using Non-HP RAM Cards
12.5 Where can one obtain third party RAM cards?
13. Appendix E: Where to get HP48 Programs
13.1 Best Programs and Where to Get Them List
13.2 Other Web / FTP Sites
13.3 FTP by Electronic Mail
13.4 Bulletin Boards with HP48 Programs
13.5 HP Goodies Disks
14. Contributors
______________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
This FAQ is maintained by Andre Schoorl <aschoorl@engr.uvic.ca>
It was previously maintained by Keith Maddock, and was originally
compiled by Darryl Okahata. Many thanks to both for their time and
contributions!
I rely on your input in order to keep this FAQ up to date. If you
have any suggestions or updates, feel free to mail them to me. If you
have a correction or suggestion to make, please include the name of a
specific question rather than its number as the number is
automatically generated and can change between versions.
1.1. Overview
The purpose of this FAQ is to provide answers to commonly asked
questions about the Hewlett Packard HP48 family of scientific
calculators. This list contains information which has not necessarily
been verified, and is not guaranteed to be correct. It has been
compiled from various postings in the newsgroups comp.sys.hp48 and
comp.sys.handhelds, as well as other sources. In particular, some
parts were taken from older HP48 SX "FAQ Lists".
For some questions, there may be different answers for each calculator
(G/GX vs. S/SX). In this case S/SX specific information is preceeded
by an "SX:" on the left margin of the first line of each S/SX specific
paragraph. G/GX information is denoted by a "GX:" in the same place.
If a paragraph has no notation, then it is valid for all versions.
1.2. This FAQ in Other Formats
This document was made using the SGML-Tools (Standard Generalized
Markup Language) package and is available in ASCII, HTML, and
PostScript versions. All versions come from the same source, and are
thus updated simultaneously.
The URL for the HTML version is
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/faq/>. The other formats are also
available here in separate zip files.
The PostScript version is formatted for letter size paper, but it is
also possible to create PostScript for legal size paper. Furthermore,
DVI, LaTeX, Lyx, Info, and RTF forms of the FAQ are also possible.
Since it is impractical to provide all of these formats, the SGML
source is available in case anyone wants to create one of these
formats on their own.
Text only versions of the FAQ will be posted to the newsgroup
comp.sys.hp48 as needed (usually every two weeks). Also, remember
that all official FAQs (including this one) are mirrored at
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/>.
Furthermore, it is posted to comp.answers and news.answers.
I will sign all text versions with PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) using the
following key for authenticity, and provide MD5 Checksums for the
remaining files. You can get a copy of this public key from the
keyserver at <http://pgpkeys.mit.edu/>, or through the URL above.
Type Bits KeyID Created Expires Algorithm Use
sec+ 1024 2CFAA0BB 1997-06-21 ---------- DSS Sign and Encrypt
sub 2048 F940E148 1997-06-21 ---------- Diffie-Hellman
uid Andre P. Schoorl <aschoorl@engr.uvic.ca>
Alternatively, you can download the FAQ at one the following
locations:
North America:
o <http://www.hpcalc.org/docs/faq/>
Europe:
o <ftp://ftp.stud.fh-heilbronn.de/pub/systems/hp48/incoming/>
o <ftp://ftp.stud.fh-heilbronn.de/pub/systems/hp48/info/FAQ/>
1.3. Translations of this FAQ
These translations may not be as up to date as the main FAQ, but
should still be useful for international users who are more
comfortable with their native language.
Portugese:
o <http://members.tripod.com/~area48/> by Carlos Alberto Marangon
Spanish:
o <http://www.alumnos.utfsm.cl/~aarrieta/hp48.html> by Alejandro
Arrieta Rios and Guido Carvajal
2. Miscellaneous Questions
2.1. I'm a novice, and I have some questions. Where should I start?
Start by perusing the HP48 manuals. You'd be amazed how many
questions can be answered if you read the manuals.
SX:
Earlier HP48 S/SX manuals came in two volumes. The first volume
dealt with operating instructions, and the second volume dealt
with programming. Later HP48 S/SX manuals combined these two
volumes into one.
GX:
HP48 G/GX models come with a one-volume owners manual that
covers all of the non-programming aspects of the calculator. An
Advanced User's Reference (AUR) is available that covers
programming aspects. It is highly recommended. They also come
with a Quick Start Guide, a guided tour of some of the HP48's
capabilities.
Also, look over the section "Answers to Common Questions", in Appendix
A of the manual. If you have a two-volume manual, it will be in
volume II.
2.2. What Usenet Newsgroups are there for the HP48?
comp.sys.hp48
Primary HP48 newsgroup.
comp.sys.handhelds
Occasionally, HP48 information is posted to this newsgroup.
comp.sources.hp48
This newsgroup has been dead for years, but was once a moderated
group for HP48 Programs.
es.comp.sistemas.hp48
Is a spanish newsgroup for the HP48.
Articles posted to the newsgroup comp.sys.hp48 are archived at
<ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/usenet/comp.sys.hp48/>. Articles are
archived by year and month, with a general index covering
approximately the past two years.
The AltaVista search engine at <http://www.altavista.digital.com>
also accesses these archives (for a Usenet search), and automatically
uncompresses any relevant articles you may select.
DejaNews <http://www.dejanews.com/> is another fast Usenet
archiver/searcher, with many extra features such as Author profile and
article search. The only drawback is that it strips attachments from
posts (uuencode, MIME) to save space.
Another good way to find HP48 posts is through one of the various
search engines available on the web. For example, Netscape, Lycos,
and Magellan and others all seem to be able to find Usenet articles on
the HP48. The search may even find articles that have long since
expired from your local news server!
2.3. What are some good sites for the HP48?
Many HP48 programs can be found on the following FTP sites:
o <http://www.hpcalc.org/>
o <ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>
o <ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/hp/hp48/>
For a list of other HP48 FTP sites, see Appendix E-2.
2.4. Are there any good WWW links for HP48 stuff?
Rather than list out a long list of HP48 related WWW resources, here
is a single HP48 Page which contains links to other HP48 pages:
o <http://www.gmi.edu/~madd0118/hp48/>
Another well maintained site is <http://www.hpcalc.org/>.
2.5. Is there an HP48 IRC Channel?
Yes, try connecting to an EFNet server and join channel #hp48. Many
of the most knowledgeable HP48 users frequent it, making it a nice
place to get your questions answered. There are even two IRC robots
(hp48b and RPL) on the channel. The following information will get
you started:
First, download an appropriate IRC client. Collection of clients are
available at <http://www.irchelp.org> or <ftp://ftp.undernet.org/>
Second, find a working EFNet server and join #hp48. A list of servers
is given at
<http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/networks/servers/efnet.html>
2.6. How can I search for a specific HP48 file?
If you know the all or part of the filename of an HP48 program, you
can use the proper Internet search services instead of bothering all
the readers of the newsgroup. The following server is especially
good, it seems to find HP48 files from just about anywhere.
<http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no/ftpsearch>
2.7. What are good places to buy HP48's and accessories?
X-Philes CD-ROM:
There is a CD-ROM called the X-Philes on the market that
includes many HP48 files. See the next question for more
details.
Office Max:
Toll Free: (800) 788-8080
Wholesale Products:
This is another company on the web that sells HP handhelds,
including the HP48. Their address is
<http://www.wholesaleproducts.com> or you can mail inquiries to
<wholesal@shore.net>
The Mall At Wholesale Products
400 West Cummings Park
Suite 1725-122
Woburn, MA 01801
781-438-8622 (Telephone, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Boston time)
781-438-8307 (FAX, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere)
E-mail: wholesal@shore.net
Web:
North America:
o <http://www.wholesaleadvantage.com/hpcalcs.html>
o <http://www.waterw.com/~jake-s/handyclc.htm>
o <http://www.dvtg.com/>
o <http://www.smi.com/>
o <http://www.tdsway.com/>
o <http://www.ramss.com/>
o <http://www.chotkeh.com/>
o <http://muffet.com/samsoncables/>
o <http://www.calculatorsinc.com/>
Europe:
o <http://members.aol.com/weidatec/>
o <http://www.Digitalis.de/>
o <http://stolte-edv.com/>
o <http://home.t-online.de/home/FFFFF/>
o <http://www.bbm.e.se/>
o <http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/3190/>
Others:
Global Connections Incorporated (formerly Connection Point, Inc.)
50 South River Street, Suite 105, Janesville, WI 53545
Tel: (608)-752-9548 or (608)-752-1537
Oxford Educational Supplies (U.K.)
Tel: 01869 343369 (mail order)
Notes: No shipping charge for within U.K.
Spectrum Office Equipment
22 Stokes Croft Bristol (U.K.).
0117 9428278
Best (Western U.S., used to be La Belles) 1-800-950-2378
Calculators Inc., Minneapolis, MN, U.S. (612) 866-8908
Carrington, (800) 982-3731
J&R Music World - Computer World 1-800-221-8180
Office Depot (U.S. and Canada)
Service Merchandise (East Coast U.S.)
2.8. What happened to EduCalc?
EduCalc, which had been one of the best sources for HP48's and
accessories, went out of business on 31 December 1997.
2.9. Are there any CD-ROMs with HP48 software?
Yes, there are a few CD-ROMs with HP48 software I know of:
HP48 Archive CD:
The most current set of files at <http://www.hpcalc.org/> is
always available on a custom burnt CD-R. Details are at the
same URL.
X-Philes:
The X-Philes is a CD-ROM made by Synchron Data that contains
most HP48 programs to date. All together the CD-ROM contains
over 21,000 files and more than 620 MB of information, mostly
zipped.
The HP48 sections contain 3194 files and make up 38.5 MB of the
total. This includes all of the Goodies disks (aka Horn disks)
1 through 10.
There are also files for HP95, Psion, TI-82 and TI-85
calculators, as well as information and programs on:
Jokes, Star Trek, Sports, Midi, History, Strange files,
Conspiracy, Law and Business, Internet & Networks, Atari, BBS-
Systems, Hardware, Computers, 3D-Objects, Anarchy, Hacking,
Movies, X-Files, Music, Magazines, Science, UFO and Aliens,
Occult, Security & Privacy, Amiga, Cyberspace, Subcultures,
Radio, Virus hunting, Survival, Phreaking, PC utilities, Game
cheats and levels, and Programming.
The CD comes with easy to use Windows software for browsing and
searching for keywords. This software contains an upload
feature that allows you to transfer programs directly to your HP
(or modem) using X-Modem.
More information on obtaining the X-Philes CD-ROM is at:
WWW: <http://www.algonet.se/~synchron/>
E-Mail: <dt93tn@pt.hk-r.se>
Regular Post:
Synchron Data
Tranbarsvagen 25:14
372 38 Ronneby
Sweden
SHAREWARE Volume 1 for Hewlett-Packard:
There is a CD-ROM by a German company called Yellow Computing
named SHAREWARE Volume 1 for Hewlett-Packard. It sells for DEM
49.80 (U.S.$ 34.00), and is distributed from:
Yellow Computing Phone +49 7136 951143
Computersysteme GmbH Fax +49 7136 951111
Postfach 1136
D-74173 Bad Friedrichshall
Germany
This is the German company which offers PC <-> HP-48 transfer
cables together with Windows software for transfering files (the
"Transfile Win 48" package).
The CD-ROM comes with a 16 page booklet in German and English which
shows how to use the included Windows 3.1 transfer program (with
program and catalogue files in both languages).
It's sampled in Aug 95, pressed Oct 95 and contains about 85 MB of
software for the HP48 SX/GX, 95LX, 100LX and 200LX; the Horn disks
1 through 9, and about 710 additional HP-48 programs in the 9
categories: Animation, Data, Games, Graphic, Programming, Maths,
Memory, Science, Utility and Communications. It also has about 200
other unsorted, compressed HP48 files. Decompression software is
included.
It's not an ISO CD-ROM, since it contains directories and files,
whose names contain exclamation marks, hyphens and dollar signs.
Handheld HP CD-ROM Library:
This collection contains 13,611 files for a total of 314 MB of
compressed software for HP Handhelds. The principal groups of
this collection are:
1. HP28C/S (up to 2.5 Mb) Applications, Games, Utils, Docs.
2. HP48S/SX (up to 48 Mb) Applications, Business, Chemistry,
Communications, Emulators, Games, Graphics, Math, Physics,
Programming, Sound, Time, Utils, Docs.
3. HP48G/GX (up to 40 Mb) Applications, Business, Chemistry,
Communications, Games, Graphics, Math, Physics, Programming,
Sound, Time, Utils, Docs, Sys-RPL.
4. HP38G (up to 2 Mb) Applets, Applet Development Kit, Docs.
Platform files total 30 MB, additional documentation is 18 MB,
various collections including the Horn disks and SysRPL
collection total 106 MB, and finally 58 MB of information from
HP groups around the world.
For more information, orders, and pricing send e-mail to
<carles@idgrup.ibernet.com>
Ingenieur Professional CD ROM
This is another German CD issued by Harald Kresin and Franz
Lorenz. It contains roughly 67 MB of HP Software. Their web
page is <http://home.t-online.de/home/05713201317> and their e-
mail is <05713201317@t-online.de;
Their address is
Franz Lorenz
Pocketcomputer & Zubehoer
Bruchstr. 51, D-32423 Minden Germany
2.10. Where can I find HP conference videotapes?
Jake Schwartz maintains a list of videotapes of HP handhelds meetings
/ demos / conferences going back as far as 1986 and the intro of the
HP18C. They are available at relatively low cost to anyone who is
interested. The URL is <http://www.waterw.com/~jake-s/video.htm>.
2.11. Are there any HP48 Emulators?
A fully functional HP48 emulator by Eddie Dost called "x48" is
available. It runs in X-Windows on any Unix based operating system
like Linux or Solaris. However, it requires a ROM dump of an HP48 to
run. Of course, due to copyright laws such a ROM dump cannot be
distributed with the x48 package.
Therefore, you must be the proud owner of an HP48 (S/SX or G/GX) in
order to create your own ROM dump. The emulator will look and act
either like a S/SX or a G/GX, depending on what type of ROM dump you
give it. Further instructions are contained in the x48 package
itself. The latest version of x48 is available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/pc/emulators/>
There is also a freeware emulator for Windows called Emu48. It is
written by Sebastien Carlier, and runs under either Windows 95 or NT.
It offers many exciting features, including fast speed, saving of
memory, direct loading of files onto the stack, a greatly customizable
interface, and support for ports through 33. It supports both S/SX
and G/GX ROM dumps, and comes with a "RomDump Wizard" to help you
create one.
The binaries and full C++ source code, distributed under the GNU
Public License, as well as more information, are available at
<http://www.epita.fr:8000/~sebc/Emu48/>. There are also a series of
"Unofficial Service Packs" available at
<http://privat.swol.de/ChristophGiesselink/>.
An emulator for the HP38, based on Emu48 has also been created. It is
available at <http://www.epita.fr/~avenar_j/hp/38.html>
There is also an HP48 S/SX/G/GX Emulator for Amiga computers called
Alcuin. See <http://www.cis.tu-
graz.ac.at/home/schupfer/Alcuin/index.html> for more information.
2.12. How can I make a dump of my HP48 ROM?
Emulators for the HP48 generally require an image of your HP48's
internal ROM, also known as a "ROM Dump". Currently the best program
to make a dump of your ROM is ROMDump Wizard by Christoph Giesselink.
It is available at <http://privat.swol.de/ChristophGiesselink/>
2.13. Is the HP48 Allowed on SATs, AP, or ACT Tests? (U.S.)
From: Jack Levy
The S/SX/G/GX are allowed on the SAT's. The S/SX/G/GX are allowed on
the SAT II Math IIc test, but no calculators are allowed on any of the
others. The S/SX/G/GX are allowed on the AP Calculus exam. However,
only the S/SX are allowed on the AP Chem and AP Physics exams because
the G/GX has the built in equation library.
Update from: Sandler Rubin
As of 1996, HP 48G calculators are allowed on the physics and
chemistry APs, but only for the free response section. All
calculators are now banned on the multiple choice sections on the
physics and chemistry APs. As for calculus, the HP 48G is allowed on
one half of the multiple choice and all of the free response. The
other half of the multiple choice on the calculus test must be
completed without any calculator.
These changes have occurred because the AP tests are now more
conceptual and depend less on pure "number-crunching". In the free
response sections of the chemistry and physics tests, lists of
important physics equations are include for student use which
basically make the HP 48G EqLib redundant.
Update from: John Goerzen
After a lot of discussion with Candance Noble <Noble@act.org> of ACT,
they changed their policy to allow it only if the IR port is covered
with opaque tape. Their response follows:
This notice is in response to questions ACT has received about
acceptable calculators. Please pass this clarification on to others.
Effective Fall 1996, examinees may use calculators on the ACT
Assessment and PLAN Mathematics Tests. Students taking the ACT
Assessment should review page 3 of Registering for the ACT Assessment.
Students taking PLAN should review page 4 of the Planning Guide for
Students and Parents. All makes and models of calculators are
acceptable -- including programmable calculators and hinged
calculators with mathematical formulas printed by the manufacturer on
the inside flap -- provided the calculator does not have any of the
unacceptable features specified in the ACT publications noted above
and further clarified below. Examinees using unacceptable calculators
will be dismissed from testing.
The following information is provided to help students select an
acceptable calculator if they choose to use one on the ACT Assessment
or PLAN Mathematics Test.
POCKET ORGANIZERS, HANDHELD OR LAPTOP COMPUTERS
All such devices are prohibited.
ELECTRONIC WRITING PADS/PEN INPUT DEVICES
Such models are readily recognizable due to the pen or stylus
used to input data. All such devices are prohibited.
The term QWERTY derives from the first six letter keys (left to
right) of the top row of typewriters, personal computers, most
handheld and laptop computers, pocket organizers, and
specialized calculators. All models with QWERTY keyboards are
prohibited.
PAPER TAPE
If a calculator has a feature that provides paper output, the
paper must be removed to make the calculator acceptable.
NOISE
Calculators that have a "talking" or audio feature are
acceptable in a group testing situation only if the sound
feature has been turned off.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
Calculators that can communicate (transfer data or information)
wirelessly with other calculators can be recognized by the
"window" or infrared data port on the top edge of the
calculator, similar to one on a television remote control. Such
calculators are acceptable only if the wireless transfer
capability is disabled by placing opaque material (such as
masking tape) over the infrared data port.
POWER CORD
If a calculator can run on either battery or electrical cord,
the electrical cord must be removed to make the calculator
acceptable.
2.14. What is the HP49G?
On May 21st, 1999, at the OpenHP Conference in Paris, France, Hewlett
Packard announced the HP49G graphic calculator. The following
information comes from Jean-Yves Avenard of HP's ACO (Australian
Calculator Operation).
Hardware
o 512KB of RAM
o 2MB of flash memory (1MB used for upgradable ROM, 1MB available
to user)
o 4MHz Saturn CPU
o 131x64 pixel screen (black instead of blue, so higher contrast)
o 51-key keyboard with tactile rubber keys
o This is not the same type of keyboard as the HP48 has but it is
still an HP quality keyboard. Rubber keys don't always mean bad
quality, as there are a lot of mechanical parts to make a
keyboard.
o The feeling is extremely similar to the HP48 keyboard. Do you
really think that HP could let a new product go out of its doors
with a keyboard that will break after 6 months?
o New keyboard layout - a user friendly keyboard that incorporates
the strengths of the existing RPN keyboard layout and the more
familiar algebraic style keyboard layouts on the HP 38G, TI-83
and TI-89.
o Metallic blue case with a translucent blue-tint slide-on cover.
You can put it in the HP48's case if you prefer a soft case.
o No IR, but an HP49<->HP49 cable is provided (adapter included
for connection to HP48). There were problems in some countries
with some teachers fearing the HP48 would be used to cheat
because of the IR port.
o RS-232 serial port with Kermit (binary, ASCII) and Xmodem (128
checksum, 1K, 1K CRC) running at 9600 bps (15360 bps internally,
but no PCs support that speed).
o Any unit may be directly connected to a data-logger, overhead
projector, a personal computer or another HP 48G Series or HP
49G graphing calculator.
o The hardware is not expandable, but the ROM can be software-
upgraded and there is plenty of memory, so this should not be a
problem.
Memory Management
o Even though the Saturn can only access 512K of memory, a new
bank switching routine is used, in addition to absolute
addresses, making it much faster.
o The user sees three ports of memory: Internal System RAM (256KB,
port 0), Extended RAM (256KB, port 1), and Flash User ROM (1MB,
port 2).
o The system will manage how to copy your files for you, so there
is no need to get lost in a bank.
Software
o Step-by-step solving option that enables you to learn how to get
the right answer numerically or symbolically.
o The most complete built-in Computer Algebra System (CAS)
currently available on a calculator for fast, advanced symbolic
manipulation and solving.
o Imagine an HP48 with Erable and ALG48 plus everything that is
missing. Now speed it up so it can compete (and be faster) than
anything else on the calculator market. That's the HP49's CAS.
o Inferential and Descriptive Statistics (suitable for Advanced
Placement and College/University level statistics).
o A fast, flexible and intelligent Editor for isolating, editing,
manipulating and evaluating text, equations, expressions, sub-
expressions, programs and graphs.
o Input and Output Customization - choose between "textbook" form
(pretty print), algebraic and RPN input and "textbook" and
algebraic output in various font styles and sizes.
o When you first boot the machine, it's an algebraic machine. If
you don't like algebraic mode, simply press Mode, select "RPN"
and that's it. You're back to the HP48 Reverse Polish Notation
mode forever and ever (at least until you clear the memory or
manually switch back to algebraic). It works EXACTLY like the
HP48, but faster.
o Between 10 and 100 times faster than the existing HP 48G Series
o The OS has been completely rewritten, mainly in assembly
language, so nearly everything that was slow on the HP48 works
faster, including input forms, choose boxes, stack display,
command line, file manager, etc. When I say faster, I mean MUCH
faster. The HP49 is even faster than an HP48 with the MetaKernel
running in it.
o There is no longer a built-in equation library but the constants
library remains.
o Do you think the 4MHz CPU is slow? The 3D real-time plotter can
draw 6 frames (for a 14*14 points matrix) per second... It's
faster than any current competitors! You can rotate in real time
over the X axis, Y axis and even the Z axis.
Programming
o Provides four programming languages:
1. HP Basic: like a hybrid between RPL and Basic. This does not
have GOTO and cannot really be called Basic, as it looks like
the HP38G's programming language. Example code:
FOR(i,1,100)
DISP(i,1);
IF I+1-5==50 THEN DISP("Hello World",2) ELSE DISP("I'm off",2) END
STEP(1)
2. User RPL: Just like the HP48's built-in language. To reuse a
User RPL program from an HP48, send it to the 49 using ASCII
Kermit.
3. System RPL: Development software, including disassembler,
built into ROM but not supported.
4. Assembly language: Development software, including
disassembler, built into ROM but not supported
o Grayscale support (in ASM as well as System RPL). All System RPL
graphic routines work on grayscale graphics.
o Vectorized Interrupt System (add your own interrupt handler)
o To run an HP48 application on the HP49, just recompile it. It
will probably run faster, too, especially if it uses the GUI.
o Entry points have moved to make the ROM easier to maintain, but
programs will still be compatible at the source code level.
The HP49 is the most powerful calculator ever announced at any time.
It works in two ways: one fully compatible with the HP48 series,
including RPN but faster, and the other algebraic, easy for users of
other calculator brands to learn to use.
Although you may not agree with some of the specifications above,
please wait until you touch it before complaining. After all, the HP49
was developed by HP48 users and tested by HP48 users!
For more information, visit the HP Calculator Archive at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/>
2.15. How does the HP48 compare with other calculators?
From: Chin-Yu Hsu <chinyu@voyager.bxscience.edu>
What are the differences between the HP48 and the TI?
Before listing the differences, I wish to let you know that the HP48
has much more functionality than the TI's. However, these additional
functions are usually of no help in high school than the TI. Instead,
they are only helpful in college depending on the course you take. The
TI is probably a better choice on tests in high school since it is
easier to use (to most people) and does calculations faster (because
it offers speed at the expense of the higher precision of the HP48).
Please note that the HP also offers the HP38 which is more comparable
to a TI-82.
Also, you should realize that if you want support for the graphing
calculator, the HP48 is the one to get. Although you can get support
from Texas Instrument (by phone and by web), and also by teachers in
school, you can get support for the HP48 from a larger group in the
world. There are far more web sites related to the HP48 than to the TI
graphing calculators. Also, the HP48 has its own newsgroup and its own
IRC channel (usually up 24 hours a day and maintained by a bot that
can send you programs at your request). Please note that although the
calculation and graphing capabilities may not be available for a
particular calculator, you can usually download a program that extends
such a capability to it.
If you find that part of the information below is incorrect, please
tell me about it. You may need to provide additional proof, if I am
unable to confirm it. Any additional information on the TI-92 is
helpful because much about it is still a mystery.
General Differences:
Calculator HP38 HP48(2) TI-82(3) TI-85 TI-92
List Price(4) $109 $135/$265 $125 $135 $250
Available Mem.(5) 32KB 32/128KB 28.2KB 28.2KB 70.0KB
Batteries Req.(6) 3AAA 3AAA 4AAA+1 4AAA+1 4AA+1
Plug-in Cards No Yes(7) No No Yes (Plus)
Infrared Transmit. Yes Yes(8) No No No
Wire Transmit. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cal-to-PC trans(9) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Overhead display Yes Yes(10) Yes Yes Yes
CBL support(11) No No* Yes Yes Yes
QWERTY keys(12) No No* No No Yes
Screen capture Yes Yes via link via link via link
Screen Resolution 131x64 131x64 96x62 128x64 240x128
Character Display 22x8 22x8 16x8 21x8 ?????
Miscellaneous Functions:
Calculator HP38 HP48(2) TI-82(3) TI-85 TI-92
Simple Eq. Solver Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Simult. Eq. Solver ????? Yes No Yes Yes
Poly. Root Finder No limit No limit No 30th order Yes
# of matrices 10 No limit 5 No limit No limit
max matrix size(12) No limit 125x125 15x15 30x30 99x999
Graphing Functions:
Calculator HP38 HP48(2) TI-82(3) TI-85 TI-92
Simultaneous Graph Up to 10 No limit Up to 10 Up to 99 Up to 99
Zoom features 14 15 13 15 ?????
Graph Tracing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fnc. Value Tables Yes No Yes No Yes
Parametric Graphs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Polar Graphs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Recur. Seq. Graphs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Diff. Graphs No Yes No No No
Conic Graphs No Yes No No No
3-D graphs No 7 types No No Yes
Area under Curve No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Extremum Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Roots Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Slopes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tangent Lines No Yes No No ???
Statistical Functions:
Calculator HP38 HP48(2) TI-82(3) TI-85 TI-92
Scatter Graphs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
X-Y line Graphs No No No No Yes
Box-Whisker Plots Yes No Yes No Yes
Histogram Plots Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Regression Graphs No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bar Graphs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Truth Graphs Yes Yes No No No
Notes:
1. In the specifications, "no limit" usually means that it is limited
by memory only.
2. There are five different HP48 calculators. There are the HP48S,
HP48SX, HP48G, HP48G+, and HP48GX. The S and SX models are older
models, and no one would be getting them anymore since the G, G+
and then GX offer all the same features, but with additional
enhancements to make the features easier to use. The G, G+, and GX
are also 40% faster than the S and SX models. The difference
between the G and the GX is that the G has 32K of RAM, and no
expandability, while the GX has 128K of RAM and the ability to have
two additional plug in cards. The G+ is in between, having 128K of
RAM but no expandability.
3. There is a new version of the TI-82, called the TI-83 which should
be available soon. It offers all the features of the TI-82, except
it has additional statistics and financial functions, as well as
displaying a table and a graph side by side. Please note that this
feature is not available on the HP48, but is available on the HP38.
Also, the TI-83 has an equation solver like the HPs.
4. Cost for HP calculators does not include cables because they can
transfer data via infrared. The price for TI's include the cables
for linking one TI to another. Also, the HP48G's list price is
$135.00, while the HP48GX's list price is $265.00.
5. The available memory listed for the HPs are slightly lower than the
given values. The available memory for the HP48G is only 32 K. The
HP48GX has 128K of available RAM, and is expandable to 4.5 megs!
6. The batteries used by these calculators are AAA batteries.
Rechargeable batteries are not recommended because they have a much
lower life span than alkaline batteries. The TI's require an
additional CR1616 battery to retain their memory power. The HP's do
not need this additional battery, but once you take out the AAA
batteries, you have about 3 minutes to replace them with new ones
before it loses its memory. The RAM cards for the HP48GX requires
an CR1616 battery, however, if you plan to store it outside of the
HP.
7. Only the HP48GX support plug-in cards. The HP48G doesn't.
8. If you are thinking of getting the HP's to cheat on tests because
of the infrared capability, forget about it. The infrared receivers
on the HP's only have a maximum range of THREE inches (The HP's
transmitter has a longer range, up to several feet, but that will
not help at all unless you are using it as a remote control to
watch TV, or you are sending to an infrared device connected to an
AC power source, such as the HP LaserJet 5 printers).
9. The Calculator to PC (or MAC) requires additional cable and
software. For the HP, you only need to get the cable, which can be
made from standard computer parts (a DB-9 and CD cable totaling
about $15). No additional software is needed because you can use
any communications program of your choice. For the TI, you can
either need to purchase a proprietary software and cable for about
$60 to $80 at stores or you can download the software free at TI's
web site, and try to make your own cable. The same type of package
is available from HP, but offers programming tools and debuggers,
and costs about the same price.
10.
The overhead display unit for overhead projectors is available only
for the HP48GX because the HP48G does not have the available
extension slot to install the necessary interface card.
11.
The CBL stands for Computer Based Laboratory. It is created by TI,
so it is not available on the HP of course. It simply allows you to
collect data from different sources (sounds, temperature) at set
intervals and can be analyzed on the calculator. The CBL unit's
list price is approximately $225. Please note that there is a
similar device for the HP-48, called the ADCM-48 which is a A-to-D
converter and I/O interface that can read from four analog and four
digital inputs.
12.
Please note that calculators with QWERTY keys are not allowed on
the SAT exams. The HP calculators do not have QWERTY type
keyboards, but you can connect it to your computer and have the
keys from your computer echo on to the HP calculator after
installing a simple freeware program such as those found in
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/archive/as-comm.zip>.
13.
The maximum matrix size on the HP48G is only 42x42. The maximum
matrix size on the HP48GX is 85x85, but it can be expanded to
125x125 with the addition of an extra RAM card.
14.
The TI-92 manual states lists can be up to 999 elements, and data
can be arranged in 99 columns of 999 elements each.
From: Bernard Parisse
o Overhead display: there are special models of the TI92 to do this,
standard models give bad results
o Memory: The TI92-II model has 198K memory (price in France 1890 FF
instead of 1390 FF)
o Processor: Modified 68010 at 10MHz
o Cabri-Geometre is very slow on the TI, the teachers I met at my
lecture told me that they never use Cabri on the TI.
o Numeric computations: The HP clearly beats the TI, especially in
linear algebra (factorization of matrices,
eigenvalues/eigenvectors, etc...)
o Symbolic computations: The TI clearly beats the HP... without
addition of any math programs. Hence I compared the TI adding the
best programs available on the net (i.e. ntheory (10K) for number
theory, odeproj for ordinary differential equations (40K), that was
all since I had only a 70K TI92) with my HP loaded with Alg48 and
Erable. The main advantage of the TI92 is speed (about 5-10 times
faster than Erable, 1-2 times faster than Alg48). The main
drawback on the HP48 side is the lack of a limit instruction. Some
features of Alg48 and Erable are not provided by the TI92:
o Factorization of integers (limited to factors less than or equal to
65520 on the TI92, integers may not have more than 614 digits on
the TI92) and of polynomials (e.g. the expanded form of:
(x^4+x^3+1)*(x^4+x+1)
is not factored on the TI92).
o Integration: the Risch algorithm is not implemented in the TI, e.g.
it can not find the antiderivative of
(1+2x^2)*exp(x^2)
o Taylor series: This feature is probably implemented like in the
HP48 ROM, hence the TI can not solve series(sin(x)/(exp(x)-1)) at
x=0 for order greater than 4.
o Eigenvalues/Eigenvectors/Jordanisation of matrices
o Systems of polynomials equations (Groebner bases)
o Ordinary differential equations are only solved with programs like
odeproj, no support for Laplace or inverse Laplace transform
o A lot of internal programs are not accessible to the end-user on
the TI92, as the source code of Alg48 and Erable is freely
available.
o Programming: Assembler is now available on the TI, but there is no
counterpart to SysRPL and the build-in language is comparable to a
shell-script langage (with some limitations e.g. for usage of
programs in functions)
2.16. What is the Universal Font Library (UFL)?
The Universal Font Library, or UFL for short, is a set of libraries
designed to help reduce the overhead of replacement fonts between a
number of major HP48 programs. The basic idea is instead of each
program containing its own replacement font(s), the fonts are stored
in a cetral library to save room. In addition, the UFL comes with a
Font Maintenance Library (FMnt).
If you use some of the programs in the Best Programs List, you may
find you need a particular UFL library installed in order to use the
program. The UFL is maintained by Andre Schoorl and is distributed
under the GNU General Public License. For more information and to
obtain the UFL package, see <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/ufl/>.
2.17. What are the best alternate editors?
If you like a smaller font, I would recommend TED by Mika Heiskanen,
or MiniWriter by Jean-Yves Avenard. Both use FNT1 from the Universal
Font Library (UFL) to allow font customization and to save space.
MiniWriter is very small and fast, and has cut, copy, paste, and
search features. It is available at http://www.epita.fr/~avenar_j/
TED has slightly more features, such as a character map, but as a
result is larger. TED is based on ED, which is the editor that comes
with the Jazz library. The latest version is available at
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>.
If you prefer the medium font, I would recommend HP-Writer by Paquot
Christophe. It's quite small, fast, and uses FNT2 from the UFL. Its
features include cut, copy, and paste, as well as a macro key and
built in User RPL key support. However, it only works on G/GX. The
current version is available at
<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/1930/>.
Other editors include StringWriter, also by Jean-Yves Avenard, which
is a very complete and full featured library. EDEN, by HPFox, is
another popular editor in France. Another is QED, which was
originally written by Lutz Vieweg but is now maintained by Rick
Grevelle.
2.18. Are there any PC fonts for the HP48?
Yes, there are several fonts on the Goodies Disks (see the Appendix),
as well as some TrueType fonts available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/pc/misc/>
2.19. Is the HP48 serial number available in memory?
No. There is no electronic version of the HP48 serial number. This
was apparently considered by the design team, but it was determined
that the costs would greatly outweigh the benefits.
2.20. What is the format of the HP48 serial number?
The HP48 serial number is printed on the back of the HP48, just above
the battery compartment. There are two different serial number
formats. The older format was used when the HP48 was first introduced
and continued through the first part of 1997. The newer format has
been used on HP palmtops since about 1993 and was started on the HP
calculators in the first part of 1997.
The new serial numbers are in this format:
ccywwnnnnn
cc Place of manufacture (new two-letter code)
The known codes are:
o SG = Singapore
o ID = Indonesia
o MY = Malaysia
y Year of manufacture. This represents the last digit of the
year. A 7 would mean 1997.
ww Week of manufacture (01-53).
nnnnn
The unit number for that week. (first unit on Monday is 00001)
For example, if your serial number were SG72706543, the unit was the
6543rd unit manufactured in Singapore during the 27th week of 1997.
The old serial numbers are in this format:
yywwMnnnnn
yy The year the unit was made (add 1960 to this value)
ww Week of manufacture (01-53).
M The manufacturing location (A for America, S for Singapore)
nnnnn
The unit number for that week. (first unit on Monday is 00001)
For example, if your serial number were 3321S07509, the unit was the
7,509th unit manufactured in Singapore during the 21st week of 1993.
3. Questions about ROM versions
3.1. What does the SX/GX have that the S/G doesn't?
SX:
The HP48 S is the same as the HP48 SX except that the HP48 S
does not have the two expansion slots of the HP48 SX. This
means that the HP48 S cannot be expanded and can only access 32K
of memory, versus 288K for the HP48 SX (two 128K RAM cards).
(Actually, there are third-party RAM cards that contain 256K or
512K on a single card -- this memory is accessed via a bank-
switching mechanism.)
GX:
The HP48 G is the same as the GX except for two differences.
The GX has the 2 expansion ports, and also has 128K RAM built
in, whereas the G only has 32K.
If you plan on heavily using your calculator, you will probably
find that 32K is not enough memory. In fact, some of the best
HP48 Programs will not even fit in this memory!
3.2. What is the difference between the HP48 G/GX and the HP48 S/SX?
The HP48 G/GX calculators are, basically, slightly faster (by 40%)
versions of the HP48 S and HP48 SX calculators, with more features,
such as 3D-plotting and a new forms-based interface. Much of the HP
Solve Equation Library card is now built-in. See Appendix B-1 for a
detailed list of GX features.
Note, however, that the HP48 G/GX is different from the HP48 S/SX in a
number of significant areas:
1. The HP48 GX comes with 128KB RAM, as opposed to 32KB RAM in the
HP48 SX. The HP48 G still has 32KB RAM, however. The HP48 G/GX
also has twice the ROM (512K), compared the HP48 S/SX (256K).
2. Much of the HP48 G/GX internals have changed, compared with the
HP48 S/SX. Unfortunately, this means that many programs written in
assembly language or System RPL won't work on the HP48 G/GX. This
is especially true of any program that tried to access the display
memory directly.
3. The HP48 G/GX CPU runs at 4 MHz, instead of the 2 MHz used with the
HP48 S/SX CPUs. However, due to various overheads (memory bank
switching, etc.), the speed increase between the S/SX and G/GX is
less than 2 times. G/GX throughput is approximately 40% faster.
4. Slot 2 of the HP48 GX can access up to 32 ports (ports 2-33) by
bank switching. Each port is 128KB, for a maximum total of 4 MB in
slot 2.
3.3. What is the HP48 G+?
The HP48 G+ was announced 30 March 1998. It is essentially a HP48 G
with more memory - it has 128K of memory instead of 32K. All G+
machines have revision R ROMs.
There is no change to other aspects of the calculator model offerings.
Specifically, it looks like HP has added to the HP48 family without
withdrawing anything. The G, G+, and GX will all continue to be sold.
The press release for the HP48 G+ is at:
<http://www.hp.com/pressrel/mar98/30mar98.htm>
3.4. How can I tell what ROM revision I have?
GX:
Type the command "VERSION". Note that this command is not part
of any key or menu, and so you must spell it out.
Type #30794h SYSEVAL. It returns a string, "HPHP48-x", where x
is your ROM revision. This works for both SX and GX.
SX:
1. Turn the calculator on (press ON and then release).
2. Press ON again, and hold it down.
3. While holding down the ON key, press and hold down the "D"
key (the fourth white key in the top row).
4. While holding down the "D" key, release the ON key.
5. Release the "D" key. The display should be blank, with the
exception of three vertical lines (one down the centre, and
one down each of the right and left sides).
6. Press the backspace key (it says DROP and CLR over it). A
meaningless string of digits should appear in the top line of
the display (mine says "705D9:1B8DA178E5A111B6" -- yours may
be different).
7. Press and hold down the EVAL key. It should say something
like the following, where the ? is an uppercase letter
indicating the ROM version:
Version HP48-?
Copyright HP 1989
8. Release the EVAL key. Hold down ON and hit "C" (the third
white key in the top row. This is a general reset operation
that returns the calculator to normal from the diagnostic
stuff (which is where ON-D puts you).
3.5. What bugs exist in the various versions of the HP48?
Rom: A
o DEFINE rounds numbers in user-defined functions if STD is not
the current display mode.
o KGET on a zero length file from another machine will cause the
calculator memory to be cleared.
o NXEQ from the Graphics Environment with flag -3 set (SYM off in
Modes) can overwrite the current equation with a number.
o Displaying the clock in 24-hour format causes the one-digits for
minutes to be incorrect in the alarm catalog.
Roms: A-C
o INV returns an incorrect result if used on an 8x8 or larger
matrix. To get around this problem, divide the identity matrix
with the matrix to invert.
Roms: A-D
o Entering a symbolic complex number in polar form like (A,<B)
(where < is really the funny little angle symbol), gives an
expression in A and B that is wrong (the A and B are
interchanged so A is the angle and B is the magnitude).
o If the clock is displayed during an ARCHIVE via RS-232, there is
a chance (not 100%) that calculator memory will be cleared,
after the transfer. The work-around is to turn the clock
display off before doing the transfer. Should your memory be
cleared, you will have to restore the contents of memory from
the archive.
o TRNC and RND allow for an array in level 2 and a symbolic in
level 1 of the stack. This allows you to put an array in a
symbolic. Example: [ 2 3 ] '7/8' RND returns
Roms: A-E
o There's a bug in the EquationWriter that is "fixed" in the Rev J
ROM. See Appendix C-1 for details.
Roms: E, J
o BESTFIT: Occurs when a two dimensional array is stored in \GSDAT
(SigmaDAT). Pressing the BESTFIT softkey multiple times will
leave a lot of useless reals on the stack.
Rom: K
o First HP48 G/GX released; includes various bugs affecting ports.
Therefore, the version K ROM was only used in HP48 G units.
Roms: K, L, M, P
o XROOT Function fails when used with list processing unless X=Y.
It does not corrupt memory.
FIX: Preceed any XROOT which will use list processing with a
SWAP
Rom: L
o Second HP48 G/GX released; fixed the port bugs. This ROM
version is that present in the 2,000 HP48 GXs sold at the ASEE
conference for $90 apiece.
Roms: L, M
o HP48 GX may lose all of user memory when: clock is displayed, a
library object is be stored in user memory, and a RAM card is
lugged in to port one and merged with User Memory. If all four
of these conditions are present and the calculator is turned on
when the clock is being updated by the system, a loss of all
User Memory may occur.
FIX: Just type the following in on your calculator:
<< RCLF -> f << -40 CF OFF f STOF >> >> 91.3 ASN
Then turn on USER mode
o EquationWriter/Character Picker Bug: If the size of the equation
is greater than the regular size of the screen, calling the
Character Picker in Equation Writer will garble the screen.
o If you store an object into a port > 1 while there is a card
installed in slot 1, the end-of-obj-sequence marker (00000) is
written to port 1 instead to the destination port. This will
cause the 'Invalid Card Data' warning to pop up each power on
after a while and, in addition, the memory of port 1 gets
currupted (if it's writeable). A temporary fix is to remove the
card from slot 1 when changing the contents of the card in slot
2. However a better fix is to get the STOFIX library (available
on GD#10 or at HPCVBBS, ~1K in size).
o Tail Bug: The TAIL command returns an error on single length
strings. This was fixed to return an empty string in later
Roms. Examples:
"X" TAIL --> Error: Invalid Dimension (Rom M)
"X" TAIL --> "" (Rom R)
Rom: M
o Evaluating a tagged object which contains an operator (+, -, *,
/, etc) as the second or subsequent character will leave an
External and System Binary on the stack, as well as the original
object.
Roms: L, M, P
o SigmaDAT: Put a NON-MATRIX in \GSDAT (SigmaDAT), run STAT
graphical apps, edit \GSDAT. Causes a crash.
o XRECV will fail or cause memory lost if the amount of free RAM
left is not about twice the size of the expected file.
FIX: See FXRECV on GD 9. Note that FXRECV is not necessary for
Rom R, and in fact will not even run properly on Rom R.
o RREF does not transform the matrix into Row Reduced Echelon Form
correctly if the first column of the matrix consists entirely of
zeros. It may also return incorrect answers in some matrices.
A work-around for this bug is to delete any leading all-zero
column(s) from the matrix; this may be done using the Matrix
Writer, via its -COL menu key, or via commands: 1 COL- DROP (to
drop the first column). Since row-reduction operations never
change any all-zero column, you already know in advance that the
given column(s) must be all-zero in the final result.
Roms: L, M, P, R
o portnum: { dir ... var } RCL/EVAL fails if portnum >= 2
o Rotation rate to angular frequency conversion bug. See Appendix
C-2 for a complete write-up.
Roms: M, P, R
o Repeated executions of FFT or IFFT can cause a memory loss. The
FFT and IFFT warmstart problem is caused by a CPU return stack
overflow during interrupt handling. The problem can only occur
when the argument to FFT or IFFT is an MxN matrix with both M >
1 and N > 1. The vector argument case is immune to this
problem.
FIX: To compute the FFT of a matrix without risking warmstart,
expand the matrix into its row vectors using ->ROW, compute the
FFT of each row vector, collect the results into a matrix using
ROW->, expand the matrix into its column vectors using ->COL,
compute the FFT of each column vector, and finally collect the
results into a matrix using COL->. Except for less precision,
this is the same result as would be obtained by applying FFT on
the original matrix. Use the same procedure with FFT replaced
by IFFT to compute the IFFT of a matrix.
Here are program examples implementing the "Matrix FFT" and
"Matrix IFFT":
MFFT << ->ROW FFTLP ROW-> ->COL FFTLP COL-> >>
MIFFT << ->ROW IFFTLP ROW-> ->COL IFFTLP COL-> >>
FFTLP << -> n << 1 n START n ROLL FFT NEXT n >> >>
IFFTLP << -> n << 1 n START n ROLL IFFT NEXT n >> >>
o Equation Writer/Equation Library interaction bug: If you pick an
equation from the EQ library, enter solver for that equation,
enter an algebraic on the stack like 'X^2', and press the down
arrow key to view algebraic in EquationWriter, the name of the
equation will appear in the EquationWriter along with the
unassociated algebraic.
Roms: M, P
o BESTFIT: Occurs when a two dimensional array is stored in \GSDAT
(SigmaDAT). Pressing the BESTFIT softkey multiple times quickly
can cause a warmstart, or SigmaDAT to be erased. This occurs
sometimes just by pressing BESTFIT repeatedly, regardless of
\GSDAT content. This bug can also be triggered by pressing the
BESTFIT softkey quickly after pressing any other key. Simply
pressing MODL then BESTKEY quickly will trigger the bug.
Rom: P
o PROOT: If you put a matrix of coefficients on the stack and
press PROOT repeatedly, you will get a warmstart.
Roms: A-R
o MatrixWriter Bug: This shows up when deactivating and
reactivating any of the two direction movement fields. If you
do this, the active matrix field won't move as it's supposed to.
For example: Launch the matrix writer (check that your GOFORWARD
field is activated). Type [1] [ENTER]. The active matrix field
moves forward as it should. Deactivate the GOFORWARD field and
activate it again. Now enter [2] [ENTER] [3] [ENTER]. The
digits should show up on the same row, but they don't, because
after you deactivated and reactivated the GOFORWARD field, the
active matrix field stops moving according to the movement
fields.
o DTAG Bug: When the DTAG command is executed without any
arguments on the stack, the error message "XLIB 0 0 Error" is
given, which is non-standard.
Roms: K-R
o Equation Library Solver and Multiple Equation Solver Bug:
Pressing MSOLVR or MUSER after setting user flag 63 can cause
Memory Clear. Example: CLEAR, 63 CF, EQNLIB, down-arrow, ENTER,
down-arrow, [SOLV], NXT, 63 SF, right-shift MUSER, DROP -->
Memory Clear. This bug is also found in the HP Solve Equation
Library Card (HP 82211B, but not 82211A) for the SX.
3.6. What is new with the revision "J" ROM? (S/SX)
The revision J ROM has a faster equation writer, as well as some bug
fixes. Scrolling of graphics is also faster.
One "problem" is that the revision J ROM changed some undocumented ROM
entry points, which broke those programs that used them. If you have
a Rev J ROM, you will not be able to run some old programs.
3.7. What happened to ROM revisions G, H, I, O, and Q?
These versions either were never released to the public, or were
skipped over.
I have received confirmation of the existence of a HP48 S with ROM
revision F. So it appears revision F was in fact released to the
public, although very few must have made before revision J came out.
3.8. Can I upgrade my HP48 S/SX?
When the G/GX first came out, HP had a trade in program. This is no
longer in operation. The only option remaining is to try to sell your
S/SX privately.
3.9. Can I upgrade my buggy GX to the latest ROM revision?
As far as I know, not any more. They had a program a in early '94,
but it is over now. Contact the following for more info:
Hewlett-Packard Corporation
Calculator Support
1000 NE Circle Blvd
Corvallis, OR 97330
Phone: (970)-392-1001
3.10. What's the latest ROM version?
o Revision R is the latest ROM version of the G/GX series.
o Revision J is the last ROM version of the S/SX series.
3.11. Why would I buy a S/SX rather than a G/GX?
Here's the top reasons to buy a S/SX instead of a G/GX (Thanks to all
who contributed):
1. May be slightly cheaper, having only 32K RAM.
2. It isn't THAT outdated.
3. So what if it's a little slower?
4. You didn't need all those useless equations, graphics capabilities,
and math and science functions anyways!
5. If you break it, you're out of less money!
6. You like seeing how much you can fit into 32K RAM.
7. You like slow file transfers, using Kermit instead of X-Modem.
8. You want to be able to use all those lists of SYSEVALs for the SX.
9. You like having only 3 ports available max. 33 is ridiculous!
10.
Since it doesn't have a built in equations library it is less
likely to be banned on tests.
11.
Only wimps need GUI's, dialog boxes, and choose lists.
4. Questions about the Operating System and Using the HP
4.1. How do I find the checksum of an object?
Many documents (including this FAQ) make references to the "checksum"
of an object. This is a 16-bit user binary resulting from a CRC
calculation on the contents of an object. This binary is supposed to
be relatively unique, with only 1 change in 65536 of accidental equal
checksums on two different objects. This allows you to distinguish
programs that look the same but may be quite different (even if the
size of them is the same). It is also often used to verify correct
transmission of files.
You can find the checksum of an object using the BYTES command. This
will return you two things - the size of the object in bytes on level
1, and the checksum on level two. Note that while the checksum of a
variable name is the same as running the checksum on the object
itself, the sizes will be differ by 4.5 bytes + the size of the
variable name itself.
In rare cases the checksum of two objects can be the same, even if the
objects are different. This is due to the limited nature of the
HP48's checksum function. You can use the SAME command in these
cases.
4.2. I typed RULES on my G/GX and got a crossword puzzle!
From: Joe Horn
Many commercial programs (like Windows) have similar hidden screens
that list the program's design team. Since they are always so cute
and well hidden, they are often referred to as "Easter eggs". The
RULES command on the G/GX is one such example.
Try using the RULES command. The names you see are as follows:
/----------------------\
| M G |
| P DIANA |
| CHARLIE X B D |
| BILL U N TED A |
| O A L N ALCUIN |
| B I JIM V |
| RON S E |
\----------------------/
ALCUIN was the HP-internal code name of the HP48 G during development,
because Alcuin was Charlemagne's teacher, and Charlemagne, as you
remember, was the code name of the HP48 SX.
The other names in the "Easter egg" above belong to:
o BILL Wickes (list processing; "Father of RPL")
o CHARLIE Patton (RPL operating system)
o TED Beers (parameterized outer loop; interactive stack; key
handling system; high-level display management; input forms)
o DIANA Byrne (project manager; plotting; graphics)
o GABE Eisenstein (EquationWriter)
o BOB Worsley (I/O)
o PAUL McClellan (unit management; math)
o CLAIN Anderson (product manager; marketing)
o DENNIS York (manager)
o JIM Donnelly (EQ LIB; list processing; variable tic logic;
developer support)
o MAX Jones (menu system; editing)
o DAVE Arnett (hardware)
o DAN Coffin (manuals)
o RON Brooks (marketing)
4.3. Why does my HP48 occasionally "freeze" for a moment?
The HP48 must occasionally do "garbage collection" to free up unused
memory, and it is this garbage collection that is causing the
momentary "freeze". "Garbage collection" is where the HP48 scans
through memory, looking for objects that are no longer used.
Using less stack supposedly makes garbage collection go faster.
The easiest way to force a garbage collection is to run MEM DROP.
Otherwise you can use #05F42h SYSEVAL or the SysRPL command GARBAGE.
4.4. What do I do if my HP48 locks up?
o NOTE: If you have it, read the sections in the GX manual starting
on page 5-16, "Special Memory Operations", and "Testing Calculator
Operation" on page A-9.
o NOTE: under most circumstances, your calculator should never lock
up. Some earlier versions of the G/GX do this due to bugs. Of
course, depending on the program being run, it may appear to lock
up, but pressing the "ON" key usually interrupts whatever the
calculator is doing. If it does lock up, this is usually caused by
a buggy assembly-language or system RPL program, and, chances are,
the memory contents of your HP48 are gone (as in "destroyed",
"terminated", "wiped out", "deleted", etc.).
1. First, check the batteries to make sure that they are installed
correctly.
2. Next, try is pressing the "ON" key again and again very RAPIDLY.
The operative word here is "rapidly". It's possible to write a
program that can only be interrupted during a very narrow window,
and so you must press the "OK" key again and again very rapidly to
interrupt the program. If the calculator doesn't respond within
ten or so seconds, go on to the next step.
3. Press "ON-+" a couple of times, just in case the LCD display
intensity was turned down. Here, "ON-+" means:
o Press and HOLD DOWN the "ON" key.
o Press and release the "+" key, WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE "ON" KEY.
o Release the "ON" key.
4. If this doesn't work, the next thing to try is ON-C. This is a
"warm-start" or "system halt". Note that this will CLEAR the
stack. Here, "ON-C" means:
o Press and HOLD DOWN the "ON" key.
o Press and release the "C" key, WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE "ON" KEY.
o Release the "ON" key.
5. If this still does not work, it is possible that the HP is not
responding because it is not accepting input from the keyboard. It
is possible to execute a system halt without the keyboard using the
hidden reset button. The reset button is hidden under one of the
two upper rubber feet on the bottom of the calculator (it's under
one of the two feet near the serial connector and I/R port). Note
that the location of the reset button (under which foot) varies
from calculator to calculator. If you gently pull out the rubber
feet, you'll notice that there is a small hole under each foot.
The reset button is located in the hole that has an "R" next to it.
Once you've located the correct hole, you press the button by
GENTLY sticking an unbent paper clip, into the hole with the "R"
next to it. Hold for one second and remove.
6. The next thing to try is a complete memory reset. Depending on the
state of your calculator, this may or may not preserve the contents
of memory. At the very least, even if the contents are preserved,
the contents of the HOME directory will probably be moved into a
new directory below HOME (HOME will be empty with the exception of
this new directory); you'll have to manually move the items back
into HOME. To perform a complete memory reset, press ON-A-F. This
means:
o Press and HOLD DOWN the "ON" key.
o Press and HOLD DOWN THE "A" key, WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE "ON" KEY.
o Press and HOLD DOWN THE "F" key, WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE "ON" AND
"A" KEYS.
o Release all of the keys.
o At this point, the calculator will ask you if you want to recover
memory. Answer "yes" to this question. Note that this can take a
long time. If you answer "no", all of memory will be cleared (the
old contents will be lost).
7. If that fails, you should still be able to induce a complete memory
reset by removing your batteries and pressing ON several dozen
times. This will drain the capacitor that stores information when
the batteries are removed, and you should get a "Try to Recover
Memory?" prompt if you have pressed ON enough times to reset your
calculator. If this doesn't work you can try taking the batteries
out for a few hours and then putting them back again. You should
definitely try this method before even considering the next step!
8. WARNING: the next method is HIGHLY unrecommended! Permanent damage
to your HP can result if you try this. In particular, you could
fry a couple diodes used to protect your HP48. You have been
warned!
If your HP48 does not respond to any of the above attempts, you
might consider reversing the polarity of 2 of the 3 batteries VERY
BRIEFLY, pressing ON, then correcting the batteries. Your HP48
should start with a "Try to Recover Memory?" prompt. Even
reversing only 2 of the 3 batteries is dangerous, but it is safer
than reversing all 3 batteries.
Note that simply shorting the battery terminals will not discharge
the storage capacitors. There are diodes between the battery
terminal and the storage capacitors which prevent the DC current
from flowing backward.
This method apparently drains the capacitors and reverse charges
them by running current through the parasitic input protection
diodes in the various CMOS chips.
9. If all of the above fail, or if you decide not to try the last
step, you may have to contact Hewlett Packard for service.
4.5. My HP48 seems to take longer to turn on and off.
The usual causes for this are RAM/ROM cards and libraries. When you
turn the calculator on, it checks RAM (the more you have, the longer
it takes), and checks to see if any libraries need initializing.
Also, having a lot of alarms can supposedly also cause this.
4.6. What are all the different ON-KEY combinations?
From: Dave Arnett
ON In most cases, this will move you to, or toward, the stack
environment.
ON+A+F
This is the manual Coldstart. It will break out of almost any
hung program, and offer you the dreaded option... "Try to
recover memory?" Note that this is your next-to-last resort in
a lock-up, so don't give your machine this three-fingered salute
unless you really want to possibly clear memory.
ON+B
This is the Oops! key for ON codes. For many ON sequences, this
cancels the operation, so long as you press the B before
releasing the ON key. Try it sometime, if you must, just so you
remember it. It can be a life-saver, in case of an accidental
ON+A+F in process, or even accidentally hitting ON during a
plotting routine.
ON+C
This will initiate a Warmstart. You'll lose the stack and PICT,
but it will often get you out of a locked up program with memory
intact.
ON+D
Enters interactive test mode. Back up your own machine and play
around. Exit this test mode with Warmstart, ON+C. See the next
question for all the various tests available here.
ON+E
Starts a looping self-test mode. Kinda dull after the first
five minutes, but it keeps a rather solid tempo. Exit with
Warmstart, ON+C.
ON+4
Cancels repeating alarms.
ON+1
Screen dump utility.
ON+'+' and ON+'-'
Adjusts display contrast.
ON+SPC
Initiates Coma Mode and clears Warm Start Log. In Coma mode,
all the clocked activity is halted. The battery power drain is
basically the few nano-amps [nA] necessary to sustain your RAM
contents. The Warm Start Log is a nearly bullet-proof area of
memory which keeps track of the last four hazardous events.
View it using the command WSLOG. This log is one of the few
things not cleared by a Coldstart. But it is cleared by ON+SPC.
Enter Coma this way if you want to clear the Warm Start Log, if
you are planning to study crystal healing in Tibet for a few
years and want to keep your pirated version of Tetris alive, or
you just have a low power fetish. Exit Coma mode with the ON
key (tough to remember, huh?), and plan to find your stack
cleared out.
Two additional notes on this Coma stuff. First, I'm not gonna
try to list the log codes in WSLOG. Sorry! Second, if your
machine is on, and you drop the batteries out, you will usually
end up in a coma mode to preserve power. WSLOG will not be
cleared. Instead, you will find a code 1 entry there. Some
people are paranoid and want to be in Coma when they change
batteries, just in case they have a sudden emergency call from
the Prime Minister and don't get back to their battery change
for a half hour. If you are one of these... shall I say,
weenies? No, that would be unprofessional ...users, then I
recommend you use the ON+SPC entry route, rather than the
kamikaze method of dropping batteries with the machine running.
Myself, I just turn the machine OFF, like the manual says.
Now, a Coma story... sort of. During the G/GX development, I
maintained a small number of units on which I changed ROM chips
as incremental code releases came out. This was so folks like
Bill Wickes and Jim Donnelly could have fully-real hardware to
test, instead of just the EPROM handsets some of you may have
seen. We always backed up anything of importance in the machine
before we did this. But I got into the habit of using ON+SPC
before I opened up the calculator. Better than half of the
time, I could remove the batteries, open the case, desolder the
old surface-mounted ROM chip, solder down a new chip, and
reassemble the machine... with all of RAM intact! When I
pressed ON, I'd come right back up without a "Try to Recover
Memory?" prompt. Pretty good, huh? The folks who put that mode
into the machine certainly weren't in a coma.
4.7. What are the different interactive self-tests?
Pressing ON-D enters the interactive self test function of the HP48.
When you first press ON-D, your HP will beep and you will see 3
vertical lines, one on each side of the screen and one in the middle.
You can exit this mode with a Warmstart, ON-C. The tests are:
[A]
Displays CPU speed
[B]
LCD test. Press Enter to cycle through the tests
[C]
Internal ROM test
[D]
Internal RAM test
[E]
Keyboard test. Starting with [A], press all the keys in order,
left to right, top to bottom. If all goes well, the HP will
show "KBD1 OK".
[F]
Partial keyboard test
[G]
ESD test monitor. Battery status is shown by bars.
[H]
UART loop-back test
[I]
Wired UART echo
[J]
Shows what cards are plugged in. Press any key a few times.
[K]
Test RAM cards in ports
[L]
Blanks display
[M]
Sends system time from IR port
[N]
Receives system time from IR port (have another HP send it)
[O]
IR loop-back test
[P]
IR UART echo
[S]
Shows test start time
[T]
Shows test fail time
[U V W X Y Z]
Looping test
[ENTER]
Initialize test times
[DEL]
Test summary
[BACKSPACE]
Enters memory scanner (SX only)
When the HP48 is in test mode (ON-D or ON-E), the test results that
are displayed on the screen are also sent to the serial port at 9600
baud, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. This seems to be unaffected by
any settings in IOPAR, PRTPAR, or the system flags. I can only guess
that this feature was included for factory testing purposes. This
does explain, however, why the I/O annunciator lights up so much
during the self test.
4.8. Why do I get an ESD error when I check my batteries with the
self test?
From: Detlef Mueller
If your HP48 batteries are low, try this test with fresh alkaline
AAAs. This test first records the CRC of a RAM segment, then starts a
loop where it creates power peaks and recalculates the CRC again until
you press a key or the CRCs differ. In the latter case one or more
cells of your RAM were "Electro-Statically Discharged" and the test
exits with the last CRC done. If there's a hardwaer problem, this
number should differ in consecutive executed ESD tests - with fresh
AAA alkalines! Old ones or non alkaline batteries may cause trouble
under this test condition.
If the test runs continuously, the bars on the screen reflect the
battery status (low bat if bar is there) of port 2 (below the 2), port
1 (below the 1), and the main AAAs (below 0). If the AAAs are very
low, the V bar comes up.
4.9. I can't account for some of the RAM in the HP48!
The HP48 S/SX/G have 32K base memory, and the GX has 128K. However
not all this memory is available to the user. The operating systems
uses memory for system variables, flags, fonts, last stacks, last
arguments, last menus, and such. It also can be any one of a number
of things:
1. Enabling the use of LAST STACK, LAST ARG, LAST CMD, etc., uses up
extra RAM, as the calculator has to keep track of the last stack,
arguments, command, etc.. This is particularly important with LAST
STACK if you have a large/complex stack, as the HP48 has to keep
enough information around to recreate the stack after each
operation. You can clear out these variables by pressing ON-C (but
also note that this will clear out the stack, the graphics PICT,
etc.)
2. From William Wickes, a member of the HP48 development team: Here's
a candidate for "most obscure way to use up memory on the HP48 SX."
When a program executes DOERR with a string argument, the string
and hence the program too if the string is embedded in the program
are referenced for the sake of the ERRM command. Thus if you purge
the program, the memory used by the program is not reclaimed until
the ERRM reference is updated to a new string. If the string is in
a port, you will get the Object In Use error if you try to purge
the library or backup object containing the string. A system halt
prior to a PURGE will not help unless the object is in port 1 or
port 2 (it will reclaim memory held by a successfully purged but
still referenced object). For port 0 objects, the only way to
break the reference is to execute DOERR again with a new string.
3. Occasionally, I have had problems with libraries disappearing, but
still taking up memory. I found that an "ON-A-F" reset will cause
these libraries to re-appear. If you still cannot account for a
large chunk of memory, I would suggest a hardware reset, after
backing up your memory.
4.10. What are the best methods for installing and removing
libraries?
To install a Library:
1. Download it into a variable of the calc.
2. Place the library on the stack.
3. Type the number of the port in which you want to store the library
in. 0 is appropriate if you do not have any expansion cards.
4. Press STO to store the library in that port.
5. Turn the calculator off and then on, or press ON-C, to finish
installation of the library.
Sometimes you have to purge the variable containing the library before
storing it in a port, if you are low on memory. See the next question
for more information.
If you have FXRECV installed: Just type a port number, hit FXRECV and
the library will automatically go into the specified port. All you
have to do then in turn the calc off and then on to complete the
installation.
To delete a Library:
Say you have library 1234 in port 0 that you want to delete.
1. Go to the directory to which the library is attached. In most
cases this will be HOME.
2. Enter :0: 1234
3. Press [ENTER] or type DUP
4. Type DETACH
5. Type PURGE
If this doesn't work, there may be a reference to the library still in
temporary memory. Try warmstarting with ON-C, then try again.
Libraries with very low library numbers may require the addition of a
constant in order to delete them. For example, to delete a library 4
in port 0 you can add 2048 to the library number, as follows:
1. Type :0: 2052 DETACH
2. Type :0: 4 PURGE
Therefore, here is a fairly general program for detaching and purging
most auto-attaching libraries; the only required argument being the
real library number (e.g. 218 in the above case):
\<< PATH SWAP HOME DUP 2048 + DETACH DTAG "&" \->TAG PURGE EVAL \>>
4.11. How can I attach large libraries?
If have just successfully transferred a library to your HP, and try to
store it in a port you may get an "Insufficient Memory" error. This
is because your HP is trying to make a duplicate copy to store in your
port, but it doesn't have any memory to do so. This is especially
true on the HP48 S/SX/G since they only have 32K of memory built in.
The solution is to push the library onto the stack, then purge the
original variable containing the library. At this point, the only
copy of the library that exists is on the stack. Now you can store
the library in a port as usual. This method avoids temporarily trying
to have two identical copies in memory at the same time.
For example, say you have a library in 'LIB' and you wish to store it
in port 0. You would enter the following:
o Go to the directory containing 'LIB'
o Recall the library to the stack: 'LIB' RCL
o Purge the original from user memory: 'LIB' PURGE
o Enter port number to store in: 0
o Press STO
For the opposite problem - sending large libraries you can follow the
reverse procedure. That is, recall the object from the port to the
stack, purge the original in the port, store it in a variable and then
send it.
Alternatively if the library is in a non-covered port (0/1/2 on SX or
0/1 on GX) you can use the following simple program suggested by Dan
Kirkland:
\<< -> lib \<< 'lib' SEND \>> \>>
This does not require a second copy of the library and avoids all the
complications of trying to purge a library and then re-installing it.
4.12. What are those little numbers near the top of my screen?
The little numbers are "user flags". When you or a program sets any
of the user flags 1 through 5, little numbers corresponding to the set
flags are displayed at the top of the screen.
The HP uses negative flags for setting various modes and functions,
while positive flags were reserved for the use of the user. To set a
user flag type the number, then SF. To clear a user flag type the
number, then CF.
Some programs will use the user flags without you being aware of it.
So, if you have a "1" at the top of the screen you can type 1 CF to
get rid of it.
4.13. Can I use my HP48 as a remote control?
There are numerous programs available for using your HP48's IR port as
a remote control. However, the level of support depends on the
particular unit you wish to control. The HP48 is capable of
reproducing many of the IR controls of many popular brands of
appliances.
However, some remotes run at speeds that the HP48 is unable to
reproduce. Due to their faster processor speed, the G/GX calculators
are able to support more remote controls but are still limited in some
cases.
With typical remote programs you have to "teach" your HP48 by sending
it the various IR sequences with the original remote control. There
are some advantages to using your HP48 however:
o You can impress your friends that you can use your calculator to
control your TV!
o You can set alarms to turn your things on and off at predetermined
times.
o You can use it as a universal remote.
The best remote program by far is Remote by Bjorn Gahm. It has a
large database of existing remotes, meaning you may not have to
"teach" your HP48 your specific remote if it is already supported.
However it also have the ability to learn new codes. See the best
programs list (later in the FAQ) for the specific URL.
4.14. Can the HP48 be used as a DTMF phone dialer?
To make phone dialing tones, you need to produce two simultaneous
tones. The tones used to dial phones are known as DTMF (dual tone
multi frequency) tones, which consist of two tones at the same time.
The speaker in the HP48 is not capable of supporting the DTMF tones
because it can only make a single tone at a time. The best the HP48
can do is switch very quickly between one frequency and another. Some
attempts have been made in machine language to support DTMF, however
they have been unsuccessful. Therefore, you cannot use the HP48 as a
phone dialer.
4.15. How can I run a program on warmstarts and/or power-up?
You can use some of the utilities available on the Goodies Disks (see
Appendix E.5 on where to obtain these):
o AUTOBOOT (GD #7) warmstarts every power-up
o AUTOEXEC (GD #10) Runs 'GO' every power-up
o AUTOPORT (GD #7) Runs &:AUTOEXEC every warmstart
o AUTOSTRT (GD #7) Runs AUTOEXEC every warmstart
Some stack libraries come with support for AUTOEXEC or an equivalent
built in (for example, the Java library supports AUTOEXEC). If one of
the libraries you have installed supports such a feature, you may not
need any of the utilities above.
4.16. I could speed up my HP-28S. How can I speed up my HP48?
You can't, really. Unlike the HP-28S, the clock speed in the HP48 SX
is hardwired to 2 MHz, and to 4MHz in the HP48 GX.
Digitalis <http://www.Digitalis.de/> has a "speed-up" module
available. They sell 48G's with this module added (it looks like it
adds about 50DM/$30 or so to the cost). I'm not sure what it does,
but I think it boosts the clock speed. Apparently it can be turned on
and off as needed, at the sacrifice of shorter battery life.
However, in some cases, you can speed up the HP48 by turning off the
display refresh, which supposedly takes up about 11% of the CPU time.
Detlef Mueller submitted a program called SPEED to comp.sources.hp48
that turns off the display refresh. Of course, since it turns the
display off, it is only suitable for long non-interactive runs like
calculating large integrals, compiling, etc... Look in the various
HP48 archives for a copy.
4.17. What is the hidden directory and how do I access it?
The "hidden directory" is a subdirectory of the HOME directory. It is
created on startup, and it contains variables with your alarms and
user key configurations. You can use the hidden directory to store
whatever you want, however you CAN NOT ORDER the contents of this
directory, as this causes memory loss.
The name of the hidden directory is a null character, ''. The only
way to get a null character is to use a syseval. You can use the
following program to access the hidden directory:
<< HOME (changes to home dir)
#15777h (syseval to get null character)
SYSEVAL (returns '' to stack)
EVAL >> (changes to hidden dir)
To exit the hidden directory, use HOME or UPDIR. This will return you
to the HOME directory.
Also, by putting the null character as a part of your HOME custom
directory, you can switch right into the directory by pressing the
softkey.
Note: The SysRPL command NULLID returns a null character to the stack;
it is the same as doing #15777h SYSEVAL.
4.18. How can I recall one object from a memory archive?
From: Joe Horn
There is a little-known method of recalling objects from within
archives. Just make a list representing the PATH to the object, and
tag the list with the port number. Then hit RCL or EVAL.
For example, if your archive in port 1 is called BKUP, and it contains
a directory called GAMES which contains a program called REVERSI, you
can run the game directly (without having a separate copy of REVERSI
stored anywhere!) by:
:1: { BKUP GAMES REVERSI } EVAL
Or, you can RCL instead of EVAL, and it will be pushed onto the stack.
o This method only works in ports 0 and 1 in a GX. It works on any
port in the SX.
o This method works with directory objects stored as backup objects,
as well as with the results of the ARCHIVE command, because they
are both really the same thing.
4.19. Are there any key combinations that aren't in the manual?
From: John Meyers
Yes, on the G/GX there are a few keys that aren't mentionned. They
are:
o [right-shift] [down-arrow] = Review menu keys
o [right-shift] [right-arrow] = Kermit server mode
[Right-shift] [View] is hidden in Appendix G (Operation Index) of the
User's Guide [Edition 4] (which comes with the calc), among the
several entries for the word VIEW.
AUR [Edition 1] (in chapter 3, Command Reference, under SERVER) gives
the alternate keys [right-shift] [cursor right] (but of course AUR
doesn't come with the calc). This alternative was left out of
Appendix G of the User's Guide. Donnelly's HP48 Handbook [2nd Ed.]
even lists it first!
4.20. How do I find out about commands not in the GX manual?
From: John Meyers
Besides purchasing the Advanced User's Reference Manual (AUR), you can
look in Appendix G of the G/GX User's Guide, which briefly summarizes
every command available in the G/GX, including all the commands not
mentioned anywhere else in the User's Guide. Often even the brief
description given in this Appendix is sufficient for you to use the
command (and to know it exists!).
Some notes on omissions, however:
o VERSION and "_" (attach unit) are missing in Edition 4.
o SUB works with arrays in the G/GX, but this is not in the HP
manuals, nor in Donnelly's HP48 Handbook 2nd Ed 6/93. You can
specify any two "corners" of a rectangular sub-matrix (like with
GET), and it extracts the sub-matrix. Also works with vectors.
4.21. How can one delete (or purge) an entire directory?
o To purge a subdirectory and all that it contains, type in the name
in single quotes, then PGDIR.
o To purge all variables in the current directory, but not the
directory itself, type CLVAR.
Note that with CLVAR, if the current directory contains a non-empty
subdirectory, an error occurs at that point, and no subsequent
variables are purged.
4.22. How does binary wordsize affect my calculations?
From: John Meyers
Some of the following (but not all) is in the User's Guide, under
"Binary Arithmetic and Number Bases" (Chapter 15 of G/GX).
The system flags contain a segment which specifies a "binary word
size". This word size limits how many low-order bits of a binary
value are displayed on the stack, and equally determines how many low-
order bits of the arguments and results of binary
arithmetic/logical/shift operations are used.
Curiously, the binary word size has no effect on entering values into
the command line - what you originally enter is displayed in truncated
form on the stack, but when you view it again in the command line
(which temporarily reverts back to STD numeric display and 64-bit
wordsize) you will find the complete value as entered is still intact.
As soon as you begin using functions on that value, however, the
arguments to binary functions get truncated to the current wordsize
before the functions are executed, and then the final result of the
function gets truncated again.
You can recall the current wordsize using RCWS and set the wordsize
using STWS. STWS accepts a real number argument in the range 1-64
(out of range values get adjusted to either 1 or 64), and it also
accepts a binary argument, in which case the absolute value of the
low-order 20 bits is used (just in case you wondered why #1048576d
STWS RCWS gives an answer of 1).
Don't try adjusting the binary wordsize in the hope of saving memory
by using shorter values; every "user binary integer" (type 10)
produced by User RPL occupies 13 bytes, no matter what the current
wordsize; the HP48 just sets the leading bits to zero when displaying
on the stack or performing calculations.
4.23. Can I add my own equations to HP's Equation Library?
No, the Equation Library is in ROM, and can't be written to. There
are several programs which allow you to create your own equation
library such as EQBrowser, EQ Lib, Equation Manager, and xMGR.LIB.
All of these programs can be found at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/misc/>.
5. Questions about Math, Plotting, and Equations
5.1. Why does (1/3)*3 equal 0.999999999999?
This is due to the way numbers are typically represented by computers
and calculators. There are infinitely many numbers, like `1/3' and
`pi', that cannot be exactly represented internally (their decimal
representations go on forever, and often cannot even be represented as
a fraction, as in the example of `pi'). As a result, any calculations
that use these numbers are bound to be off.
5.2. Why does my HP say that 0 to the power of 0 equals 1?
Some claim that 0^0 is defined as 1, some claim it is indeterminate.
The HP mathematicians decided to use the definition. Here is some
more concrete info shamelessly lifted from the Sci.Math-FAQ:
Question:
What is 0^0 ?
Answer:
According to some Calculus textbooks, 0^0 is an "indeterminate
form". When evaluating a limit of the form 0^0, then you need to
know that limits of that form are called "indeterminate forms",
and that you need to use a special technique such as L'Hopital's
rule to evaluate them. Otherwise, 0^0=1 seems to be the most
useful choice for 0^0. This convention allows us to extend
definitions in different areas of mathematics that otherwise
would require treating 0 as a special case. Notice that 0^0 is a
discontinuity of the function x^y.
Rotando & Korn show that if f and g are real functions that
vanish at the origin and are analytic at 0 (infinitely
differentiable is not sufficient), then f(x)^g(x) approaches 1
as x approaches 0 from the right.
From Concrete Mathematics p.162 (R. Graham, D. Knuth, O.
Patashnik):
"Some textbooks leave the quantity 0^0 undefined, because the
functions x^0 and 0^x have different limiting values when x
decreases to 0. But this is a mistake. We must define:
x^0 = 1 for all x,
If the binomial theorem is to be valid when x=0, y=0, and/or
x=-y. The theorem is too important to be arbitrarily
restricted! By contrast, the function 0^x is quite unimportant."
Published by Addison-Wesley, 2nd printing Dec, 1988.
References:
H. E. Vaughan, The expression '0^0', Mathematics Teacher 63
(1970), pp.111-112.
Louis M. Rotando & Henry Korn, "The Indeterminate Form 0^0",
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 50, No. 1 (January 1977), pp. 41-42.
L.J. Paige, A note on indeterminate forms, American Mathematical
Monthly, 61 (1954), 189-190; reprinted in the Mathematical
Association of America's 1969 volume, Selected Papers on
Calculus, pp. 210-211.
5.3. What is RPN?
Jan Lukasiewicz wrote a book on formal logic in 1951 that showed that
mathematical expressions could be specified without parentheses by
placing the operators before (Polish Notation) or after (Reverse
Polish Notation) the operands. For example, the expression:
(4 + 5) * 6
Could be expressed in RPN as:
4 5 + 6 *
6 4 5 + *
Polish Notation is also known as prefix notation and Reverse Polish
Notation (RPN) is also known as postfix notation.
5.4. Why did HP use RPN in their calculators?
From: Dave Hicks <dgh@hpmuseum.org>
In the years that followed Lukasiewicz's book, computer scientists
realized that RPN or postfix notation was very efficient for computer
math. As a postfix expression is scanned from left to right, operands
are simply placed into a last-in, first-out (LIFO) stack and operators
may be immediately applied to the operands at the bottom of the stack.
By contrast, expressions with parentheses and precedence (infix
notation) require that operators be delayed until some later point.
Thus, the compilers on on almost all modern computers converted
statements to RPN for execution. (In fact, some computer manufacturers
designed their computers around postfix notation.)
At the time that the HP-35 was introduced, other pocket calculators
typically used a partial algebraic model. That meant they could
evaluate trivial expressions like 4+5 but couldn't handle anything
that involved parentheses or algebraic precedence. The technology of
the time didn't allow for full algebraic compilers in pocket
calculators.
RPN allowed HP to produce a pocket calculator that could evaluate
arbitrary expressions using the available technology. For many,
learning a new style of entry was a small price to pay to be able to
evaluate arbitrary expressions on a calculator. Once the technology
to produce algebraic compilers could fit into a pocket calculator,
most RPN users had decided that RPN was more efficient and consistent
for the user as well as for the calculator. Also, because
subexpressions are evaluated as they are entered, entry errors are
more obvious with RPN.
Another advantage to RPN is consistency between machines. Early
algebraic models had differing limits of the complexity of the
expressions they could evaluate. For example, TI catalogs from the
late 70's listed how many levels of parentheses and pending operations
each model could handle. Even today if you begin to use an algebraic
calculator, you need to determine just "how algebraic" it really is.
For example, some switch to RPN for unary operators (ie 5 SIN rather
than SIN(5)) and some can't directly enter an expression like:
4+5
-----
6+7
5.5. Is there an alternative to calculating in RPN?
Many people just can't get used to the interaction with the stack to
do calculations. A simple alternative is to place your equation in
tic marks like '8+10*3' and to use the EVAL as an equals key. This
way you can enter numbers just as you would write them on paper.
5.6. Why do I get unexpected values when I add temperatures?
Example: I add two temperatures like 34 deg.F and 11 deg.F, and I get
504.67 deg.F. Why don't I get 45 deg.F?
This occurs with the S/SX only. This behaviour changed in the G/GX.
With the G/GX, adding 34 deg.F and 11 deg.F will give 45 deg.F using
TINC and TDELTA. However, the G/GX will only add or subtract
temperatures if the units are the same; it is now an error if they are
not.
If the units attached to the number consists only of a temperature and
nothing else, operations are done using an absolute temperature scale
(relative to absolute zero). If the units consists of a temperature
and something else, such as degrees/minute, the operation will not be
done using an absolute temperature scale.
It also does not make any physical sense to add two temperatures. You
can't add a cup of water at 20 degrees C to a cup of water at 30
degrees C and end up with two cups of water at 50 degrees C.
5.7. How can I add my own units? What's the 1_? unit for?
Note: Some later editions of the G/GX series manuals have some similar
information on this subject.
Another feature is the generic unit, 1_?. It seems to be intended as
a generic unit, to allow you to make new units not based upon any of
the built-in ones. You could use it to create a conversion utility
for currencies or bits and bytes. Before you create either, check the
FTP sites to see what others have done in this regard.
o User units may be defined by creating a variable of any name (the
new unit name), into which you store its definition in terms of
other units, e.g. 2_mph 'stroll' STO; you can also use other user
units in a definition, e.g. 3_stroll 'run' STO.
o You can then use the new unit name(s) in any custom or temporary
menu, just the same as any other unit in the built-in Units
Catalog. For example, { 1_stroll 1_run ... } TMENU
Here's an example. Convert this using ASC\-> and save it as 'sample'.
"69A20FF78E000000005046F6E6574750ADA209C2A2C2A2070000F368B01B2130
E20005046F6A756E650ADA20339201000000000000210C2A20F000046F6E6574
768B01B2130640005086F6D6562750ADA20339200000000000000510C2A20F00
0046F6E65747C2A20B0000D696E686B0168B01B2130B5000303435453047A204
7A20C2A20F000046F6E65747ADA209C2A2C2A20F000046F6E6574768B01B2130
B213047A20C2A20F000046F6A756E6ADA209C2A2C2A20F000046F6A756E668B0
1B2130B213047A20C2A20F000086F6D65627ADA209C2A2C2A20F000086F6D656
2768B01B2130B2130B2130F0DA"
This is a sample directory with a custom menu. Enter the directory
and press the CST key. Here you will see three units (truncated to
fit the softkeys): donut, dozen, and homer. A dozen is defined as
12_donut, and a homer is a rate of 1.5_donut/min (not part of the SI
system). These units may take SI prefixes described on page 10-5 of
the User's Guide, so you may convert the value of 3_MW*h/kdonut into
units of erg/mdozen using CONVERT, for example. The items in the CST
menu have the usual abilities of unit menu objects as described on
pages 10-2 and 10-3 of the User's Guide. These units can be used for
math operations described on page 10-7 of the User's Guide, such as
adding 2_donut to 1_dozen.
Example: At your power plant, you have four control room operators who
have a combined consumption rate of 2.28 homers. How many donuts will
they use in 5 minutes and 17 seconds?
o Enter the rate.
2.28 [homer]
o Enter the time.
Right-shift UNITS [TIME]
5 [min]
17 [s] +
o Multiply the time by the rate (*)
o Convert to dozens:
CST Left-shift [dozen]
o The answer is a little over 1.5 dozen.
5.8. I want `pi' to be a numeric value, not a symbol.
You are using "Numeric Constants Mode". To turn this mode on or off:
SX:
Type -2 SF. This turns the numeric constants mode on. To turn
it off, type -2 CF.
GX:
Go to the MODES menu (press green/right-shift MODES). Hit the
key for FLAG submenu. Toggle the second flag "Constant -> symb"
to turn on and off.
5.9. What tricks are there for manipulating matrices?
SX:
You can build up a matrix by rows using \GS+. You can take a
matrix apart by rows using \GS- These two commands (\GS is Sigma
(Greek E)) add and subtract rows from the SigmaDAT Statistics
matrix. \GS+ takes a vector row and adds it to SigmaDAT, and
\GS- takes the bottom row away from SigmaDAT. \GS+ is
accessible from the STAT menu with its own softkey. \GS- can be
obtained by pressing left-shift /GS+, or by typing it in at the
command line.
GX:
The GX has many matrix functions built in. See Appendix B-1.
5.10. Can I make my HP graph any faster?
Try lowering the plotting resolution by typing #2 RES. You can use
larger values for faster speed at the expense of number of points
plotted. In the GX Plotting Options Menu this setting is known as the
"STEP" rate.
Alternatively, if you have a G series machine, you could try
SpeedGraph, a fast assembly language plotter replacement. See
<http://www.hpcalc.org/> for a copy.
5.11. How do I plot inequalities?
In the user's manual, inequalities are referred to as "truth plots".
They are defined as expressions that return true (any nonzero real
number) or false (0) results. In a truth plot, a pixel is turned on
if the expression is true, it's unchanged if the expression is false.
For example to plot the simple inequality 'X>0' you could do:
TRUTH
-20 20 XRNG
-10 10 XRNG
ERASE DRAX DRAW
For more complicated examples see your manual, or on a G/GX you can
type TEACH to look at some of the built-in examples. It may also be
useful to plot the lines defining the outline true region. This is
easily done by changing the plotting style to FUNCTION or CONIC and
plotting again, taking care not to erase any previous plot.
Note that unless otherwise specified, every pixel in the display must
be evaluated. As such, truth plots can be very slow. If you have a
general idea on which values are going to return true, you can speed
up plotting by specifying a smaller x and y plotting range. You can
do this by setting the "LO" and "HI" input forms on a G/GX, which can
be different than the actual display range.
If you are plotting the area between two equations, you speed up
plotting dramatically by avoiding a TRUTH plot entirely. Store the
two equations as the first two items in the current EQ list. Using
NXEQ in the FCN menu will rotate the list as desired to plot both
functions. Then the area between them can filled in very quickly
using the SHADE key of the FCN menu (in the PICTURE environment).
Another hint for speeding up Truth plots is to set the resolution, say
to 2 pixels or more, which also results in a different "shading
pattern". The resolution can be set with the RES command.
5.12. How do I take the logarithm of a base other than 10 or e?
To take the log of a number other than base 10 or e, say log x base y,
you use the formula:
ln x
-------- where ln is natural log (log works too)
ln y
A quick program to do it would be: << SWAP LN SWAP LN / >>
With the input of:
2: x
1: y
5.13. How do I solve quadratic equations?
The QUAD command is designed to solve expressions at degree up to two.
One would expect the result of the simple expression 5=x/(1+x) to be
x=-5/4. But using the QUAD command, the HP gives the complex solution
(0.5, 2.17944947177) i.e. the principal value (with flag 1 set).
What is the reason for this?
The QUAD command is designed to solve quadratic equations. If the
equation is not of the form:
a*x^2 + b*x + c = d*x^2 + d*x + e
The HP48 calculates a quadratic taylor series expansion which is then
solved like a normal quadratic equation. The HP does the same when
the equation is of a higher order. In the example above, the equation
x/(1+x)-5=0 has the expansion:
-x^2 + x - 5 = 0,
Which has two complex conjugate solutions. However, if you multiply
the equation by (1+x)/, you get:
x = 5 * (1+x)
Which can be solved directly with QUAD. If the equation contains the
variable only once, it's the best way to use the ISOL command instead.
5.14. Why do I get a complex answers for roots of negative numbers?
This typically occurs for the (2n+1) roots of negative numbers, where
n is a positive integer. For example, to calculate the fifth root of
-3125 you can enter:
-3125^0.2
The result is the complex number (4.04508497187, 2.93892626146) or in
DEG mode (4.99999999999, >36). The reason for this answer is that
-3125^(1/5) has five different answers - arranged in a pentagon in the
complex plane. In general, y^(1/x) has x different answers (y^x with
x irrational has an infinite set of answers forming a circle on the
complex plane).
Since 180/5 = 36 [degrees], this is the correct principal "5th root"
of the negative argument in the complex plane; the HP48, unlike older
calculators, does not turn "complex mode" on or off, so all "analytic"
functions in the HP48 always accept complex arguments, and always
return valid complex answers if suitable.
To calculate the desired solution, you have to use the right-shifted
V-key with input like this:
2: -3125
1: 5
Or you can use 'XROOT(5,-3125)' since XROOT is defined to both accept
and return real values only.
5.15. Why doesn't '(-8)^(2/3)' give me the right answer (4)?
From: John Meyers
The reason is that the function ^ accepts and returns complex values
whenever appropriate, and also always returns the "principal" answer
in the complex plane, which may not be real if the argument is
negative, even if there exist other real-valued possible results.
Here are some UserRPL programs which handle this sort of general "real
power of real" question, even with fractional powers, including the
sticky issue of getting the right sign.
Note that the "power" argument (level 1) may be either a fraction or a
real number; we use \->Q in all cases to convert it to a fraction,
which may be necessary to determine the correct sign of the answer.
\<< \->NUM DUP SIGN SWAP ABS \->Q
IF DUP TYPE THEN OBJ\-> DROP2 ELSE 1 END
4 ROLLD * ^ SWAP XROOT \>>
The version above is generally satisfactory for fractional powers
which do not have a large numerator; otherwise an intermediate result
might overflow, giving an invalid result.
The next version is overflow-resistant, but there is sometimes a
slight roundoff error from using ^ ABS:
\<< \->NUM DUP2 ^ ABS SWAP ABS \->Q
IF DUP TYPE THEN OBJ\-> DROP2 ELSE 1 END
4 ROLL SIGN ROT ^ SWAP XROOT * \>>
Neither of the above programs ensures that its arguments are actually
real; other arguments (e.g. complex) can sneak by, possibly producing
meaningless answers. You can prevent this in either program by
following \->NUM with OVER R\->B OVER R\->B DROP2
For example, with -8 and '2/3' as arguments, (or even -8 and
.666666666667 as arguments), the answer is 4. To make the above into
a user-defined function which can be used in algebraic expressions:
\<< \-> p r \<< r p \->NUM \->Q IF ... END \>> \>> 'XPOWR' STO
Then 'XPOWR(2/3,-8)' EVAL ==> 4 [using XPOWR() just like XROOT()]
Note: There are actually two different XROOT functions in the HP48;
the algebraic version of XROOT expects its arguments in the opposite
order from the stack-based version of XROOT (which inadvertently gave
rise to a list-processing bug in early G-series ROM versions: K, L, M
and P).
If you define XPOWR for yourself, as above, you will have to make sure
that you use a consistent argument order for both algebraic and stack
usage, unless you either make two separate functions or get into some
fancy library-making, to duplicate something akin to the built-in
"dual" XROOT functions.
5.16. How do I solve polynomials?
Another fast way to solve quadratic equations (or polynominals of
higher degree) is by using the PROOT command. Place a vector with the
coefficients of the polynominal on the stack.
For example:
x^3 - 9*x^2 + 26*x - 24
Would look like:
[1 -9 26 -24]
Then press left shift, SOLVE (key 7), POLY (key C), PROOT (key A).
The result is [2 3 4], which are the roots of the equation.
5.17. How can I do statistics for grouped data?
Excerpt of postings from John Meyers
You must replicate the individual values or you can use a weighted
analysis. For weighted analysis, Joe Horn's WEIGHT2 directory which
can be found on Goodies Disk 8.
For weighted mean of numeric grades (or grade equivalents), with the
number of credits for each course being the weight, you can use the
program below.
First, fill in the statistics matrix, using any of the built-in
statistics applications, entering each numeric grade equivalent in
column 1, and the corresponding number of credits in column 2. Then
press the key for the program below, which returns three results:
o Weighted mean of column 1, using weights from column 2
o Standard deviation (estimated from samples entered)
o Standard deviation (of population actually entered)
If you select an "X-Column" and/or a "Y-Column" different from the
defaults (columns 1 and 2), then the results reflect the values in the
"X-Column" using weights from the "Y-Column".
The program below is a slight improvement upon WEIGHT3, in that it no
longer requires SigmaPAR to exist (the standard default columns are
assumed if not). Credits go to Bob Wheeler for coming up with the
algorithm, and to John Meyers for implementing the following program:
%%HP: T(3); @ \-> is right-arrow, \v/ is Square Root, \GS is Sigma
@ WMS - Weighted Mean and Standard Deviation, HP48G/GX
@ Stack diagram: ( SigmaDAT and SigmaPAR ) --> Mean, SDev(S), SDev(P)
@ If SigmaPAR does not exist, then
@ Col 1 (XCOL) is value and Col 2 (YCOL) is weight, by default
\<< '\GSPAR' DUP VTYPE 0 < { DROP 1 2 } { RCL 1 2 SUB EVAL } IFTE
0 0 DUP2 \-> x f w d m v
\<< RCL\GS x COL- SWAP DROP ARRY\-> EVAL \->LIST
RCL\GS f COL- SWAP DROP ARRY\-> EVAL \->LIST
2 \<< DUP2 'w' STO+ m - * DUP 'd' STO
w / 'm' STO+ m - d * 'v' STO+ \>> DOLIST
m v w DUP2 1 - / \v/ ROT ROT / \v/
\>> \>>^
If all you want is the weighted mean, and not the standard deviations,
then you can dispense with all of the above, and just use a shortcut
posted in GD7/MATH/WEIGHT.DOC by Joe Horn (basically, it is
Sum(X*Y)/Sum(Y), where Y is the weight for X).
If you would rather replicate data points, then read on - however, if
the "weights" associated with your data points are either very large
or non-integers, then the following will be either very cumbersome or
not possible, respectively. Press left-shift STAT DATA (on G/GX) to
get to the menu containing the "Sigma+" "Sigma-" and "ClearSigma"
commands.
Press "ClearSigma" to remove the old SigmaDAT. The first data must be
entered as a vector: For example [2 4] and pressing "Sigma+". Now all
other data pairs are entered without the brackets just as a pair
separated by a space: e.g. 4 3 and pressing "Sigma+" and so on.
"Sigma-" in the HP48 does not accept data; rather, it simply removes
the last-entered data point/row, popping it back onto the stack for
you (the result is always one vector or scalar). If every point is
removed, the statistics matrix is also deleted.
Now we can understand Joe Horn's program which accepts a data
point/row, in whatever form the HP48 is prepared to accept it (single
number, vector, or group of numbers), plus a frequency (integer only)
on stack level 1, and then appends the data point/row the given number
of times. Note that you must always supply a frequency, even if it is
1, and that any meaningless "frequency" less than 1 will be treated as
1.
\<< -55 CF 1 SWAP START \GS+ LASTARG NEXT DROP \>>
Obviously, \GS+ and \GS- represent the "Sigma+" and "Sigma-" commands.
Example: If the Statistics Matrix (SigmaDAT) already has two columns,
and if we want to enter the new data pair [ 3 4 ] five times, we can
simply type 3 4 5 and then press the key for the above program (don't
forget to use a data vector for the very first data row).
For large frequencies, as noted, you will find this to be slow, not to
mention the memory required for the multiple matrix rows; however,
once you have literally entered every single data row, you can then do
all the regression analysis and plotting you want, without the need
for additional programming.
5.18. How do I generate a function table?
An easy and versatile way is to use the powerful list processing
capabilities of the HP48. Generate a list with the x values, then
perform the operations on that list. For example:
{ .1 2 2.5 5 123.4 } SQ will output { .01 4 6.25 25 15227.56 }
There are also several programs/libs to create a function table. Take
a look at <http://www.hpcalc.org/> and search for "MathTools" by Jack
Levy or "Table" by Diego Berge.
If you are low on memory or want a customizeable program you can use a
tiny User-RPL program. Here are two suggestions with different forms
of the output. All programs use the SEQ command, which is the key
command here! (for further information read the manual). Input is for
example:
5: 'SQ(x)'
4: x
3: 11 (start)
2: 25 (end)
1: 1 (step)
The first mini program will output a matrix with the calculated values
%%HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);
\<< SEQ OBJ\-> COL\-> 1
COL\->
\>>
The second one will give x and f(x) in an array
%%HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);
\<< 4 DUPN 4 PICK 4
ROLLD SEQ OBJ\-> COL\->
6 ROLLD SEQ OBJ\->
COL\-> 2 COL\->
\>>
6. Questions about cards, data transfers, batteries, and hardware
6.1. My HP48 seems to making a high pitched noise.
From: Dave Arnett
The guts of the HP48 keyboard are assembled from several layers of
mylar and similar material. Some of the layers have conductive ink to
create switch contacts. Some are insulators, with appropriately
located holes through which the switch contacts meet. Some are
embossed with spherically domed areas, to provide the snap-spring feel
when you press the plastic keys. The entire multi-layer sandwich is
assembled onto plastic pegs on the backside of the HP48 top case,
along with the metal chassis, and then the pegs are "heat stacked",
positively capturing and holding the matrix together.
These parallel planes can act like a capacitive speaker. Most
loudspeakers in home electronics are inductive: a sheet or cone moves
because current passes through an attached coil positioned in a
magnetic field. A capacitive speaker creates sound by moving a sheet
or diaphragm due to electric charge forces, whether attracting or
repelling. The HP48 keyboard has the necessary characteristics to be
a very inefficient (therefore quiet) capacitive speaker.
When the HP48 "scans" the keyboard, charges are placed on the parallel
sheets of mylar. They tend to move as a result of the charge, and
create a faint squeal or whine. The loudness will depend on a number
of factors, and can vary significantly from HP48 to HP48. Some folks
report that, on their HP48, the sound is stronger on the back than on
the front; others report the opposite.
6.2. Can I upgrade my S or G to more than 32K ram?
It is possible to do this by opening up the case and adding some
memory chips. There are several containing instructions and
schematics available at:
<http://www.hpcalc.org/docs/opening/>
There is a web page on how to open your HP48 from the back at
<http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~drury/how2open.htm>
This is an illustrated guide on how to open your HP48 from the back.
It has full instructions, as well as 15 pictures of the calculator in
various stages of disassembly.
An alternate way to open your HP48 and upgrade it to 256K is described
at the following site, along with lots of pictures:
<http://studwww.eurecom.fr/~grundsch/>
Another good site is:
<http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/7584/index.html>
WARNING: It is possible to ruin your HP in the process of performing
any one of these upgrades. Do not even attempt it unless you are
adept at working with small electronics. The FAQ maintainer and the
authors of the instructions take no responsibility for anything you do
to your HP!
6.3. Can I add a lithium battery backup?
From: Lee Studley <RStud39515@aol.com>
I recently did a modification to my 48G by replacing the 32K ram with
a surface mount 128x8 RAM. Afterwards, I sandwiched 2nd and 3rd RAM
chips by stacking them up and soldering. The 2nd CS was jumpered over
to the expansion pin 21a. The decode for the 3rd part was easy to
figure out. I've also added a lithium battery to insure memory
retention. This thing now has 128K user memory, 128K in port 1, and
128K in port 2. Additional port 2 chips can easily be added.
The 3 volt lithium battery used was the generic coin type. I just made
room for the holder and battery by removing the aluminum shield up to
the plastic post near the piezo element. The positive terminal of the
battery goes through a 470 ohm resistor into the anode of a schotky
diode (only 0.2 volt forward drop). The cathode end of the diode
feeds the positive side of the big 1000 uF capacitor near the added
74HC00. This is the memory retention cap when the batteries are
removed.
This way, the lithium battery only gets used if the main batteries are
removed or very low. Seems to work well so far. The ground
connection broken by cutting the aluminum shield kills the reset and
piezo contact points. To fix this, I stretched the original piezo
contact spring and cut it in half. Then I soldered the cut piece to
the ground "twisted" tab near the original spring. (readers should
verify this ground with a meter.) This restored the lost functions.
6.4. How can I get/build a cable for my HP48?
Some places that sell the HP48 also sell the cable required for
interfacing with a PC. Unfortunately, most don't.
For information on how to build your own cable, see Appendix D-1.
If you want to buy one, there are a few options. Places like ElekTek
sell them for around $20-$25.
There are a few netters that make cables for sale also. Contact:
o Chris Edmunds <chris@muffet.com> Web page:
<http://muffet.com/hp/cables/ad.html>
o Joel Kolstad <kolstadj@peak.org>
o Greg Lousteau <greg@gregjeff.com>
<http://www.gregjeff.com/greg/cable.html>
If you live in a larger city, you can look in the Yellow Pages for a
listing of HP authorized dealers who either have the cables in stock
or can order them in about the same time a mail order place can, but
for a lower price..
6.5. HP seems to offer two link kits with different prices.
HP offers two link kits, one which sells for about US$20, and the
other which sells for about US$50. The only difference between the
two is the higher priced kit comes with software and a manual. The
cable, however, is the same in both kits.
As mentionned in the next question, free alternatives to this software
are readily available. HP's software also includes some assorted
miscellaneous programs and games, all of which are also available from
HP via FTP or WWW.
6.6. Is there any communications software available?
In Windows 3.x you can use Terminal (in Accessories). In Windows 95
and OS/2 Warp, HyperTerminal can be used, or you can use any other
"terminal emulator" package with some level of embedded Kermit file
transfer capability.
However, the most complete functionality is available with full
Kermit, which can be downloaded from <ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/> or
HP. Columbia University is the original site for Kermit and has
versions for nearly all operating systems, including all forms of
Unix, Amiga, and Macintosh.
Of course if you have a G/GX machine you can use X-Modem instead of
Kermit (X-Modem is generally faster). [Hyper]Terminal works fine for
X-Modem as well. Alternative file transfer software is available from
the FTP sites mentionned in the Appendix, or can be purchased (e.g.
Donnelly's HP48 File Manager).
Also of interest are several freeware/shareware programs, including
the HP48 Explorer for use with Windows 95. This can be obtained at
<http://members.tripod.com/~nberry/hp48g/index.html>.
6.7. Why doesn't the I/R port work farther than a few inches?
It turns out that it is the receiver that is "crippled". The transmit
range is somewhere around several feet, and some people have actually
written programs to make the HP48 emulate some remote controls (see
Appendix E-1 for suggested programs).
There are currently two stories going around as to why. I will
present both of them in the interest showing all sides of the story.
You are free to decide which you believe:
1. The head of the HP48 design team, Dr. William Wickes himself,
alluded during the Chicago Handheld Conference that the IR was
intentionally crippled due to the concerns of certain individuals
in academia that students could literally 'beam' information from
one 48 to another during examinations. (from Rick Grevelle)
2. The reason the IR reception distance is so short is battery
capacity. The Infrared Transmitter is semaphore: It is only turned
on when it needs to be on, and the transmission protocol is defined
to minimize the ON time. The receiver, by contrast, must be on
continually when a transmission is in process, or when a
transmission is expected. If you set your HP48 to Server mode, that
receiver is drawing power. If you tweak the control bits to
activate the receiver for any other reason, it is drawing power.
The instantaneous peak power drawn by the transmitter is much
higher than that of the receiver. But in the long run, the
receiver will draw more energy from the batteries. Increasing the
receiver sensitivity costs even more power.
6.8. Can my HP48 talk to my HP100LX via Infrared?
Yes, it can, although slowly. Set the HP100LX at 2400 bps, and put it
in server mode (under the Kermit Commands menu). Then you can send
stuff from your HP48 to your HP100LX.
6.9. Can I use my HP48 to communicate with IrDA devices?
From: David Johnson
I have had great success communicating via IR with my HP48 GX rev. R
and a NEC Versa 6050MH notebook PC. However, I have found that speed
is limited to 2400 bps. I have successfully used IR communication
under Win95 with DOS Kermit 3.14, HyperTerminal, HP48 Explorer, Yellow
Computing Transfile Win 48, and Kermit v0.85 (Win32).
I have had no success with Grab48 screen capture by HP or with HP PDL
(only because I can't use a port higher than COM2). In my case DOS
Kermit requires a command like:
set com3 \x03E8 \9 ; Syntax for nonstandard address or irq
Which is the port and IRQ specified in my BIOS setup. It doesn't seem
to matter what IR speed I choose in the BIOS setup. However, in all
cases (even native Win95 applications) I must disable the IR drivers
in Win95 and talk straight to the port/IRQ specified in the BIOS. I
can easily turn IR support on and off within a Win95 session with no
ill effects via the control panel.
Note that the HP48 is not actually IrDA compatible, but communicates
with IR devices in non-IrDA mode.
6.10. Can I print to a LaserJet printer with an HP48?
From: Derrik Pates
Yes you can, but you need the HP PCL library from
<http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/misc/pcl.zip>. It allows you to
communicate with any printer that supports PCL (all HP DeskJets and
LaserJets, as well as some other laser printers and inkjet printers).
You can hot-switch your resolution and turn PCL on/off with software
commands.
Although newer HP printers such as the 5P and 5MP have an IR port, you
cannot use it to print directly from your HP48.
6.11. I downloaded a program but all I get is "HPHP48-..."!
Some versions of Kermit distinguish between ASCII and binary files,
and so you have to worry about the transfer modes at both ends of the
connection (the HP48 SX end and the computer end). For example, when
receiving ASCII files, Unix Kermit must translate CR/LF pairs into LF.
If the HP48 SX is transmitting a binary file, but the Unix Kermit is
expecting ASCII, any CR/LF pairs in the binary file will get
translated to LF, corrupting the binary file. Unfortunately, you
cannot "uncorrupt" the corrupted binary file by simply reversing the
transfer and expecting Kermit to translate LF to CR/LF. This is
because the binary file may contain occurrences of LF that were not
originally part of a CR/LF sequence.
When a binary file gets corrupted, it will display on the stack as a
string, starting with the characters "HPHP48-", and continuing on with
a bunch of garbage. Thanks to two programs, these strings can be
reconverted to binary files right on the HP48. These programs are:
FIXIT, by Joe Horn and Mika Heiskanen, or OBJFIX, written by our
friends at HP. These are included in Appendix A-2.
The major difference between FIXIT and OBJFIX is the way they operate.
I have never personally had any problems with either. FIXIT takes the
bad "HPHP48-" string from level 1 of the stack, and replaces it with
the correct binary object. OBJFIX takes the name of the variable in
which the "HPHP48-" string is stored from level 1 of the stack, and
puts the correct binary object directly in the variable where the bad
string was stored. It's up to you which you prefer. I would suggest
reading the documentation of both before using either of them.
There is also a quick fix available from Dan Kirkland:
Here is a simple SYSEVAL program that will return a pointer to the
object in those data transfer strings that start with "HPHP48-"
Checksum: # 8FEh
<< "12" SWAP + # 402Bh SYSEVAL # 62B9Ch SYSEVAL >>
That's all! (Simple huh!) Name? Whatever you want!! Works on all
48s (S/SX, G/GX)
6.12. What is the structure of HP48 ASCII headers?
From: Jorge Costa
ASCII file headers such as %HPHP: T(3)A(D)F(.); are created by the
HP48 when an ASCII file is sent to the PC and read when a HP48 ASCII
file is received from the PC. They serve to preserve various settings
on your HP that affect ASCII transfers. They do not affect binary
mode transfers.
Three parameters are saved: (T)ranslation Mechanism, (A)ngle Mode, and
(F)raction Mark.
Translation Mechanism:
The possible ASCII translation schemes are as follows:
T HP48 -> PC PC -> HP48
---------------------------------------------------------
0 No translation No translation
1 char 10 -> chars 10,13 chars 10,13 -> char 10
2 Action 1 & translate Action 1 & translate
chars 128 - 159 \000 - \159 to HP48 chars
3 Action 1 & translate Action 1 and translate
chars 128 - 255 \000 - \255 to HP48 chars
To choose your favorite set, just type the number followed by the
command TRANSIO on the HP48 command line. Depending on which
translation scheme you are using, the HP48 converts a different set
of characters to PC ASCII format. I would advise using option 3,
since this forces the calculator to translate all symbols to pure
ASCII (look for the table in page 27 - 16 of the HP48G series
user's guide). If you choose to use option 0 or 1, all characters
from code 128 to 255 would be interpreted following the current
code page of the PC setup - it will be unreadable!
Also, if you are receiving ASCII files in your machine and you get
a bunch of black squares, you can be fairly certain you are using
translation mode 0, which makes the HP receive and store all
newline characters (instead of eliminating them).
Angle Mode:
o A(D) stands for degrees.
o A(R) stands for radians.
o A(G) stands for gradians.
Fraction Mark:
The HP48 can handle two types of fractions marks - the decimal
dot or comma. This option is available from the MODES input
form (48G/GX) or menu 64.01.
With regards to the ASCII header we have:
o F(.) means the format is dot.
o F(,) means the format is comma.
If you try manually editing an ASCII file on the PC without a
header, then try to send it to the HP48 using Kermit, you can
obtain the following results:
Number format Text sent Result (object stored)
. 3.4 3.4
. 3,4 3 4
, 3.4 3 4
, 3,4 3,4
As you would expect, sending files with ASCII headers to the HP48
with mismatching fraction mark settings, leads to an "Invalid
Syntax" error during transfer.
Now take a look at rows 2 and 3 of the table above - the object
received by the HP48 is stored as a program object without the <<
and >> composed by two real numbers - well, that normally can't be
done in User RPL!
In fact the resulting object is a very simple System RPL program
object (the internal language of the HP48). The conclusion is that
when a file is sent without an ASCII header, the HP48 translates
numbers with mismatching formats into System RPL secondaries
(programs) of the form:
:: %IntegerPart %FractionalPart ;
6.13. Why do Kermit transfers seem to get slower?
From: Dan Kirkland
The reason the HP48 Kermit routines are so slow is because they are
written in System RPL. Everytime the HP48 receives a packet (received
as a string), it copies the previously received packets (string #1)
and the new packet (string #2) to a new string (which becomes string
#1 when the next packet is received). This is why the HP48 Kermit
gets slower and slower on big transfers (string #1 just keeps getting
bigger).
As to sliding windows... Sliding windows really don't help much with
a clean, lag-free connection. And as most people connect their HP48
directly to the computer they are transfering to/from with a very
short line, it is almost always very clean and lag-free. So, sliding
windows have very little to offer HP48 transfers.
Yes, properly written Kermit routines should be at least as good as
ZModem, even without sliding windows. And with a dirty, lagged
connection, Kermit with sliding windows will blow ZModem away. But
then, this just doesn't happen very often with HP48 connections.
Some claim that the HP48 can't do ZModem without tons of trickery
because it doesn't have a large enough input buffer. While this is
true, it shouldn't be too hard to do. And the same is true for Kermit
if it is going to get ZModem type speed! Small packets are more
reliable, but much bigger packets are needed for speed.
6.14. Why does XRECV not work sometimes? (GX)
Pre-Rev R. G Series 48's had a bug that would sometimes cause XRECV to
fail if there was not twice the amount of room free for the incoming
file. FXRECV, a fix for this bug, is available on the Horn 9 disk in
the directory \HP as FXRECV. There is more info about this bug there
as well. Note that FXRECV is not required for Rom R, and in fact
will not run properly on Rom R.
6.15. Additional Tips on Transfers
To use the least memory when doing transfers, it is a good idea to use
the built-in "Transfer..." application only to set parameters (Wire,
Baud, etc...) but not to actually start a transfer with it; instead,
press ENTER, then do either left-shift RECV (Kermit) or 0 FXRECV
(Modified X-Modem). Avoiding the fancy "dialog box" application
leaves more memory free at the time of actual transfer.
For best quick-start of a transfer, start the Kermit receive side
before the transmit side. For X-Modem the opposite is true: start the
transmit side before the receive side (with only a short interval
between each side's start). Experiment a bit to find out what works
best for you.
Here is a small program for Kermit that lets you receive directly to a
port:
\<< -36 SF 1 \-> a \<< 'a' RECN a \>> SWAP STO \>>
For the argument use either just a number (if receiving a library) or
a port-tagged name such as :0: name (for other objects, and in fact
for libraries as well, but only the port number is used).
This program may be simpler to follow than the User's Guide directions
for installing a library, since it encapsulates the several steps of
storing in memory, recalling to stack, purging the variable, and
finally storing to a port. Even if you forget to supply the portname
argument, the received object will still appear on the stack (provided
flag -55 is clear), and you can finish storing it afterwards.
6.16. What do the funny symbols in this document mean?
The symbols in this document such as \-> and \GS+ are the ASCII
representation of the special HP48 graphical characters. See the
section "Character Translations" in the manual for a complete table of
symbols <--> ASCII representations.
SX:
Chapter 33 (Volume II if 2 volumes)
GX:
Page 27-16 HP48 G Series User's Guide
6.17. What are the pinouts for the HP48 serial connector?
Looking at the pins of the HP48 (the following diagram is showing the
pins on the HP48, as you look at the calculator):
_________
| o o o o |
\_______/
^ ^ ^ ^
| | | \------ 4 Signal GND
| | \-------- 3 RX (input to the HP48)
| \---------- 2 TX (output from the HP48)
\------------ 1 SHIELD
Stated another way:
HP48 IBM 9 PIN IBM 25 PIN
(From the outside
edge -> inward)
SHIELD------------------- SHIELD---------------- SHIELD
TX (Output)<-------------2 RX (Input)------------3 RX (Input)
RX (Input)-------------->3 TX (Output)---------->2 TX (Output)
SGND---------------------5 GND-------------------7 GND
This information is also on page 27-7 of the G/GX manual.
6.18. Is there any information on interfacing to the HP48?
HP has made available an UNSUPPORTED document called the "HP48 I/O
Technical Interfacing Guide", which contains information on the wired
and serial I/O hardware. Another HP document available is the "HP48
I/O Software Interfacing Guide". Also, there are a number of guides
contributed by users on making your own serial/IR hardware.
Look at <http://www.hpcalc.org/docs/programming/> as well as the ftp
sites listed in the Appendix. If you find a good document, let me
know so I can put it here!
6.19. How can I transfer programs/data from my HP-28S to my HP48?
You use a program called "INPRT", which is available on GD #9. Any
previous version will crash the GX. The new version's checksum is
#EDF3h, and the old, SX-only version's checksum is #2280h.
For each program that you want to transfer, you use the HP 28S to
print it to the I/R output; INPRT, running on the HP48, reads the I/R
output of the HP 28S and converts it into a program string.
6.20. Can I use rechargeable batteries with the HP48?
The Rayovac "Renewal" batteries have proven themselves to be reliable
in the HP48, but there are some problems with Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad)
batteries. You'll have to decide if using rechargeable batteries is
worth putting up with the problems associated with them:
o You'll have to change batteries more often with rechargeable
batteries. Alkaline batteries can deliver power for a longer
period of time, compared to rechargeable batteries.
o Once the low-battery indicator comes on, you'll have to change the
rechargeable batteries pretty quickly. With rechargeable
batteries, you have only a few minutes before the calculator dies
(it's been said that you have up to 15 minutes or so). With
alkaline batteries, you have an amount of time that is supposedly
measured in hours.
o Ni-Cad batteries lose their charge with time, even if you are not
using them. Even if a Ni-Cad battery is just sitting unused on a
shelf, it slowly loses its charge. Alkaline batteries keep their
charge for a very long time.
6.21. How can I tell, from within a program, if the battery is low?
The following 48 program reports the status of the ALERT annunciator.
The ALERT annunciator is activated by alarms or low battery.
This program is provided free of charge "as is" and has no warranty.
No one is liable for any consequential damages. Preston
%%HP:T(3)A(D)F(.);
\<<
RCLF
8 STWS #FFh #0h +
#10Bh
#6595Ah SYSEVAL
#8h AND #0h >
SWAP STOF
\>>
6.22. I lost the information on my RAM Card when I changed the bat-
tery!
You forgot to turn ON the calculator before changing the battery. The
HP only supplies power to the RAM card while the HP is turned on.
While the calculator is turned off, no power is supplied by the
calculator, and all power comes from the RAM card battery. If you
then take out the battery from the RAM card while the calculator is
turned OFF, the RAM card has no source of power, and you will lose all
of the contents in the RAM card.
6.23. Why do I get an "Invalid card data" error when I merge a RAM
card?
This message is usually seen when you plug a brand-new RAM card into
an HP48. In this case, this message is normal and is harmless. It
just means that there was no (valid) data on the card.
GX:
This message can appear when a RAM card contains ports you have
never used. Press purple/left shift-LIBRARY. Hit NXT, then the
PINIT softkey. This will initialize all available RAM ports.
It does not affect data already stored on the card.
If you see this message under any other conditions, it could be
one of the following:
1. You took the battery out of the RAM card while the card was
out of the calculator, therefore erasing the memory.
2. You took the battery out of the RAM card while the card was
in the calculator BUT the calculator was turned off. Note
that the calculator supplies power to the RAM card ONLY when
the calculator is turned ON. Again the memory on the card is
gone.
3. The RAM card battery is dead.
4. There is a problem with either the calculator, the RAM card,
or both.
If the battery is operational, then try to store something on
the card. If you still get the error message, then backup all
your info to a computer or another 48, and do a hardware reset.
6.24. I've heard about other manufacturer's RAM cards. Will they
work?
While some cards may work, there is a chance that you may severely
damage your HP48. You should only use cards specifically designed for
the HP48. Naturally, HP sells such cards, and some third parties also
make cards that will work in an HP48. Some cards work with both the
S/SX and the G/GX. Some, however only work on the S/SX, or only on
the G/GX. Make sure that the card is designed to work for your
version before using it.
SX:
The S/SX can only naturally support up to 128K per port. HP
sells 32K and 128K RAM cards. However, TDS, using software
"bank switches" produces 256K and 512K RAM cards. These bank
switching cards do not work in the G/GX series. CMT also makes
128K cards, which work in all HP48 calculators.
GX:
While you cannot use the TDS 256K and 512K cards, Sparcom has
come out with 256K and 512K cards for the G/GX only. HP also
sells 1MB RAM cards that work for G/GX only. The G/GX is able
to accept a 4MB RAM card, but none are on the market at this
time.
6.25. How does RAM card locking work?
From: Dave Arnett
The HP48SX had three layers of write protection:
o The Seiko-Epson memory cards contain write protection. Seiko-Epson
is the OEM manufacturer for HP brand cards. They developed the
format, connector and pin definitions for the memory card
interface. We have a slightly modified version of their standard
card where the low battery alarm limits are changed slightly.
On an HP-branded RAM card, if you move the write-protect switch to
the Protect position, two things happen. First, the card itself
ignores write cycles. This is the first layer of defense for data
integrity. The card also changes the voltage level of one of its
output pins to tell the HP that it is write-protected.
o The HP CPU chip detects the write protect indicator line of the
card. If it is reporting as unwriteable, the hardware locks out
write functionality from the CPU chip. This is the second layer of
defense. If this Card Detect line reports as writeable, then write
transactions are permitted in hardware. If the Card Detect line
floats, the hardware reports that no card is installed.
o The HP system firmware checks the status of the write protection
bits before writing to a memory card. If the status bits indicate
that the card is unwriteable (ROM or protected RAM), then the
system code refuses to write to the card.
In developing the HP48GX, we changed card handling in some significant
respects. I have recently posted information to the newsgroup on how
the upper half of ROM and the card slot 2 are controlled through one
pin of the Yorke CPU IC in a multiplexed fashion. There are some
details about the Yorke chip related to how various Saturn Bus deviced
configure and unconfigure which required me to make the following
hardware assignment changes:
Hardware Resource HP48SX HP48GX
CE1- Card Controller 1 Card 1 Bank Select Controller
CE2- Card Controller 2 Card 2 Card 1
CE3- Card Controller 3 Unused Card 2
CDT1- Card Detect 1 Card 1 Card 2
CDT2- Card Detect 2 Card 2 Card 1
Clearly, we had to assign Card Controllers and Card Detects in pairs,
as much as possible. Otherwise the hardware lockout would make a mess
of things.
A write protected RAM card in GX slot 1 has hardware lockout
protection, since CDT2 can lock write actions to CE2.
A write protected RAM card in GX slot 2 does not have the same HP
hardware protection. CDT1 is hardware coupled to CE1, which drives
the Bank Select Controller. Some may have wondered in my recent posts
why the protocol for setting up bank settings uses READ operations
rather than WRITE operations. Now you know: A WRITE operation to the
Bank Select Controller would be ineffective if a ROM or Write-
Protected RAM card is in Slot 2!
The closest approximation to hardware write protection lies in the BEN
(Bank Enable) line, which is bit 6 of the Bank setting. Unless BE is
set high, all attempts to access slot 2 are forbidden. BEN is pin 10
of the 74HC174 chip. This line goes to pin 5 of the NAND chip to
prevent Card Pin 21 from going active.
The protocol in the HP48GX RPL Opertaing System implementation is to
always leave BEN low, unless slot 2 activity is needed. BEN should be
set low again after card access is complete.
So an HP48GX has three levels of card write protection as well:
o The card should prohibit Write activity if the protection switch is
set.
o Slot 1 has the same hardware lockout as in the SX. Slot 2 has a
multi-step process necessary to enable access.
o The RPL system code checks the write-protect status before writing
to a card. It understands that CDT1 and CE3 map to card 2.
6.26. What are the advantages and disadvantages of covered ports?
(GX)
Covered ports are created when a card is placed in slot 2 of the GX,
that is all ports >= 2. The advantage of this is very large RAM cards
are possible: 256K, 512K, etc... up to 4 MB. Cards larger than 128K
are split into multiple ports of 128K each controlled by a bank
switching mechanism.
The disadvantages are that the memory cannot be merged with user
memory (even if only a 128K card is used). Furthermore, some programs
may be sensitive to the bank switching in covered ports, and may run
slightly slower, improperly, or simply refuse to run at all. In
particular, many of the freeware programs written in machine language
are affected. Some contain special code to allow them to execute from
both covered and standard ports.
6.27. Why does the HP48 display flicker slightly?
Display flicker is usually caused by fluorescent lights. The rapid
pulsing of the fluorescent lights (60 Hz in the the U.S. and Canada),
which is normally unnoticeable, interacts with the rapid
pulsing/scanning of the HP48 LCD display (64 Hz refresh rate), which
is also normally unnoticeable. The 60 Hz fluorescent lights alias
with the display refresh (64 Hz) to produce a 4 Hz "flicker". It's
normal and harmless.
Outside the U.S. and Canada, power is supplied at a 50 Hz rate, not 60
Hz. This means that the display "flickers" at a 14 Hz rate, which is
still noticeable.
6.28. I broke the LCD screen - is there an easy way to get another?
Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, you cannot get a replacement, the
cheapest alternative is to send the calc in for "standard service" at
HP, which is slightly cheaper than a new calculator. Opening an HP48
is quite difficult anyway.
6.29. How can I protect my LCD?
There are many ways to protect the HP48's LCD. The solutions include:
o Inserting a piece of cardboard into the case.
o Cutting plexi-glass and putting it into the case (slightly better
than cardboard). A piece of plastic cut out of a CD jewel case
works too.
o Even better than plexiglass (because it's really unbreakable and
will resist any twisting) is an electronic circuit board as used
for computer mainboards etc... which should be available in any
electronics shop. Another advantage to this method is the possible
electrical shielding you get if there is a thin film of copper on
one or both sides. I would recommend a board with the copper on
one side only - on the side pointing to the outer side of the HP's
soft case. After sawing it to the dimensions 79.5 mm x 179 mm x
1.25 mm and rounding the four corners (radius 4 mm), it will fit
perfectly in the inner sleeve of the HP48's soft case and can also
be used to hold a self-adhesive label with the owner's name. The
small messages booklet will still fit, but it is better to store it
on the outer side of the board so that the circuit board and the
calculator will still fit together as tightly as possible
(otherwise the booklet may break the LCD).
o Buying a hard case. A variety of types are available, including a
hard leather case or a totally waterproof case.
o Keeping it in a video cassette or pencil case during transport.
o Using the cover from an old TI-8x calculator and fitting it into
the grooves on the side of the HP48. Some people have had some
success with this, but I find it barely fits.
6.30. Is there a rigid (protective) case for the HP48?
An inexpensive solution to this is to go to Sears and get a Black
Plastic Tool Box #9 65283 in the hardware deptartment. It sells for
only US $4.95. The case is big enough for the calculator in its case,
plus extra batteries.
The case is a good fit for the calculator. If you want to go a step
further, you can get some foam, glue it into the top and bottom halves
of the case, and cut out a calculator shaped hole in the bottom. The
result is lightweight, strong, secure and still leaves a little room
for you to store extra batteries, a cable, and/or cards for your
ports. Another solution is to use a cheque book as a case. Some
cheque books just happen to fit the HP48, and provide a fair amount of
protection.
The final alternative is to purchase a case. Eric Finley
<etfinley@ucdavis.edu> sells protective hard cases for the HP48. They
are stainless steel, very strong, and look nice. The cost is US $30.
For more information, either e-mail Eric or check his web page at
<http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~etfinley/>.
6.31. Can I use my Amateur Radio with my HP48?
Yes, however you need to have a few things, the first being an amateur
radio license. The next thing you need is a terminal node controller.
If you are able to, get a terminal node controller that supports XON
and XOFF software flow control. This is good to have because the HP48
only has a 256 character buffer. When the buffer is full, the HP48
sends the "buffer full" signal and a terminal node controller with
software flow control can quit sending data until the HP48 can keep
new data in the buffer. If you don't have a terminal node controller
with software flow control, you can still use it, but you may lose
some data.
The next thing you will want is some software to use with the terminal
node controller. You could make your own software using user-rpl
commands such as BUFLEN, SRECV, and XMIT. However, there is a
plethora of software available. All you need is software then can
send and receive data from the serial port. There are several
programs at <http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/comms/terminal/> that you
might like to try.
There is also a site that has a lot of hp48 programs relating to ham
radio. Connect to <ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/hamradio/hp48/> Please
inform the FAQ maintainer if you find additional software, so it can
be added to this list.
7. Questions about programs
7.1. Where can I get programs and information for the HP48?
See Appendix E-1 for more info.
7.2. What are the Goodies Disks and where do I get them?
See Appendix E-5 for more info.
7.3. How do I get access to the HP Calculator BBS?
You can also access the BBS online at
<ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>
You can also access the HP Calculator BBS via a modem (note that this
is a long distance call for most people):
(208)-344-1691 2400 bps, 8N1
(541)-715-3277 9600 bps, 8N1
See Appendix E-4 for more BBS sites.
7.4. What are files that end with ".zip", ".Z", ".gz", or ".bz2"?
zip
Files that end with ".zip" are pkzip archives, which originated
in the MSDOS world. One program that can extract the files in
".zip" archives is the InfoZip "unzip" program.
Binaries and source can be found at
<http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/>
gzip
Files that end with ".gz" have been compressed using the "gzip"
compression command. To uncompress these files, you must use
either the "gunzip" or "gzip -d" command. The "gunzip" program
can also uncompress ".Z" files. Binaries should be on all Unix
systems, but if not you can try <ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/>
More information should be there on binaries for other
platforms.
compress
Files that end with ".Z" have been compressed using the Unix
"compress" command. To uncompress these files, you can use the
"uncompress" command on Unix. The "gunzip" program can also
decompress these files.
bzip2
Another compression program gaining popularity is bzip2. bzip2
is a freely available, patent free, high-quality data
compressor. It typically compresses files to within 10% to 15%
of the best available techniques, whilst being around twice as
fast at compression and six times faster at decompression.
Source and binaries for common platforms are available at
<http://www.muraroa.demon.co.uk/>
7.5. What is a "ship" file?
In the past, programs for the HP48 posted on comp.sources.hp48 were
posted in the "ship" format. This format made it easier for the
moderator to distribute programs, but made it more difficult for users
to extract and use these programs. Some people still use ship.
To extract programs distributed in the "ship" format, you need the
following:
1. A copy of the "ship" program, compiled for your platform.
o Sources for ship can be found at
<ftp://ftp.cis.com/pub/hp48g/dos/unship.zip> which also includes
the DOS executable.
o Binaries for other platforms can be also be found at
<ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/hp/hp48/Posting/>
2. A copy of the latest InfoZip "unzip" program or an unarchiver that
understands the pkunzip v2.04g format. Note that you cannot use
older unzip programs, as old unzip programs do not understand the
new compression formats. See the previous section for information
on where to get source and binaries.
Once you have a copy of the "ship" and "unzip" programs, you use
"ship" to convert the ship-encoded file into a .zip file, and you use
the "unzip" program to extract the HP48 files from the ".zip" file.
7.6. What is the ASC format and how can I use it?
The functions ASC\-> and \->ASC were written by William Wickes to
facilitate transferring HP48 binary objects in an ASCII format (useful
when transferring objects via electronic mail or bulletin boards).
Some HP48 objects, like libraries, cannot normally be converted into
ASCII, unlike program objects, and these functions make it possible to
do so.
The \->ASC function converts the object in level 1 into an ASCII
string, which can then be uploaded to a computer for mailing.
The ASC\-> function converts the string object in level 1 back into an
object. A checksum is used to ensure that the decoding is correct.
A copy of these programs are given in Appendix A-1, near the end of
this file. Note however, that these functions aren't used much
anymore. The standard in the newsgroup seems to first zip the
programs together and post them uuencoded. But, you may still need
these utilities for extracting older files you download.
7.7. What is the HYDE library, and how do I get rid of it?
The HYDE library is a library that changes the messages on your HP48.
It works on all versions of the HP48 and is available on Goodies Disk
2. The program (HYDE.TXT) is in the DNICKEL directory needs to be
converted with ASC\->. The instructions (HYDE.DOC) for the program
are in the HORN2 directory. The library is 3679.5 bytes, small enough
to keep on your HP48 so you can install it on a friend's when they're
not looking.
Follow the previous instructions for installing the library, then go
to the library menu and run HYDE.
However, getting rid of the HYDE library is a little trickier. First
you must type JEKY on the command line. This will disable the HYDE
library and restore the standard set of messages. Then you can follow
the normal instructions for deleting a library.
7.8. What is the Minehunt game, and how do I use it?
The Minehunt game is a game built in to the G/GX. It was also
included on the HP Equation-Library Card (for the HP48 SX).
GX:
It is located in the UTILS menu of the left-shift(purple) EQ LIB
menu. (Left-Shift {EQ LIB], {UTILS}, {MINEHUNT}). See page
25-14 of the manual for a game explanation and picture.
SX:
It is located in the UTILS library.
You can save a game by pressing the STO button. This creates a
variable with the name MHpar. If you are in the directory containing
that variable, you will resume your old game when you run MINEHUNT.
To select the number of mines for your next game just store a number
in a variable, Nmines (it's case sensitive), and you'll get that many
mines. If you store a negative number, you'll get the absolute value
of that many mines, AND all mines will be visible.
You can also move diagonally if you use the numbers as arrows: 1 is
down+left, 2 is down, 3 is down+right, 4 is left, 6 is right, 7 is
up+left, 8 is up, and 9 is up+right.
8. Questions about programming and advanced user functions
8.1. I've heard the names RPL, Saturn, STAR, GL etc... What are
they?
ASAP
This is a simple Saturn assembler, written in the Perl language.
Chip8, Chip48, Schip, Schip8
This is a machine-code program that was inspired by the chip8
video game interpreter for the RCA CDP1802 microprocessor
several years back. Chip8 allows you to write a simple
graphics-based video game for the HP48 SX. Among the games
written are "clones" of Breakout, PacMan, and Pong, to name a
few.
Chip48, Schip and Schip8 are two different names for an enhanced
version of chip8 specifically designed for the HP48 SX. People
have written programs to assemble Schip assembly language into a
form directly usable by Schip on an HP48. Schip interpreters
are available for both G and S series.
GL GL (Game Language) is a language for the programmer who wants
almost the speed of assembly, but who doesn't want to spend a
lot of time and effort to learn all the tricks of assembly
programming on the HP48. GL has an assembly-like syntax, and
there is an assembler for PC and one for the HP48 itself. Since
GL is an interpreter, the GL library (3 KB in size) must be
installed on the HP48 to run GL programs. The instruction set is
powerful, with sprites and pixel based graphics, scrolling,
sound, keyboard control, and more. There are 256 1-byte
registers which can be used in pairs as 2-byte words. A GL
program can be up to 64 KB in size. GL was inspired by SCHIP,
but it is much better in all aspects. It is suitable for many
applications, not only games, that require high speed. Of
course it works on both the HP48 S/SX and the G/GX. GL is
written by Erik Bryntse.
Java
Java is a library that displays an improved 5 level stack. It
combines the best of SOL, HPSauce, EQStk, and others. Plus
there are several new features and improvements! The intent of
Java is to provide a more useful and faster stack environment
for HP48 calculators.
The HP48 Java library has no connection at all to the Sun
Microsystems product of the same name. Since the Java library
is not a commercial product, we do not expect this to a problem.
Jazz
This is best System RPL and Machine Language development library
that runs right on your HP48! Written by Mika Heiskanen. The
Jazz library provides commands for assembling, disassembling and
debugging both System RPL and machine language.
ML Machine Language. This is usually used in reference to HP48
assembly language programming.
MLDL
Machine Language Development Library. This is a library that
allows you to debug machine language programs with only an HP
48.
PDL
"Program Development Link". This is an DOS program, sold by
Hewlett-Packard, that allows you to write and develop HP48
applications from your IBM PC clone. Programs are written on
your PC, transferred to the HP48, and tested from your PC (and
not the HP48).
RPL
RPL is the name of the language used to program the HP48 and
HP-28 series calculators. RPL stands for "Reverse Polish Lisp".
It's interesting to note that an HP Journal article incorrectly
described RPL as "ROM-based Procedural Language".
From Bill Wickes:
RPL stands for Reverse Polish Lisp. In the early days of RPL
development, we got tired of calling the unnamed system "the new
system," and one of the development team came up with "RPL,"
both as a play on "RPN" which has been the loved/hated hallmark
of HP calcs forever, and as an accurate indication of the
derivation of the language from Forth and Lisp.
RPL was never particularly intended to be a public term; at the
time of the HP Journal article (August 1987) on the HP 28C there
was an attempt to create a less whimsical name--hence "ROM-based
procedural language," which preserved the initials but had a
more dignified sound. The development team never calls it
anything but (the initials) RPL. You can choose either of the
two full-word versions that you prefer. Or how about 'Rich
People's Language?'
SASS
SASS is a simple Saturn assembler, written in C/yacc (BSD Unix &
Bison). It uses Alonzo Gariepy's mnemonics.
Saturn
"Saturn" is the internal code name for the processor used in the
HP48, HP-28 series, and many other calculators (just about all
HP calculators since the HP 18/28 series).
STAR
This is the "Saturn Macro Assembler" (how "STAR" comes from
this, I don't know), an assembler that uses mostly Alonzo
Gariepy's mnemonics. It's written in C and runs on many
different machines (PCs, Amigas, Unix, etc.). STAR is available
via anonymous ftp from
<ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/unix/star-1.04.4.tar.gz>
System RPL
This is the name for the custom "operating system/language" used
to program the CPU used in the HP48 calculator. System RPL is a
superset of the normal user RPL commands; in addition to the
normal, user-accessible RPL commands, system RPL includes many
lower-level functions. System RPL is a language one step higher
than assembly language.
HP has released a system development toolkit (for the IBM PC)
containing a system RPL compiler, assembler, and loader,
complete with a couple hundred pages of documentation. This
toolkit, while copyrighted, is, for the most part, freely
copyable. If you can find a BBS or archive site that has it,
you can download all of the system RPL files and documentation.
USRLIB
USRLIB is a program that takes the contents of an HP48 directory
and turns it into a library object. It currently runs under
MSDOS.
Voyager
Voyager is an "interactive disassembler" for IBM PC clones that
disassembles HP48 SX RPL and machine code. You download a copy
of the RAM and ROM in your HP48 SX to your PC, and run Voyager.
Using Voyager, you can then view the disassembled or unthreaded
code. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Voyager uses the HP
mnemonics, and not Alonzo Gariepy's mnemonics. Voyager is
available from the HP BBS <ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>,
and from various bulletin boards (the HP handhelds forum in
CompuServe also has a copy). The latest version is "1.07".
8.2. Is there a C compiler for the HP48?
Yes. Alex Ramos has written a GNU C back end for the Saturn
processor. Binaries are available for both Linux and Windows 95/NT,
and source is available for compilation on other platforms.
Check <http://www.cris.com/~ramos/hp48/hp48xgcc.htm> for the latest
version.
8.3. Why do SysRPL programs run faster than UserRPL programs?
SysRPL is the built in language, custom designed for the Saturn
processor used the HP48 family. UserRPL is a "subset" of SysRPL. The
main reason for the speed difference is the fact that UserRPL commands
have built in argument and error checking. In SysRPL, the programmer
is responsible for all error checking to avoid memory clears.
Note that System RPL is a compiled language and that therefore you
need a program like Jazz or GNU-Tools to create it. This means you
can't edit or view SysRPL on the HP48 directly, unlike UserRPL.
However both can be run the same way.
8.4. What is a good reference for learning SysRPL and ML?
Jim Donnelly's book "An Introduction to HP48 System RPL and Assembly
Language Programming" provides 230 pages of step by step instructions
for new programmers with plenty of examples. It also comes with a 3.5
inch disk containing the examples in source form and HP's development
tools for DOS. It was previously available from EduCalc, I'm not sure
if it is available elsewhere.
The ISBN number is: 1-879828-06-5
Also useful are RPLMAN.DOC and SASM.DOC available on Goodies Disk 4.
See Appendix E-5 for more information. You might want to also have a
look at the following URL: <http://titan.cs.uni-
bonn.de/~wolfrum/hpbooks.html>
Examples of ML programming can be found at:
o <http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~amoy/>
o <http://www.ite.mh.se/~danli97/>
8.5. Can I make my own libraries? Can I split others?
Yes, you can either use USRLIB in HP's development tools to create
libraries in DOS, or you can make them right on your HP with hacking
utilities like Rick Grevelle's D->LIB and L->DIR which can both create
and split libraries from/to directories. These can be found in Mika
Heiskanen's HACK library at <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
8.6. How do I know what library ID number to use for my program?
Note: While this document says HP48 SX, it is also valid for GX.
HP48 SX Library ID Numbers Paul Swadener, HP Developer Support. 03
Sep 1993
The HP48 will become confused if two or more libraries currently in
the machine have the same ID numbers. To help third party developer
efforts, HP maintains a list of HP48 Allocated Library ID Numbers.
Below are the "rules." The penalty suffered from not following these
rules is that your library may not work if another library is in the
machine with the same number.
1. Don't use any number in the range 000h through 300h. These are
reserved for HP's use.
2. Don't use any number in the range 301h through 5A0h unless you have
been assigned that number by HP. These numbers are reserved for
developers who are in the business of distributing their software,
that is, Independent Software Developers.
To apply for the allocation of an ID# contact Paul Swadener,
Hewlett-Packard Company, 1000 NE Circle Blvd., Corvallis, OR 97330,
fax number 541-715-2192, internet address
paul_swadener@hp6400.desk.hp.com. You must be a registered
developer and supply the name/nature of your product, and current
shipping address and phone/fax/internet add./etc.
3. Use a number in the range 5A1h through 600h for experimental work
and software. HP does not track the use of these numbers.
4. Use a number in the range 601h through 6F6h for your personal
applications, those which you will share, if at all, only to a
known set of other users for personal uses. HP does not track the
use of these numbers.
5. Don't use any number in the range 6F7 through 6FF, as these numbers
were allocated before the formal allocation process in was
instituted.
6. Don't use any number above 700h. These are also reserved for use by
HP.
Hope this helps clear up how library numbers work.
8.7. What information is there on the internals of the HP48?
The most important documents are part of the "System RPL" development
tools, a completely unsupported set of IBM PC tools created by HP
Corvallis (the creators of the HP48). The tools, which run on DOS
machines only, contain documentation on:
o System RPL (which includes information on HP48 SX display graphics,
keyboard control, etc.).
o Saturn assembly language ("Saturn" is the name of the CPU in the
HP48), including information on a Saturn assembler.
o A system RPL compiler.
o A Saturn object file linker.
However the documentation is also useful for some of the newer
program development tools such as Jazz and GNU-Tools. (See the
next question on where to obtain these).
8.8. Where can I get some programming development tools?
HP's unsupported System RPL development tools and documentation are
available to customers free of charge to help them in HP48 application
development, subject to certain legal terms, which are given with the
tools (they're too long and detailed to give here).
You can get a copy in one of the following ways:
o Anonymous ftp to <ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>
o Get Goodies Disk 4. For info, see Appendix E-5.
Alternatively, you can use one of the packages put together by
members of the HP community. In particular, Jazz is a library by
Mika Heiskanen which allows you to program in System RPL and
Machine Language directly on your HP48! It requires either an SX
with a RAM card, or a GX.
Jazz is available at <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
There also is GNU-Tools by Mario Mikocevic (Mozgy) which is set of
replacements for HP's development tools that not only runs on DOS, but
also typical Unix systems such as Linux and Solaris. It is
distributed in both source and binary form.
GNU-Tools is available at:
o <ftp://gnjilux.cc.fer.hr/pub/hp48/gtools/>
o <http://www.zems.fer.hr/~mozgy/jwz/hp48.html>
8.9. I know UserRPL. How do I get started in SysRPL?
Here is a quick guide to learning System RPL. See the other questions
for more information on where to obtain the items below.
o Learn UserRPL first, and become familiar with most commands.
o Get Goodies Disk 4 (HPTOOLS) or GNU-Tools if you have Linux etc...
o Get the new release of supported entries, available with GNU-Tools
(not the entries in Goodies Disk 4).
o Read RPLMAN.DOC and/or get Jim's Donnelly book; it makes things
easier.
o Get ENTRIES.SRT from the HP48 IRC channel.
o Get the tables from the SAD package by ftp to
<ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>
o Get Jazz for your HP when you are ready.
o You can learn a lot by studying the ROM and other people's programs
with Jazz!
8.10. Are there any viruses for the HP48?
There are several, and most are French. In the United States, a virus
called the "Michigan virus" erupted a couple of years ago. There is a
program on Goodies Disk 8 that checks for the Michigan Virus.
Currently, viruses do not pose an appreciable threat on HP48's.
8.11. How do I store fields of variable length effectively?
See Appendix A-5 near the end of this file.
8.12. What is "Vectored Enter", and how do I use it?
From: Bill Wickes
The HP48 manuals do not document a very powerful feature that we call
"Vectored ENTER," that allows you in effect to redefine or bypass the
command line parser and to have a shot at the stack etc. after the
command line has been executed.
Keys that execute an automatic ENTER perform a two-step process:
1. The command line is parsed and evaluated.
2. The key definition is executed.
When flags -62 and -63 are both set, the system extends this
process as follows:
1. The current path is searched for a global variable named *aENTER
(where "*a" is the Greek alpha character--character 140). If
present, the command line is entered as a string object and *aENTER
is executed. If absent, the command line is parsed and evaluated
normally.
2. The key definition is executed.
3. The current path is searched for a global variable named *bENTER
("*b" is Greek beta--character 223). If present, then a string
representing the key definition is put on the stack, and *bENTER is
executed. The string is the key definition object's name if it is
a command, XLIB name, global or local name, or an empty string for
other object types; its primary purpose is to implement things like
the TRACE mode on other calcs, where you can print a running record
of what you do.
A simple example of the use of *aENTER is to create a more
convenient binary calculator, where *aENTER slaps a "#" on the
front of the command line so you don't have to bother when entering
numbers.
8.13. What is "WSLOG"?
It is an until recently undocumented feature which stands for "Warm
Start Log" (it is listed in the command appendix of newer G manuals,
as well as being fully explained in the AUR).
Type in WSLOG in caps, and calc will list the time and cause of the
last four warm starts. This feature helps HP technical support to fix
your HP48 in case it crashes.
0 - log cleared by <ON> <SPC> then <ON>
1 - low battery condition, auto deep sleep mode invoked to save battery
2 - hardware failed during IR (time out)
3 - run through address 0
4 - system time corrupt
5 - deep sleep mode wake up (alarm?)
6 - unused
7 - CMOS test word in RAM was corrupted
8 - abnormality was detected about device config
9 - corrupt alarm list
A - problem with RAM move
B - card module pulled
C - hardware reset
D - system RPL error handler not found in run stream
E - corrupt config table
F - system RAM card pulled
8.14. What are SYSEVALs?
SYSEVALs are addresses that point directly to a location in the HP48's
ROM. Many SYSEVAL hex strings are System-RPL commands. Because there
is no argument checking, it very easy to clear your HP48's memory.
In the file SYMBOLS.GX, HP designates three types of entries. The
first type is "supported." This means that a particular entry will
work on ALL versions of the HP48 and HP supports the use of this
entry.
The second type of entry is "unsupported." This means that HP does
not support the use of this entry and it will not be the same on all
versions of the HP48.
The third type is "unsupported-static." This is an entry to HP does
not support the use of, but it is the same for all versions.
8.15. What are some useful SYSEVALs?
For a complete list of supported entry points, see
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
In System-RPL, different HP object types are referred to by symbols.
These symbols are used to construct stack diagrams, which tell the
user how to use System-RPL commands. Here are some of the symbols:
Symbol Type Example
------ -------------------- -----------------
$ string "ABCDEFG"
id Global Name 'A'
arry Array [[ 1 2 ] [ 3 4 ]]
grob HP48 Graphics Object Graphic 131x64
# Binary Number <1h>
symb Symbolic Object 'A^2+B^2'
To interpret the stack diagram:
Everything on the left of the -> arrow is the input. That needs
to be on the stack before executing the SYSEVAL. The symbols
show you which kinds of data to put on the stack. Once you
execute the syseval (see next paragraph), the HP will return the
data back that is indicated on the right side of the arrow.
To use the following entries, do the following:
1. Make sure (triple check) that the appropriate arguments are
on the stack.
2. Push Right-shift /, you should get a # on the command line.
3. Enter the hex string exactly as shown in the hex string
column.
4. Put an small case h at the end of the hex string.
5. Press enter.
6. Type SYSEVAL.
Here are just a few examples:
Hex Sys-RPL Name Category Stack Diagram
--- ------------ -------- -------------
15777 NULLID Supported ( -> '' )
30794 VERSTRING Supported ( -> "HPHP48-?" )
3A328 MakeStdLabel Supported ( $ -> grob )
3A3EC MakeDirLabel Supported ( $ -> grob )
3A38A MakeBoxLabel Supported ( $ -> grob )
3A44E MakeInvLabel Supported ( $ -> grob )
3A1FC DispMenu.1 Supported ( -> )
05F42 GARBAGE Supported ( -> )
41F65 WaitForKey Supported ( -> #KeyCode #Plane )
353AB SYMB>IDS Unsupported-Static ( symb -> list )
40D25 LockAlpha Supported ( -> )
40D39 UnlockAlpha Supported ( -> )
3AA0A 1A/LockA Supported ( -> )
44C31 DoNewMatrix Supported ( -> arry )
44FE7 DoOldMatrix Supported ( arry -> arry' T/F )
1314D TOADISP Supported ( -> )
13135 TOGDISP Supported ( -> )
39531 ClrDA1IsStat Supported ( -> )
130AC RECLAIMDISP Supported ( -> )
4E347 TURNMENUON Supported ( -> )
05B15 $>ID Supported ( $ -> id )
05BE9 ID>$ Supported ( id -> $ )
3A1E8 DispMenu Supported ( -> )
39BAD DispStack Unsupported-Static ( -> )
8.16. What are LIBEVALs?
From: Joe Horn (Copied from "libeval.doc" on GD 9)
The G/GX has a new command: LIBEVAL. It's sort of like SYSEVAL, but
instead of taking a memory address (which could be ambiguous due to
the G/GX's massive need for bank switching), it takes XLIB numbers.
It's a "back door" for us hackers. Unlike the ELSYSEVAL command in
the HP Solve Equations Library Card, which only worked for the
libraries in that card, LIBEVAL works for any library, including the
hidden ones in the operating system.
CAUTION: LIBEVAL, like SYSEVAL, is both powerful and danger-
ous. If used with incorrect input(s) and/or in the wrong
environment, it can nuke your memory.
LIBEVAL takes a single user binary integer of the form #LLLFFFh, where
LLL is the library ID (hex), and FFF is the three-digit function num-
ber (hex, with leading zeros if necessary).
For example, the R->B command is XLIB 2 9. So you can perform a R->B
by executing #2009h LIBEVAL. Try it: 10 #2009h LIBEVAL -> #Ah.
Using it for named commands is unnecessary, but the G/GX is highly
XLIB oriented (again, due to the need for bank switching), and there
are many useful and interesting features accessible only through
LIBEVAL.
A prime example is the G/GX's inability to programmatically launch the
new "dialog boxes". Suppose a program needs to print things; it would
be awfully nice to be able to throw the I/O PRINT dialog box onto the
screen. The User's Guide is no help here, and in fact it would seem
impossible to do. But #B4197 LIBEVAL is all it takes! Try it. Cool,
huh?
8.17. What are some useful LIBEVALs? (GX)
See Appendix B-3 for a few GX LIBEVALs.
8.18. What is the format of a GROB object?
Note: I received two very good answers to this question, and each
cater to a different kind of user, so I will include them both.
The easy way:
First, add pixels to the right-hand edge to make the horizontal
dimension a multiple of 8, then separate the object horizontally
into groups of four pixels. Suppose, for example, you want to
make this into a 22x8 GROB:
---------****---------
--------**--**--------
-------**----**-------
********------********
********------********
-------**----**-------
--------**--**--------
---------****---------
You would break it up like this:
---- ---- -*** *--- ---- ----
---- ---- **-- **-- ---- ----
---- ---* *--- -**- ---- ----
**** **** ---- --** **** **--
**** **** ---- --** **** **--
---- ---* *--- -**- ---- ----
---- ---- **-- **-- ---- ----
---- ---- -*** *--- ---- ----
Notice, I've added two columns of pixels to make it 24x8. Now,
each group of four can be represented by a hexadecimal digit.
---- 0 --*- 4 ---* 8 --** C
*--- 1 *-*- 5 *--* 9 *-** D
-*-- 2 -**- 6 -*-* A -*** E
**-- 3 ***- 7 **-* B **** F
Now, replace each group of four pixels with its corresponding
hexadecimal digit: 00E100 003300 081600 FF0CF3 FF0CF3 081600
003300 00E100.
So, your final grob is:
GROB 22 8 00E100003300081600FF0CF3FF0CF308160000330000E100
The technical way:
1. Every HP object format is described in RPLMAN.DOC, see this
file for more info.
2. All HP objects are (of course) nibble based. When viewing
them on the PC, which is byte based, the low order nib is
always read and written first.
3. HP objects begin with a 5 nib prologue which identifies the
object type (and other things). This is the prologue for a
grob object..
02B1E pr HP:DOGROB
02B1E @ Graphic prologue (/U GROB)
4. Every 5 nib sub field of an object, such as prologue, length,
etc., is read in reverse order (low nib first). The grob
prologue would appear E1B20, or 1E 2B x0 in a hex dump on a
PC. The least significant nibble of the next field begins
right at the x in x0.
5. It is customary to always work with HP objects on the PC with
the HPHP48-E header (substitute your favourite rom version
letter) preceeding the prologue. This gives no hassles when
downloading via Kermit or X-Modem.
PC hex dump of a grob object.. ( remember each 5 nib field is
reverse order )
1. "HPHP48-E" 8 byte ascii string with msb off
2. 5 nib prologue, 02B1E (hex)
3. 5 nib length field, includes length of body AND length and
height fields! does not include 5 nib prologue. So, the
total #nibs the grob object takes in HP memory is this number
+ 5. Important!
4. 5 nib height field ( yes, it is height then width )
5. 5 nib width field
6. body (described below)
The grob object looking at it using command line EDIT on the
HP..
GROB <width (dec)> <height (dec)> < body >
The body is exactly the same looking at it on a PC hex dump or on
the command line EDIT. Just remember to read low nibble first for
hex dump.
Because of hardware restrictions, the number of nibs required to
represent one horizontal line must be even (byte aligned). So, use
this method to calculate the number of nibs in one line.. (pascal
example)
nibs := width div 4;
if nibs mod 4 <> 0 then nibs := nibs + 1;
if odd(nibs) then nibs := nibs + 1;
Then to get the #nibs in the entire body, multiply it by the
height. Remember, the length field must be this total body length
+ 15 !
For example, a 131 wide grob requires 34 nibs for one horizontal
line, where 5 of the bits are unused. The first nib in the second
line begins at nib 35 for this grob, etc... If the grob is 64
lines, then the body is 2176 nibs. Add 5 for the prologue, 5 for
the length field, 5 for height, and 5 for width. Total object size
(on the HP) is 2196 nibs, or 1098 bytes. The length field should
contain 2196 minus 5 for prologue = 2191 (0088F hex)
Note that for each nib, the right-most bit is the left-most pixel
on the screen. This is nearly always the case for graphic memory.
8.19. What is the AUR and what information does it contain?
From: Jarno Peschier <jpeschie@cs.ruu.nl>
In this text I will try to answer a number of frequently asked
questions about the HP48 G Series Advanced User's Reference Manual.
In the remainder of this text I will use the common abbreviation AUR
when referring to this book.
A good link for AUR information is at:
<http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~drury/hp48gaur/>
The questions I will try to answer are:
o What is the AUR?
o What information does the AUR contain?
o Do I need the AUR?
o Why didn't HP supply the AUR with every HP48?
o Where can I get the AUR?
o Does the AUR contain any SYSEVALs and/or LIBEVALs?
o Does the AUR say anything about SysRPL and/or ML?
What is the AUR?
The AUR is just what it's name tells you it is: it's a reference
manual for the HP48 G Series. It has the same outside
appearance as the HP48 G Series User Guide (the manual you get
with your HP48 G or HP48 GX when you buy it), except that it's
much thicker (just under 4 cm). The AUR contains about 650
pages of useful information about your calculator.
What information does the AUR contain?
The AUR contains information about UserRPL programming, quite a
lot of programming examples, a complete command reference for
all the (UserRPL) commands the G Series knows and reference
lists about all equations, error and status messages, units,
etc... Of course it has an extensive index at the back of the
book.
Chapter 1: Programming
Contains: Understanding Programming, Entering and Executing
Programs, Viewing and Editing Programs, Creating Programs on
a Computer, Using Local Variables, Using Tests and
Conditional Structures, Using Loop Structures, Using Flags,
Using Subroutines, Single-Stepping through a Program,
Trapping Errors, Input, Stopping a Program for Keystroke
Input, Output, Using Menus with Programs, Turning Off the
HP48 from a Program.
Chapter 2: Programming Examples
Contains: Fibonacci Numbers, Displaying a Binary Integer,
Median of Statistics Data, Expanding and Collecting
Completely, Minimum and Maximum Array Elements, Applying a
Program to an Array, Converting Between Number Bases,
Verifying Program Arguments, Converting Procedures from
Algebraic to RPN, Bessel Functions, Animation of Successive
Taylor's Polynomials, Programmatic Use of Statistics and
Plotting, Trace Mode, Inverse-Function Solver, Animating a
Graphical Image.
Chapter 3: Command Reference
This chapter contains one entry for every command (except for
RULES) from ABS to ZVOL and + to ->. Each entry contains:
o A description of what the command does (with stack diagrams).
o Ways in which you can access it from the keyboard (with
submenu you need, or if you can only type it in in Alpha-
mode).
o Which flags the command is affected by.
o Remarks, and a list of related commands.
Often a command has one or more example programs too. This
chapter is the bulk of the whole book; it's 424 pages thick.
Chapter 4: Equation Reference
This chapter contains one entry for every section in the
built in Equation Library (EQLIB). Each entry contains: a
table of used variables and then for every set of equations
an entry with some more info about the equation set, the
picture that goes with it (if any), all the equations and one
or more sets of example numbers and solutions. The end of
the chapter has a list of references from which all the
equations were taken.
Appendix A: Error and Status Messages
This chapter contains two tables with all possible messages.
The first has them sorted alphabetically and shows the
message, the meaning and the ERRN number in hex. The second
has them sorted on ERRN number (and thus on category) and
only contains the number in hex and the message itself.
Appendix B: Table of Units
This chapter contains a table with all units the HP48 G
Series knows. It contains the unit (both the name you use on
the calculator as well as the full name) and the value it
represents in SI units.
Appendix C: System Flags
This chapter contains a table with all the system flags of
the HP48 G Series. The table contains the number followed by
a description of it's use and the results you get when the
flag is set or clear.
Appendix D: Reserved Variables
This chapter contains a table with all the reserved variables
of the HP48 G Series (ALRMDAT, CST, "der"-names, EQ, EXPR,
IOPAR, MHpar, Mpar, n1/n2/..., Nmines, PPAR, PRTPAR,
s1/s2/..., VPAR, ZPAR, SigmaDAT and SigmaPAR) with complete
information about what they are used for and about all
possible parameters that can be put into them.
Appendix E: New Commands
This chapter lists all the commands that are new to the HP48
G Series, with a brief description of what the commands do.
A list like this can be found elsewhere in the HP48 FAQ list
as well.
Appendix F: Technical Reference
Contains: Object sizes, Mathematical simplification rules
used by the HP48, Symbolic differentiation patterns used by
the HP48, the EquationWriter's expansion rules, References
used as sources for constants and equations in the HP48
(other than those in the Equation Library).
Appendix G: Parallel Processing with Lists
This chapter contains info on parallel processing that makes
UserRPL look even more like a real functional programming
language by letting (almost) all the commands function on
lists of parameters as well (i.e. adding map capabilities to
all internal commands).
Do I need the AUR?
Yes, you do. In my humble opinion the AUR is just "The Manual,
Part II" and every owner of a HP48 G or HP48 GX should have it,
especially if you are (going to be) programming in UserRPL for
any reason. A lot of the frequently asked questions that pop up
on comp.sys.hp48 are simply questions that are meant to be
answered by the AUR.
Why didn't HP supply the AUR with every HP48?
Since you're reading this FAQ, you're probably gifted: you are
not an average HP48 user. The set of "average users" probably
consists mostly of people that simply never program their HP48
in any way ("Wow, can it do that too?!"). In this case, they
will never take one look at the AUR ever again, and since this
is quite a thick book it would be a waste of money, trees, the
environment, transportation costs, etc... to supply the AUR in
every box. This is probably why HP made it an extra accessory
for those people that "really need" it. I think...
Where can I get the AUR?
You should be able to buy (or order) it from the same shop where
you purchased your calculator. The HP part number is
00048-90136. The book does not seem to have an ISBN; it's a HP
part, not a book.
Does the AUR contain any SYSEVALs or LIBEVALs?
Yes, it contains exactly one. The example for the SYSEVAL
command tells you that #30794h SYSEVAL gives you the version of
your HP48. My HP48 GX rev. P gives "HPHP48-P".
Does the AUR say anything about SysRPL or ML?
No, it doesn't.
8.20. What is the syntax for INFORM, CHOOSE, and MSGBOX? (GX)
Based on a posting on HPCVBBS by Cary McCallister. Revised by Joe
Horn. Re-formatted by Andre Schoorl.
INFORM - Create a Custom Input Form
INPUT:
5: "title"
4: { fields }
3: <format>
2: { reset_values }
1: { initial_values }
OUTPUT:
Either: 2: { new_values }
1: 1
or: 1: 0
PURPOSE:
INFORM creates full-screen custom input forms, similar to
those of the built-in applications.
ARGUMENTS:
title
Is displayed in font 1 (small) at the top centre of the
screen. It may contain any number of characters,
including 0, but, at most, 31 characters will be
displayed. Strings longer than 31 character will be
truncated to 30 characters and displayed with a trailing
ellipsis. Line feed characters are displayed as boxes.
{ fields }
Is a list of the form { field1 field2 ... fieldn } where
each field is any one of these forms:
1. "label"
2. { "label" "help" }
3. { "label" "help" type1 type2 ... typen }
4. { }
The "label" is a string of arbitrary text from 0 to 26 char-
acters long (longer strings will be truncated to 25 charac-
ters with a trailing ellipsis). The "help" is displayed
immediately above the menu area as a helpful prompt for the
user. The object type specifications list the one or more
object types allowed in the field, in the form the TYPE com-
mand returns. If unspecified, the default help text is blank
and the field will accept all object types. If a field spec-
ification is an empty list, no field is produced; instead,
the field to the immediate left (if any) is expanded to fill
the omitted field's space. This allows further customization
of form layout; for example, to have two fields in one row
and three fields in the next.
<format>
May be any one of the following objects:
1. { }
2. columns
3. { columns }
4. { columns widths }
Where <columns> is the number of columns that the display
will be divided into e.g., if <columns> is 2 and there are
two fields, they will be displayed side by side rather than
one above the other. <widths> is the tab width between the
left edge of each title and its field; this makes vertical
alignment of fields possible. Titles longer than one tab
width will cause the tab to be repeated automatically. If
unspecified, the default column count is one and the default
tab stop width is three.
{ reset_values }
Is a list of values one per input field which replace the
values of all fields when the {RESET} key is pressed and
"Reset all" is selected. This list must either be empty
or have exactly one item per field corresponding to the {
fields } list above. If empty, then all fields are deemed
unspecified (i.e., blank). Each reset value must match
the type require by the form field. Selected fields may be
marked as unspecified by using NOVAL as the reset value.
{ initial_values }
is a list of values one per input field which specify the
start-up values of all fields when the INFORM command is
invoked. This list must either be empty or have exactly
one item per field corresponding to the { fields } list
above. If empty, then all fields are deemed unspecified
(i.e., blank). Each initial value must match the type
require by the form field. Selected fields may be marked
as unspecified by using NOVAL as the initial value.
RESULTS:
INFORM returns the new field values { new_values } as a list
to level 2 and the real value 1 to level 1 if the user
completes the input form by pressing {OK} or [ENTER]. The
list will contain one item per field. Each item will either
be the last input value for the corresponding field, or NOVAL
if the field was unspecified.
INFORM returns the real value 0 to level 1 if the user
terminates the input form by pressing {CANCL} or [CANCEL].
REMARKS:
NOVAL is basically a command (an XLIB name) that does nothing
when evaluated. It can, however, be compared via ==, SAME and
POS.
CHOOSE - Create a User-Defined Choose-Box
INPUT:
3: "title"
2: { items }
1: <initial_item_number>
OUTPUT:
Either: 2: { chosen_item }
1: 1
or: 1: 0
PURPOSE:
CHOOSE creates a user-defined "choose-box": a displayed box
containing items from which the user can choose one.
CHOOSE displays a standard choose box (normal, not maximized;
single-pick, not multi-pick) with an optional title line.
ARGUMENTS:
title
If any, is displayed in font 1 (small) in the top centre
of the box. It may contain any number of characters,
including 0, but, at most, 22 characters will be
displayed. Strings longer than 22 character will be
truncated to 21 characters and displayed with a trailing
ellipsis. Line feed characters are displayed as boxes.
If there are more than four items such that the scroll
arrows are displayed, the maximum number of title
characters is reduced to 21. The title text is displayed
in the title area in character font 1 (the menu font). If
the title string is empty, no title area will be created
in the choose box, and the whole box will be devoted to
the items.
{ items }
Is a list of arbitrary objects. Each item occupies one
line in the choose box and is displayed in its command
line form. Only the first 14 characters of the displayed
object will be shown (13 if the scroll arrows are
present). If an item contains more than 14 (13)
characters, it will be truncated to 13 (12) and the final
character will be replaced by an ellipsis. If every item
is a list of exactly two objects, the first object will be
displayed and the second returned if the item is selected.
If the number of items exceeds 4 with a title and 5
without, scroll arrows will be displayed, and moving the
highlight past the top or bottom of the box will scroll
through the undisplayed items.
<initial_item_number>
Specifies the initial field to be highlighted when the
display first comes up (ordinarily 1). A value of 0
indicates that no field is to be highlighted and that the
{CANCL} key is to be omitted from the menu, making the
choose box act as an informational display without user
selection.
RESULTS:
CHOOSE returns the chosen item (or the second object in a
two-element item list) and the real number 1 if the user
completes the choose box by pressing {OK} or [ENTER]. CHOOSE
returns the real number 0 if the user terminates the choose
box by pressing {CANCL} or [CANCEL].
MSGBOX - Create a Simple Message Box
INPUT:
1: "Message_string"
OUTPUT:
None
PURPOSE:
MSGBOX creates a simple pop-up message box over the current
display, with a 3D shadow to make it easy to recognize, and
containing any arbitrary text.
ARGUMENTS:
Message_string
Is any string of characters. The text is displayed in
font 2 (medium size), left justified, with a maximum line
length of 15 characters. Longer lines are broken into
multiple lines automatically, at word breaks when
possible, up to a maximum of 5 lines. Line feeds may be
included to force line breaks. The minimum number of
lines is 2, so single-line messages will have a blank line
at the bottom of the box.
RESULTS:
None. MSGBOX is exited when the user presses CANCEL, ENTER,
or OK, but nothing is returned to the stack.
For examples of INFORM, CHOOSE, and MSGBOX see Appendix B-2.
8.21. How do I put checkfields in my INFORM menus?
From: Matt Willis
You can't normally do this directly in User RPL. You can do it in
System RPL (see Jim Donnelly's book for details), or you can use the
library at <http://www.hpcalc.org/programming/misc/infm2v1.zip>
I figured that the System RPL version of DoInputForm was unpleasant
enough to use on a casual basis so I wrote a simple library that lets
you use check boxes and choose lists from User RPL.
All it does is stop execution of INFORM just before DoInputForm, then
search the stack and change object types to check and choose objects.
Then it restarts the INFORM command. At the end, it tidies up
TRUE/FALSE to 1/0 etc...
Example syntax:
"Test" {
"A" "B" "C" } 1 {} { :CHECK: 1 :CHOOSE: { 1 2 3 } NOVAL }
IF INFORM2 THEN
...insert code here...
END
8.22. What is the syntax for the INPUT command?
From: John Meyers
INPUT allows you to display a message and then edit a given string
using the command line editor; the edited string is its result.
Arguments:
Level 2:
"message"
The message is displayed in "medium font" in the upper part of
the "stack display area" (the stack itself is not visible during
the INPUT command). The message may be an empty string, or may
contain newlines for a multiple-line message.
Level 1:
The most general format is a non-empty list containing up to
three optional specifications, which may appear in any order:
{ "string" { row column } mode(s) }
"String" is the initial text which will appear in the command
line; it may be an empty string, or may contain newlines for a
multiple- line text. If you do not need to specify any other of
the optional arguments, you may omit the list itself and supply
only the string on level 1. If the string is omitted from an
argument list, the default is an empty string.
Mode(s) are zero or more of the following special reserved
names:
o Type a Greek Alpha symbol (Alpha right-shift A) to start the
editor with Alpha keyboard mode on.
You might select this mode if you are inviting the user to type
general text; you would not type quotation marks around the
entered text, because INPUT automatically returns as a string
all the characters that are typed into the edit line.
o The word ALG starts the editor in Algebraic entry mode (ALG
annunciator on); PRG mode is always on by default.
o The letter V will check the syntax of the entire command line
when ENTER is finally pressed, in exactly the same way that the
command line editor normally does, disallowing an exit if there
is an RPL syntax error. However, unlike ordinary editing in the
command line, the command line text is still returned as a
string, and is not compiled for you (you can do OBJ-> yourself
afterwards if you want to compile the string).
For example, if you are expecting two numeric values to be
entered, and if you enter 123 456, INPUT returns "123 456"; if
you then do OBJ-> on that result, you will finally get 123 and
456 as separate values on the stack.
Row and Column optionally specify where the cursor will
initially appear (default is at the end of the entire string),
and whether the cursor will start in "insert" or "replace" mode
(default is insert).
Row numbers start at 1 for the topmost row; column numbers start
at 1 for the first character in a row. Row zero means the
bottom row; column zero means the end of a row.
Instead of { row column } you may also simply count character
positions within the original "string" argument, supplying just
one number instead of a list of two numbers.
To cause the cursor to be in "replace" mode rather than "insert"
mode, the first number specifying cursor position should be made
negative.
If the user presses CANCEL during INPUT when there is some text in the
command line, all the text will be erased without canceling INPUT; if
CANCEL is pressed again (or with no text), then INPUT is canceled.
Examples of use in a program:
"Enter A, B, C" {
":A:
:B:
:C:" { 1 0 } V } INPUT
Note: Put newlines between the three lines of the initial string.
When executed, the screen shows:
Enter A, B, C
:A:(cursor appears here)
:B:
:C:
If you now press 1 DownArrow 2 DownArrow 3 ENTER, the string returned
on the stack is:
":A:1
:B:2
:C:3"
If you then do OBJ-> on this string, you get (on separate stack
levels):
:A: 1
:B: 2
:C: 3
The optional "tags" do not interfere with using the numeric values in
functions, or storing them (tags are automatically removed in each
case).
Another example:
"Type a new notecard" { Alpha-symbol } INPUT
This allows the user to type any free-form text, which is returned as
a string upon pressing ENTER.
Simplest possible example:
"" "" INPUT (no message, empty initial command line)
Potential problems with INPUT (if OBJ-> is to be used afterwards to
get the values entered):
o You can't force the user to enter the exact number of values
expected, so you may want to program defensively (check stack
depth, etc...)
o Entries such as command names (e.g. CLVAR), program names, etc...
will get executed by a subsequent OBJ->, producing undesirable
effects (methods for dealing with this problem are available).
For applications expecting non-text values to be entered, the HP48G/GX
INFORM command is more immune to these problems, and affords much
tighter control over what is entered, in addition to providing a more
beautified display form, a separate prompt for each input field, etc.
The syntax for INFORM is detailed elsewhere in the FAQ.
9. Appendix A: Various Useful Functions
9.1. ASC Functions
Note: Although this document mentions SX only, ASC\-> and \->ASC work
on both the SX and GX.
From: Bill Wickes
ASCII Encoding HP48 SX Objects
Sending an HP48 SX object via electronic mail can be difficult if the
object does not have an ASCII form, such as is the case for library
objects. There are various encoding schemes available on different
computer systems, but these require that the sender and receiver have
similar computers, or at least compatible encode/decode schemes. The
programs listed below perform the encoding and decoding on the HP48 SX
itself, which has the advantage of being completely independent of any
computer.
The programs are nominally called \->ASC and ASC\->. The former takes
an object from the stack and converts it to a string, in which each
nibble of the object and its checksum is converted to a character 0-9
or A-F. (The object must be in RAM, otherwise a "ROM Object" error is
returned.) For sake of easy inclusion in e-mail letters, the string
is broken up by linefeed characters after every 64 characters.
ASC\-> is the inverse of \->ASC: it takes a string created by \->ASC
and converts it back into an object. When you transmit the encoded
strings, be sure not to change the string; ASC\-> uses the checksum
encoded in the string to verify that the decoding is correct. An
"Invalid String" error is returned if the result object does not match
the original object encoded by \->ASC. When you upload a string to
your computer, use HP48 translate mode 3 so that the HP48 will convert
any CR/LF's back to LF's when the string is later downloaded.
Two versions of ASC\-> are included here. The first (P1) is in HP48
user language, using SYSEVALs to execute system objects. P2 is a
string that the setup program uses P1 to decode into an executable
ASC\-> - then P1 is discarded. The second version is more compact
than the first, and also uneditable and therefore safer (but it can't
be transmitted in ASCII form, which helps to make the point of this
exercise).
Here are the programs, contained in a directory (if you have problems
with this and you are using the HTML version of the FAQ, you may wish
to try the plain text version or download a binary copy of the
program):
%%HP: T(3)A(D)F(.);
DIR
P1 @ ASC\-> Version 1.
\<<
IF DUP TYPE 2 \=/
THEN "Not A String" DOERR
END RCWS \-> ws
\<< 16 STWS
#0 NEWOB SWAP DUP SIZE
IF DUP 4 <
THEN DROP SWAP DROP "Invalid String" DOERR
END
DUP 65 / IP - 4 - # 18CEAh SYSEVAL
"" OVER # 61C1Ch SYSEVAL
SWAP # 6641F8000AF02DCCh
# 130480679BF8CC0h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 19610313418D7EA4h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 7134147114103123h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 5F6A971131607414h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 12EA1717EA3F130Ch # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 280826B3012808F4h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 6B7028080BEE9091h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# BE5DC1710610C512h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 705D00003431A078h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 3D8FA26058961431h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 312B0514h # 518Ah SYSEVAL
# 18F23h SYSEVAL
DUP BYTES DROP 4 ROLL
IF ==
THEN SWAP DROP
ELSE DROP "Invalid String" DOERR
END ws STWS
\>>
\>>
P2 @ ASC\-> Version 2. To be converted by ASC\-> version 1.
"D9D20D29512BF81D0040D9D20E4A209000000007566074726636508813011920
140007FE30B9F060ED3071040CA1304EC3039916D9D2085230B9F06C2A201200
094E66716C696460235472796E676933A1B21300ED30FD5502C230C1C1632230
CCD20FA0008F14660CC8FB97608403104AE7D814313016913213014117414317
414706131179A6F5C031F3AE7171AE214F8082103B6280821909EEB0808207B6
215C0160171CD5EB870A13430000D50713416985062AF8D341508813044950B9
F06BBF06EFC36B9F0644230C2A201200094E66716C696460235472796E676933
A1B2130B21300373"
P3 @\->ASC. To be converted by ASC\->.
"D9D20D2951881304495032230FD5502C230A752688130ADB467FE30322306AC3
0CB916E0E30CBD30F6E30C1C1632230CCD20DC0008F14660CC8FB97608403104
AE7D8143130169174147061741431311534AC6B4415141534946908D9B026155
4A6F53131F3AE731A014C161AE215F08082103A6280821939EEC08082170A621
4C161170CD56B870A18503430000D5071351796A9F8D2D02639916D9D2085230
C2A209100025F4D402F426A6563647933A1B2130A2116B213033C0"
SETUP @Automatic setup program
\<< P2 P1 'ASC\->' STO
P3 ASC\-> '\->ASC' STO
{ P1 P2 P3 SETUP } PURGE
\>>
END
Installation instructions:
1. Save the above text into a text file named CONV (for example). Be
sure that you leave the strings exactly as entered above, with no
extra spaces or other invisible characters at the beginnings or
ends of the lines.
2. Set the HP48 SX into ASCII transfer mode.
3. Using Kermit, download CONV text file to the 48, verify its
checksum (6C8Ah).
4. Execute CONV to make it the current directory.
5. Execute SETUP.
6. The directory CONV now contains ASC\-> and \->ASC, ready to use.
To archive the decoded versions of ASC\-> and \->ASC back on your
computer, be sure to set the HP48 SX in binary transfer mode before
uploading.
Disclaimers:
o Use the programs at your own risk. Any time you delve into the
SYSEVAL world, there are increased dangers. Archive your 48 memory
before experimenting with these programs! Also, verify the
checksums of objects defined above to make sure they have been
downloaded correctly, before executing ASC\->.
o I will not answer questions about how the programs work. This is
not because of any great secrecy, but rather because it's hard to
give any answer that doesn't lead to more questions, and more, and
more...
o 48 hackers are welcome to mine any nuggets they can from the
programs, and from the fact that \->ASC is a convenient way to
decompile an object.
9.2. OBJFIX
When a binary object received by Kermit on the HP-48 is left as a
string beginning with HPHP48, OBJFIX will extract the HP-48 object if
the only problem is that extra bytes got appended to the end.
OBJFIX takes a variable name in stack level 1 and modifies the
contents of the variable if no other problems are detected.
Note: This is like FIXIT by Horn and Heiskanen on Goodies Disk 8, but
this one is by HP and so I suppose it's more reliable. Although it
fails the test cases included with FIXIT, that may be because they
were artificially contrived cases. Try both on real-world downloads
that need fixing. Which do you like better?
OBJFIX.ASC
%%HP: T(3)A(D)F(.);
"D9D202BA81D9F81B2040D9D20F2A26DA91629C8145126489162C23072C80CCD2
0BD0008FB9760147108134164142C2818F24D534501008B2F41643150D73B840
58405438314A161966D2BF6BF6A6F5BE16314213114334CF8208A6F58F235A04
55136D7D4EA494D231A1CA101110131CA130DBE284F8FC0760D41198F29960D4
130142119EA1408F5E0108D341503223072D70B2130B21301460"
9.3. FIXIT
From: Joe Horn and Mika Heiskanen
PURPOSE:
Converts a badly uploaded string into the original object.
THEORY:
A lot of folks upload HP48 objects poorly, such that when you
download them, you just get strings full of garbage that look
something like this:
"HPHP48-E#c&r$a%p@!*!..." [looks familiar, eh?]
That's because they uploaded it using XMODEM, or managed to screw
it up some other way. The following FIXIT program takes such a
string and extracts the actual HP48 object that they originally
intended to upload (if at all possible).
Such object extraction can be done by hand, but it's too dangerous.
FIXIT minimizes the danger of Memory Clear. It checks whether the
extracted object is a valid one, and if not, drops it from the
stack before the HP48 attempts to display it. All of the many bad
downloads I've archived over the years are fixed by FIXIT, whereas
about half of them cause a Memory Clear when extracted manually.
No guarantees, however. Use at your own risk.
The actual extraction is done by a "Code object" written by Mika
Heiskanen. The User RPL "shell" around this code object is what
minimizes the danger of Memory Clear; it was written by Joe Horn.
INSTRUCTIONS:
BACKUP YOUR MEMORY, just in case the string contains a logic
bomb.
Place the bad download on the stack (see "HPHP48-...") and run
FIXIT.
Possible results:
o No error: the object was extracted successfully and is on level
1.
o "Bad Argument Type" error: you didn't have a string on level 1.
o "Bad Argument Value" error: the string wasn't of the proper
form; it must be an "HPHP48-..." downloaded string.
o "Invalid Definition" error: the object was mangled in
transmission so badly that its end was lost; the object cannot
be extracted.
o "Undefined Result" error: there is no HP48 object in the string.
o "Recover Memory? YES/NO": the string contained a bomb, and FIXIT
detonated it. Press YES to sift through the shrapnel and rubble
in a feeble attempt to resurrect the dead. Press NO to bury
them.
EXAMPLES:
To do the following examples, download the FIXIT directory to
your HP48 and get into it.
o Press HI. See "HPHP48-E...", a badly uploaded download. Before
pressing FIXIT to fix it, try doing what we all used to do:
press EDIT to see if we can recognize anything (usually a futile
attempt). We see:
"HPHP48-E... << Melancholy Baby >>"
But looks can be deceiving; press ON to exit the editor, and
then press FIXIT to extract the intended upload:
<< Happy Camper >>
o Press WTAV; see another garbage download. But EDIT refuses; the
string contains null characters. Press FIXIT; see successfully
extracted directory.
o Press BAD1. Notice that it looks exactly like WTAV. (Press
WTAV, compare, then DROP). But its ending is all messed up;
manually extracting WTAV from BAD1 can cause Memory Clear.
Press FIXIT and see "Error: Invalid Definition" indicating that
the object inside BAD1 is so mangled that its end cannot be
located.
o Press BAD2. Looks like WTAV again. But its body is messed up;
manually extracting it would create an External object that
could cause Memory Clear if evaluated. Press FIXIT and see
"Error: Undefined Result" indicating that there is nothing
recognizable inside BAD2.
FIXIT.ASC
%%HP: T(3)A(D)F(.);
"69A20FF7CE20000000402414442340C2A203B000840584054383D25403A20FF7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"
9.4. LASTX
The LASTX function is useful in calculations where a number occurs
more than once. By recovering a number using LASTX, you do not have
to key that number into the calculator again. Note however that LASTX
uses the built in last argument feature, so if you use LASTX you will
lose the contents of your LASTARG.
For example, calculate:
96.704 + 52.394706
--------------------
52.394706
Keystrokes: Stack:
----------------- --------------------
96.704 ENTER 96.704
52.304706 + 149.098706
LASTX 149.098706
52.304706
/ 2.84568265351
@ This is a version of LASTX for the HP48
@
%%HP: T(3)A(D)F(.);
\<< DEPTH \-> n
\<< LASTARG DEPTH n
- DUP \-> s
\<< ROLLD s 1 -
DROPN
\>>
\>>
\>>
9.5. Compact Data Storage
From: Jim Donnelly
A simple length-encoding technique can be put to use for a free-
format, very compact multi-field data storage system. Two tiny
programs, SUBNUM and STRCON are here to help the process, and are
listed near the end of this note. At the end of the note is a
directory that may be downloaded into the HP48 that contains the
examples.
The principle is to store starting indices in the beginning of a
string that point to fields stored subsequently in the string. The
indices are stored in field order, with an additional index at the end
to accommodate the last field. There are several small points worth
mentioning:
o Fields may be 0-length using this technique.
o The execution time is uniform across all fields.
o This technique saves about 4 bytes per field after the first field,
because the string prologue and length are omitted for fields 2 ->
n.
EXAMPLE:
Indices | Fields
Character | 1 11111111 12222222222
Position : 1 2 3 4 |567890 12345678 90123456789
+--+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
String : | 5|11|19|30|Field1| Field2 | Field 3 |
+--+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
This is a string that contains 3 fields, and therefore 4 index
entries. The first field begins at character 5, the second field
begins at character 11, and the third field begins at character 19.
To keep the pattern consistent, notice that the index for field 4
is 30, which is one more than the length of the 29 character data
string.
To extract the second field, place the string on the stack, use
SUBNUM on character 2 to extract the starting position, use SUBNUM
on character 3 to extract the (ending position +1), subtract 1 from
the (ending position+1), then do a SUB to get the field data.
NOTE: The index for field 1 is stored as char. data 5, NOT the
string "5"! To place the field index for field 1 in the string,
you would execute "data" 1 5 CHR REPL.
PROGRAM:
The following program accepts an encoded data string in level 2
and a field number in level 1:
DECODE "data" field# --> "field"
<< --> f
<<
DUP f SUBNUM ; "data" start -->
OVER f 1 + SUBNUM ; "data" start end+1 -->
1 - ; "data" start end -->
SUB ; "field" -->
>>
>>
DATA ENCODING:
The following program expects a series of 'n' strings on the
stack and encodes them into a data string suitable for reading
by the first example above.
The programs SUBNUM and STRCON are used to assemble the indices.
ENCODE field n ... field 1 n --> "data"
<< DUP 2 + DUP 1 - STRCON --> n data
<<
1 n
FOR i
data i SUBNUM OVER SIZE ; ... field index fieldsize
+ data SWAP ; ... field "data" index'
i 1 + SWAP CHR REPL ; ... field "data"'
SWAP + 'data' STO ; ...
NEXT
data ; "data"
>>
>>
In this example, four strings are encoded:
Input: 5: "String"
4: "Str"
3: "STR"
2: "STRING"
1: 4
Output: "xxxxxSTRINGSTRStrString" (23 character string) (The
first five characters have codes 6, 12, 15, 18, and 24)
VARIATION:
The technique above has a practical limit of storing up to 254
characters of data in a string. To overcome this, just allocate
two bytes for each field position. The code to extract the
starting index for becomes a little more busy. In this case,
the index is stored as two characters in hex.
Indices | Fields
Character | 11111 11111222 22222223333
Position : 12 34 56 78|901234 56789012 34567890123
+--+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
String : |09|0F|17|21|Field1| Field2 | Field 3 |
+--+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
<< --> f
<<
DUP f 2 * 1 - ; "data" "data" indx1 -->
SUBNUM 16 * ; "data" 16*start_left_byte -->
OVER f 2 * SUBNUM + ; "data" start
OVER f 2 * 1 + SUBNUM ; "data" start end_left_byte -->
16 * 3PICK f 1 + 2 *
SUBNUM + 1 - ; "data" start end -->
SUB ; "field" -->
>>
>>
TWO VERY TINY HELPFUL PROGRAMS:
SUBNUM "string" position --> code
<< DUP SUB NUM >>
STRCON code count --> "repeated string"
<< --> code count
<< "" code CHR 'code' STO
1 count START code + NEXT
>>
>>
Alternative Solution #1:
From: Matjaz Vencelj <vencelj@fmf.uni-lj.si>
Jim allocates two bytes for each index entry (to handle longer
strings), but on the other side obviously only uses values
00...FF for index dublets, which just doesn't make sense. He's
at a 16*16 = 255 chars limit again!
I have put together a working set of commands which support up
to 65K strings, using two-byte indexing.
The encoder (Encode) is User-RPL program which calls the binary
N2C which converts the level 1 real into a 2 character string:
@*** Encode ***
%%HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);
\<<
IF DUP TYPE 0 = THEN 514 DOERR END
\-> N
\<<
N 1 + 2 * #18CEAh SYSEVAL #45676h SYSEVAL
1 N FOR I I 2 * 1 - OVER SIZE 1 + N2C REPL SWAP + NEXT
N 2 * 1 + OVER SIZE 1 + N2C REPL
\>>
\>>
@*** N2C, cksum=#8919h ***
%%HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);
"D9D202BA812BF819FF30D9D20AEC8111920001007FE3057A50C57463223057A5
0EE250B2130B21307206"
ASCII download them with translate code 3, then call program
'Encode' with data strings in levels 2..n+1 and a real n in level 1
indicating the number of strings.
The string decoder (Decode), which is usually speed-critical, is
the following \->ASC encoded binary:
@*** Decode, cksum=#38E1h ***
%%HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);
"D9D20D8A81D9F811192013000D9D20AEC8113D26CA130F6E30CA130E0E305080
311920001002CE30CAF0650803CBD30CAF06FED30F6E30CA130E0E3050803119
20001002CE30CAF0650803CBD30E0E3033750B2130B21309534"
It takes a `database' string on level 2 and a real (record
position) on level 1, then comes back with the appropriate
substring (record).
Alternative Solution #2:
From: Thorsten Kampe <thorsten_kampe@hotmail.com>
The wrong approach (Donnelly's) is to store absolute indices
(pointers to the position in the string). Thereby the length of
the resulting string is limited to 254 characters.
The solution is to store the relative indices (length of your
fields) in your coded string, headed by a field counter, so you
can go up to 257 fields - you have to pack at least two fields,
so shift [0 255] to [2 257]. Each of the fields can be 0 to 255
characters long.
You only have to allocate one byte for each field. If you would
use another byte for the field counter, you could go up to 65027
fields, each 255 characters long. But this is just one byte
plus, not one byte plus for each index! By allocating two bytes
for each index, you could go up to fields of 65025-length. But
this would be useless, because it's not the long fields that
count towards compression, but the many short ones!
EXAMPLE:
Indices | Fields
Character |000000 11111111 11122222222
Position : 1 2 3 |456789 01234567 89012345678
+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
String : |03|06|08|Field1| Field2 | Field 3 |
+--+--+--+------+--------+-----------+
This is a string that contains 3 fields, and therefore 3 index
entries. The first index contains the number of fields (03) -
shifted by 2: so it's actually CHR 01. The first field has a length
of 6 characters, the second field has a length of 8 characters, and
the third field 11 - but the last one is ignored because the
Partitioning tool PART will take care of that.
ENCODE { field 1 ... field n } --> "data"
<< DUP SIZE 2 - CHR
OVER 1 OVER SIZE 1
- SUB 1
<< SIZE CHR +
>> DOLIST SWAP +
\GSLIST >>
DECODE "data" --> { field 1 ... field n }
<< TAIL LASTARG HEAD
NUM 1 + 1 \->LIST
PART EVAL SWAP 1
PART NUM PART >>
These routines rely on a separate module named PART, which is
provided below:
PART
<< DUP TYPE
IF NOT
THEN 1 \->LIST OVER
SIZE OVER / CEIL {
} + LIST\-> 1 + ROLL
2 LASTARG
START SWAP OVER
SIZE * SWAP
DO DUP + DUP2
SIZE
UNTIL \<=
END 1 ROT SUB
1 \->LIST
NEXT EVAL PART
1 OVER SIZE 1 - SUB
ELSE 1
<< 1 SWAP SUB
LASTARG + OVER SIZE
SUB
>> DOLIST LIST\->
1 + \->LIST
END >>
9.6. HP82240B Printer Codes
From: Jarno Peschier
Size of physical row
One printed row is either 24 normal characters, 12 expanded
characters or 168 pixels wide. This means that one normal
character has a width of 7 pixels. Any printed data "falling off
the row" will be truncated and ignored by the printer.
Reset
ESC 255d
This resets the printer to the following state: Roman8 character
set (watch out: the power-up character set is ECMA94), both
expanded and underline printing off, buffer cleared.
Self test
ESC 254d
This causes the printer to print a selftest pattern. This mainly
consists of a printout of the Roman8 character set.
Expanded printing
ESC 253d
This turns expanded printing on. This means that from this code on
all characters that are printed will be printed at twice the normal
character width because each column of pixels is printed twice.
Has no effect if expanded printing is already on.
ESC 252d
This turns expanded printing off. This means that from this code
on all characters that are printed at normal character width again.
Has no effect if expanded printing is already off.
Underlined printing
ESC 251d
This turns underlined printing on. This means that from this code
on all characters that are printed will be underlined because the
bottom-most pixel in each columns of pixels is now always on. Has
no effect if underlined printing is already on.
ESC 250d
This turns underlined printing off. This means that from this code
on all characters that are printed will not be underlined anymore.
The bottom-most pixel in each columns of pixels is printed as it is
defined for the printed character. Has no effect if underlined
printing is already off.
Character sets
ESC 249d
This switches the printer to use the ECMA94 character set. This
set is 100% identical to the character set used in HP48 calcula-
tors. This is the power up default of the printer. Has no effect
if ECMA94 is the current character set already.
ESC 248d
This switches the printer to use the Roman8 character set. This
set is different than the character set used in HP48 calculators in
the 128 last characters. As far as I know this set is used by
older printers like the HP82240A and by HP28 calculators (hence the
need for the OLDPRT command in HP48 calculators if you are printing
to a HP82240A). This character set is turned on if you reset the
printer with the reset code. Has no effect if Roman8 is the cur-
rent character set already.
Graphics
ESC n data (with n between 1 and 247)
This causes the printer to print graphics specified by the speci-
fied data (one byte per pixel column). The value n specifies the
number of bytes of data that follow the printer code that will be
interpreted as graphics data. Any data after pixel column 168 will
be truncated and ignored.
10. Appendix B: GX Specific Information
10.1. What's new in the HP48 G/GX?
From: Joe Horn
AUTOMATIC LIST PROCESSING
Almost all commands that did not accept list(s) as their
arguments can do so now. Here are just a few examples:
{ 1 2 3 } SF sets flags 1, 2, and 3
{ 1 2 3 } SQ --> { 1 4 9 }
{ 2 4 } 10 / --> { .2 .4 }
10 { 2 4 } / --> { 5 2.5 }
{ 10 12 } { 2 4 } / --> { 5 3 }
{ .1 .2 .5 } ->Q --> { '1/10' '1/5' '1/2' }
{ freq freq ...} { dur dur ... } BEEP can play a song with no
audible hiccup between tones.
Since + has always been used to concatenate lists, a new ADD func-
tion exists to add the elements of two lists, like this:
{ 1 2 3 } { 4 5 6 } ADD returns { 5 7 9 }, whereas
{ 1 2 3 } { 4 5 6 } + returns { 1 2 3 4 5 6 } as it did
before.
The only commands which do not have automatic list processing are:
o those which never get a Bad Argument Type error (like DUP),
o meta-object commands (like ROLL),
o program branch structures (like FOR), and
o commands that specifically work on lists (like GET).
Sometimes the results are non-obvious, for example:
5 { A B C } STO --> A=5, B=5, C=5
{ 5 6 7 } 'A' STO --> A={ 5 6 7 } (same as on SX)
{ 5 6 7 } { A B C } STO --> A=5, B=6, C=7
List processing is only recursive for ->Q and ->Qpi.
PORTS AND MEMORY
The HP48 G, like the 48 S, only has 32K RAM. The GX, unlike the
SX, has 128K RAM built-in. Card slot 1 can contain another 128K
(maximum), but card slot 2 can contain up to 4 megabytes of RAM.
Only port 1 can be merged in the GX. Card slot 2, which is
intended for large-capacity RAM cards, is permanently "free",
and is automatically divided up into 128K "ports", each of which
becomes Port 2, Port 3, Port 4, etc. Up to 4 Megabytes can be
plugged into slot 2, which would then become Port 2 through Port
33. (Although the FREE and MERGE commands were kept for HP48 SX
compatibility, GX users will prefer the new FREE1 and MERGE1
commands). Therefore the maximum amount of merged main memory
is 256K (unlike the SX which allowed up to 288K) after MERGE1;
the maximum amount of fully online free independent memory is
4224K after FREE1.
LOCAL VARIABLES
Variable names prefixed with a <- (backarrow character) are
compiled as local (temporary) variable name objects even if
they're not explicitly after FOR or ->. This allows programs to
share values through local variables, which is much faster than
sharing values through global variables, and they get purged
automatically.
SPEED
CPU clock speed is double the S/SX's, but throughput is
estimated to be only 40% faster, primarily due to the fact that
all RAM & ROM is now bankswitched (on the S/SX only a 32K
portion of the ROM required bank switching), and it still has
the same 4-bit bus bottleneck.
IMPROVED COMMANDS:
o AXES can now also specify the spacing of the tick marks.
o DEPND can now also specify the initial values and tolerance for
the new DIFFEQ plot type.
o REPL and SUB now work on arrays.
HP SOLVE EQUATION LIBRARY CARD COMMANDS:
o AMORT, amortization calculations
o CONLIB, starts Constants Library catalog
o CONST, returns value of a named CONLIB constant
o DARCY, calculates Darcy friction factor
o EQNLIB, starts Equation Library catalog
o F0lambda, calculates black-body power fraction
o FANNING, calculates Fanning friction factor
o LIBEVAL is a generalized form of the EQ card's ELSYSEVAL; it
executes any XLIB by its library number
o MCALC, marks an MSOLVR variable as "not user-defined"
o MINEHUNT, starts the "Minehunt" video game
o MINIT, initializes Mpar from 'EQ' for MSOLVR
o MITM, customizes title & menu of MSOLVR's screen
o MROOT, solve for variable(s) in MSOLVR
o MSOLVR, shows Multiple Equation Solver menu
o MUSER, marks an MSOLVR variable as "user-defined"
o SIDENS, density of silicon as function of temperature
o SOLVEQN, starts solver for specified EqLib equation(s)
o TDELTA, subtracts temperatures like "-" ought to but doesn't
o TINC, adds temperatures like "+" ought to but doesn't
o TVM, shows the financial calculator (Time Value of Money) menu
o TVMBEG, sets payments-at-beginning-of-periods mode
o TVMEND, sets payments-at-end-of-periods mode
o TVMROOT, solves for a TVM variable
o ZFACTOR, calculates gas compressibility factor Z
Note: The EQ Card's Periodic Table and Tetris game are not in
the HP48 G/GX, but the EQ Card can be used in the GX if those
applications are needed. Tetris was not included because no
agreement on royalty was reached. The Periodic Table is
available separately as freeware on HPCVBBS.
NEW ARRAY COMMANDS:
o COL+, inserts a column vector into a matrix or a number into a
vector (like INSCOL/PUTCOL in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o COL-, deletes a column from a matrix or number from a vector
(identical to DELCOL in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o COL->, combines multiple column vectors into a matrix
o ->COL, breaks a matrix into multiple column vectors (like
repeated GETCOL in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o COND, column norm condition number of a square matrix
o CSWP, swaps two columns in a matrix (like EXCOL in Donnelly's
Tool Library)
o ->DIAG, returns vector of major diagonal elements of a matrix
o DIAG->, creates matrix with specified diagonal elements
o EGV, eigenvalues and right eigenvectors of a square matrix
o EGVL, eigenvalues of a square matrix
o FFT, discrete Fourier transform
o IFFT, inverse discrete Fourier transform
o LQ, returns the LQ factorization of a matrix
o LSQ, minimum norm least-squares solution to an ill-determined
system of linear equations
o LU, returns the Crout LU decomposition of a square matrix
o PCOEF, returns polynomial with given roots (inverse of PROOT)
o PEVAL, evaluates polynomial at x
o PROOT, finds all roots of polynomial (inverse of PCOEF)
o QR, returns QR factorization of a matrix
o RANK, rank of a rectangular matrix (uses flag -54)
o RANM, creates matrix with random elements
o RCI, multiplies elements in one row of a matrix by a scalar
o RCIJ, does RCI then adds the result to a row
o ROW+, inserts a row vector into a matrix or a number into a
vector (like INSROW/PUTROW in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o ROW-, deletes a row from a matrix or number from a vector
(identical to DELROW in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o ROW->, combines multiple row vectors into a matrix
o ->ROW, breaks a matrix into multiple row vectors (like repeated
GETROW in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o RSWP, swaps two rows in a matrix (identical to EXROW in
Donnelly's Tool Library)
o SCHUR, computes the Schur decomposition of a square matrix
o SNRM, spectral norm of an array
o SRAD, spectral radius of a square matrix
o SVD, singular value decomposition of a matrix
o SVL, computes the singular values of a matrix
o TRACE, sum of diagonal elements of a square matrix
GRAPHICS and PLOTTING COMMANDS:
o ANIMATE, displays grobs on the stack sequentially. You can use
the defaults, or specify your own delay between frames (can be
very fast), the number of times to repeat the sequence, and even
the pixel coordinates. It's just like a ROLL REPL loop...
except very fast. Note: Charlie Patton converted 17 seconds of
the Apollo moon-walk video into HP48 GROBs and ran them with
ANIMATE, and it looked very good!
o ATICK, specifies tick spacing on plot axes
o EYEPT, specifies the eye-point coordinates in a perspective plot
o GRIDMAP, selects the new "gridmap" plot type
o PARSURFACE, selects the new "parametric surface" plot type
o PCONTOUR, selects the new "pcontour" plot type
o PICTURE, same as GRAPH command
o SLOPEFIELD, selects the new "slopefield" plot type
o WIREFRAME, selects the new "wireframe" plot type
o XVOL, sets the width of the 3D plotting volume
o XXRNG, sets the width of the 3D target mapping range for gridmap
and parametric surface plots
o YSLICE, selects the new "yslice" plot type
o YVOL, sets the depth of the 3D plotting volume
o YYRNG, sets the depth of the 3D target mapping range for gridmap
and parametric surface plots
o ZVOL, sets the height of the 3D plotting volume
USER-INTERFACE COMMANDS:
o CHOOSE, displays a point-and-click menu "dialog box"
o INFORM, formatted multi-line input with named fields (nice!!)
o MSGBOX, displays text in a centred box with shadow, then WAITs
o NOVAL, placeholder for unspecified values in INFORM argument
list
LIST PROCESSING COMMANDS:
o ADD, adds lists element-wise (see section above)
o DOLIST, evals an object on multiple lists
o DOSUBS, evals a program or command taking arguments from a list
o ENDSUBS, returns the number of loops the current DOSUBS will do
o HEAD, first element in a list or first char in a string
(identical to CAR in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o DeltaLIST, list of first finite differences of list objects
o SigmaLIST, sum of the elements in a list
o PiLIST, product of the elements in a list
o NSUB, returns the current list pointer value during a DOSUBS
o REVLIST, reverses the order of the objects in a list (like
REVERSE in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o SEQ, list of results from repeated execution of an object (like
a FOR/STEP loop but the results go into a list)
o SORT, sorts elements in a list into ascending order, or sorts a
list of lists using each list's first element as the key (can be
done with LSORT/QSORT in Donnelly's Tool Library)
o STREAM, executes an object on first two elements of a list, then
again on the result and the 3rd element, etc. Allows easy
creation of things similar to SigmaLIST and PiList.
o TAIL, returns a decapitated list or string (see HEAD above)
(identical to CDR in Donnelly's Tool Library)
SYSTEM COMMANDS:
o CLTEACH, clears the 'EXAMPLES' directory created by TEACH
o CYLIN, sets polar/cylindrical coordinate mode
o FREE1, like 1 FREE (see section above)
o MERGE1, like 1 MERGE (see section above)
o PINIT, port initialize, esp. important for 4-Meg RAM card users
o RECT, sets rectangular coordinate mode
o SPHERE, sets polar/spherical coordinate mode
o TEACH, loads the Owner's Manual examples into a dir in HOME
o VERSION, returns the operating system ROM version string and a
copyright notice, like this:
2: "Version HP48-R" <-- means version "R"
1: "Copyright HP 1993"
o XRECV, X-Modem protocol receive (binary mode only)
o XSEND, X-Modem protocol send (binary mode only)
MATH COMMANDS:
o LININ, tests whether an equation is linear in a given variable
o NDIST, normal probability density
o PCOV, population covariance of SigmaDAT
o PSDEV, population standard deviation of SigmaDAT
o PVAR, population variance of SigmaDAT
o RKF, solves initial value problem using Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg
o RKFERR, change in solution and absolute error using RKF
o RKFSTEP, next solution step with given error tolerance using RKF
o RRK, solves initial value problem using Rosenbrock & RKF
o RRKSTEP, next solution step with given error tolerance using RRK
o RSBERR, change in solution and absolute error using Rosenbrock
MENU NUMBERS and KEY CODES
Many menu numbers have changed, so software that uses # MENU or
# TMENU may not work the same as in the HP48 S/SX.
(Specifically, only menu numbers 0-3, 28, 30, and 42-59 are the
same). Likewise, almost all of the shifted keycodes correspond
to new commands and menus, which programmers must take into
account; for example, the "RAD" key on the S/SX had the keycode
82.2, but it's 21.2 on the G/GX. The left-shift key, which was
orange on the S/SX, is now purple [officially "lavender"], and
the right-shift key which was blue on the S/SX is now green
[officially "teal"] on the G/GX. Also, the digit-key menus can
be activated by both shift keys; left-shift gives the softkey
menus like in the S/SX, but the right-shift gives the new user-
friendly full-screen menus. The unshifted keys remain identical
to the S/SX, except for a cosmetic colour change to match the
very dark green of the calculator case.
MANUALS
The G/GX comes with two manuals, a "Quick Start Guide" for
beginners, and a cost-cutting, slimmer owner's manual called the
"User's Guide" which has only 21 pages about programming, since
HP figures that the huge majority of all 48 owners never program
it anyway. The power users can buy the optional "Advanced Users
Reference Manual" (similar to the S/SX's "Programmer's Reference
Manual") which covers programming and the many commands that are
not mentioned in the User's Guide. There is no "Quick Reference
Guide" like the S/SX came with, although the case still has a
pocket for one.
Jim Donnelly has marketed a nice pocket guide, but it's too wide
to fit in the case's pocket. The User's Guide is not spiral
bound, but is made to open fully and last a long time, since
it's not just glued but has sewn signatures like real books, and
is printed on quality paper.
Another possibility is "The HP 48G/GX Pocket Guide" by Chris
Coffin and Thomas Dick (Grapevine Publications). It's 80 pages
long, contains a complete command reference (with input/output
stack diagrams), alpha keyboard description, system flag
description, as well as examples of how to use various
calculator features. This guide is designed to fit nicely in
the pocket of the HP case.
FLAGS
Some previously "unused" flags are now used. They are:
-14 Clear = end-of-period payment mode (for TVM calculations)
Set = beginning-of-period payment mode
-27 Clear = display symbolic complex numbers in coordinate form
e.g. '(X,Y)'
Set = display symbolic complex numbers using 'i'
e.g. 'X+Y*i'
-28 Clear = plot multiple equations like the S/SX does (serially)
Set = plot multiple equations simultaneously
-29 Clear = include axes in plots (like the S/SX does)
Set = omit axes from 2D and statistics plots
-30 is no longer used (it never did anything useful anyhow)
-54 Clear = tiny matrix elements get rounded to zero
Set = leaves matrix elements alone
The default setting of all these flags is Clear (as in the S/SX).
FLAG BROWSER
There is a System Flag browser which shows the flag number,
shows whether it's set or clear, lets you toggle it, and shows
in English what the current setting means.
CHARACTER BROWSER
While programming, if you want to type any character at all,
press CHARS and a screenful of ASCII characters is displayed
that you can browse with the arrow keys, and not only does the
screen also show the ASCII code (NUM value) and even the
shortcut keyboard key sequence (if any) for each character, but
if you press ECHO, it will be "typed" into your program.
There's no need any more for the alpha keyboard table.
DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE
Press right-shift VAR to launch a Variable Browser which is a
complete memory manager. You can tag multiple objects and copy,
move, or delete them all with a single keystroke; there's even a
Mark All and an Unmark All, like a real computer. It's slow,
however, and has been obsoleted by the very fast PCT library.
FRACTIONAL UNIT POWERS
The S/SX only handled integer powers of units correctly, but the
G/GX can use any real number as a unit power.
NAME PLATE
The case has a rectangular indentation in the back like the HP
95LX and 100LX, and it comes with an adhesive metal nameplate
that you can get engraved with your name.
XLIB NAMES
All of the new commands in the GX are XLIB names, and therefore
take 5.5 bytes in programs. The commands common to the SX and
GX take 2.5 bytes each, as they did in the SX.
INPUT FORMS and CHOOSE BOXES
Many operations have two menu types: the old SX style, and a new
"drop-down" menu and "input forms" that have the feel of
computer dialog boxes. Especially useful for the HP48 beginner.
ENHANCED PRECISION
The internal precision of at least some of the matrix routines
has been improved; INV gets better answers on square matrices
than the SX did. HP has not released information about which
routines were improved, how, and by how much.
IMPROVED DISPLAY
The LCD introduced with revision M of the G/GX is easier to read
since it has higher contrast between on/off pixels. It has a
slower cycle response time, however, making it difficult to use
for rapid-motion video games or any other rapid animation.
10.2. Examples of INFORM, CHOOSE, and MSGBOX
From: Jarno Peschier
Some examples of INFORM, CHOOSE and MSGBOX on the HP48 GX. Just
download the entire directory to your calculator and try the programs,
change them, modify them and do everything else with them you can
think of.
SIMPLE:
This program will demonstrate a simple INFORM input screen with
3 fields (one without type restrictions, one for real or complex
numbers and one for strings) with some additional layout. MSGBOX
and CHOOSE (with the third parameter equal 0) are used to show
what the results of the INFORM command are. The list the INFORM
command returns is left on stack so you can see what it looks
like.
ANGLE:
This program will demonstrate the use of CHOOSE. It lets you
choose between the three possible angle modes (DEG, RAD, GRAD)
and when you choose one of them, the corresponding mode is set
by evaluating a tiny program containing the right command.
ISOLATE:
This program will demonstrate the use of INFORM in ways that it
is used in the calculator itself. It is a very simple shell
around the ISOL command (isolation of a variable from an
algebraic). It remembers it's settings in a variable called IPAR
and the next time the program is run this will be the default
values of the INFORM command, so you can isolate for a different
variable using the same algebraic you used before, without
retyping it. MSGBOX is used for error messages.
TYPELIST:
This program will again demonstrate the use of CHOOSE. It
extracts the names of all the internal types of the HP48 GX from
ROM and shows them in a CHOOSE-box (alphabetically sorted by
name). If you choose one of them, its TYPE number is shown in a
MSGBOX.
MATHQUIZ:
This final program will demonstrate the use of INFORM with
variable field descriptions and default/reset values. It's will
show you 8 fields that are simple math questions for you to
solve (addition and subtraction). You can enter all the results
and then you will see if your answers were correct (in a
MSGBOX). You must fill all the fields. Hint: you can cheat by
resetting a field (or all fields).
%%HP: T(3)A(D)F(.);
DIR
SIMPLE
\<<
IF
"AN EXAMPLE OF INFORM"
{ { } { } { } {
"OBJECT:"
"ALL OBJECTS ARE ALLOWED HERE"
} { } { "NUM:"
"ENTER A (COMPLEX) NUMBER"
0 1 } { "NAME:"
"ENTER YOUR FULL NAME"
2 } { } { } } { 3 1
} {
\<< 440 1
BEEP
\>> (0,1)
"JARNO PESCHIER" }
{ NOVAL 0 "N.N." }
INFORM
THEN DUP
"YOU ENTERED:" SWAP
0 CHOOSE DROP
"The list that INFORM produced is still on the stack."
ELSE
"You cancelled the INFORM."
END MSGBOX
\>>
ANGLE
\<<
IF
"ANGLE MEASURE" { {
"Degrees" DEG } {
"Radians" RAD } {
"Grads" GRAD } } 1
CHOOSE
THEN EVAL
END
\>>
ISOLATE
\<<
IF
"A VERY SIMPLE VARIABLE ISOLATOR"
{ { } { "EXPR:"
"ENTER THE EXPRESSION"
9 } { "VARIABLE:"
"ENTER VARIABLE TO ISOLATE"
6 } } { } { }
IF 'IPAR'
VTYPE 5 \=/
THEN { }
ELSE 'IPAR'
RCL
END INFORM
THEN DUP 'IPAR' STO
IF DUP
NOVAL POS
THEN DROP
"You must enter an expression and a variable!"
MSGBOX
ELSE OBJ\->
DROP
IFERR
ISOL
THEN
DROP2 "Error: "
ERRM + MSGBOX
END
END
END
\>>
TYPELIST
\<<
IF
"ALL HP48 TYPES (IN ROM)"
0 27
FOR msg
IFERR msg
263 + DOERR
THEN ERRM
END msg 2
\->LIST
NEXT 28
\->LIST SORT 1 CHOOSE
THEN
"That one has type number "
SWAP + "." + MSGBOX
END
\>>
MATHQUIZ
\<<
IF
"A SIMPLE MATH QUIZ"
1 8
FOR i "'"
RAND 100 * IP +
IF RAND
0.75 <
THEN "+"
ELSE "-"
END +
RAND 100 * IP + "'"
+ "ENTER RESULT #"
i + 0 3 \->LIST
NEXT 8
\->LIST DUP
\<< \-> X
\<< X HEAD
2 OVER SIZE 1 - SUB
"=" + X 1 ROT PUT
\>>
\>> DOLIST
SWAP
\<< \-> X
\<< X HEAD
OBJ\-> EVAL
\>>
\>> DOLIST 3
ROLLD { 2 5 } 4
PICK { } INFORM
THEN
IF DUP
NOVAL POS
THEN DROP2
"You didn't fill all the blanks."
ELSE
IF SAME
THEN
"All answers were correct!"
ELSE
"Not all answers were correct."
END
END MSGBOX
ELSE DROP
END
\>>
END
10.3. Some useful LIBEVALs
From: Joe Horn
Note well: backup memory before using any of the following! LIBEVAL
can clear memory if used incorrectly. Warning to the clueless:
LIBEVAL, NOT SYSEVAL!!! If you don't know what a "bint" is, don't use
the ones that mention bints.
Example usage: "OUT OF RANGE Try Again" #B0091h LIBEVAL. Try it!
-----------------------------------------------------+----------
Function | LIBEVAL
-----------------------------------------------------+----------
Displays message box with grob | #B1000h
CMD last command window | #B2000h
CHARS application | #B2001h
MODES application input form | #B41C1h
flag browser (returns t/f to level 1, just drop it) | #B41CFh
MEMORY application (aka variable browser) | #B41D7h
SOLVE application choose box | #B4000h
solve equation input form | #B4001h
solve difeq input form | #B4017h
solve polynomial input form | #B402Ch
solve linear systems of equations input form | #B4033h
solve TVM input form | #B4038h
PLOT input form | #B4045h
SYMBOLIC application choose box | #B4113h
integrate input form | #B4114h
differentiate input form | #B4122h
Taylor polynomial expansion input form | #B412Bh
Isolate a variable input form | #B412Dh
solve quadratic input form | #B4130h
manipulate expression input form | #B4131h
TIME application choose box | #B4137h
Set alarm input form | #B4138h
Set time and date input form | #B415Bh
Alarm browser (aka alarm catalog) | #B416Eh
STAT application choose box | #B4175h
single-var stat input form | #B4176h
frequencies input form | #B417Dh
fit data input form | #B417Fh
summary stat input form | #B418Fh
I/O application choose box | #B4192h
Send to HP48 input form | #B4193h
Print input form | #B4197h
Transfer input form | #B41A8h
Get from HP48 (immediate) | #B50FFh
recalls the contents of the reserve variable Mpar | #E4012h
-----------------------------------------------------+----------
LIBEVAL : stack diagram / what it does
------- -----------------------------------------------------------
#B0091h : $ --> makes a message box with an alert symbol in it
#E0044h : $ --> displays a title line, top center (follow with
1 FREEZE if you want it to stay there after program ends)
#B2000h : launches the Last Command choose-box
#B2001h : launches the CHARS application; returns nothing if user does
not press ECHO
#B2002h : launches the CHARS application; returns "" if user does not
press ECHO
#B41CFh : launches Flag Browser; leaves a True or False on stack, so
follow this LIBEVAL with a DROP.
#B50A3h : --> current time as hour, min, sec separately, plus an XLIB
that represents AM/PM/24-hr (just DROP it)
#B50A4h : hh.mmss --> hh mm ss xlib (the xlib represents AM,PM, or
24-hr mode; just DROP it)
#B50A6h : --> current date as month, day, year (always that order, and
a two-digit year)
#B50A7h : mm.ddyyyy (or dd.mmyyyy) --> month, day, yr
#B50A9h : #month #yr --> #days_in_that_month (inputs and output are
bints; year is two digits, interpreted as between 1991 &
2090 only)
#B50AAh : #yr --> %0.00yyyy (input is two-digit bint interpreted as
between 1991 and 2090; output is a real number)
#B50ABh : #mon #day #yr --> #day_of_week (inputs & output are bints;
year is two digits interpreted as between 1991 & 2090;
Sunday is #7; if you're in DMY mode, then the input order is
#day #mon #yr)
#B50B2h : --> { 1 2 3 ... 59 } (not very fast)
#B50B3h : --> { 1 2 3 ... 10 } (very fast)
#B50B4h : --> { 0 1 2 ... 23 } (very fast)
#B50B9h : --> { " 1 January" " 2 February" ... "12 December" }
#B50D5h : --> number of alarms currently set (as a bint)
#E3063h : hxs --> grob (this is an RLL packed-grob uncompressor, used
by EQ LIB and MINEHUNT; for example, try this:
#E202Bh LIBEVAL 3 GET #E3063h LIBEVAL PICT STO PICTURE)
#E202Bh : the first of the packed EQ LIB grobs (see above)
#E2069h : the last of the packed EQ LIB grobs (see above)
#E7039h : MINEHUNT packed grob (left screen border)
#E703Ah : MINEHUNT packed grob (right screen border)
#E801Eh : obj --> obj T/F (tests whether object is in temporary memory
or not; returns System-RPL True or False)
11. Appendix C: Details of Bugs
11.1. The EquationWriter Bug
From: Joe Horn
Rev E Behaviour
Clear flag -53 first (the Precedence Flag).
On a Rev E, put '((1+2)/(3+4))^5' on the stack and press down-
arrow. You'll see:
5
/ 1+2 \
| --- | (A)
\ 3+4 /
which is as it should be. But now press [orange-shift] [+]; see
the message "Implicit () off" momentarily; press [left-arrow] (not
backspace), then press the [EXIT] softkey. The expression gets
mangled into this:
1+2
----------- (B)
(5)
(3+4)
which is not equal to expression (A) above! Bug, yes? Press ON to
abort the process.
Now set flag -53, then repeat the above procedure. First you see:
5
/ 1+2 \
| --- | (C)
\ 3+4 /
which is the same as (A) above; but continuing as before, you see:
(5)
/ 1+2 \
| ----- | (D)
\ (3+4) /
which is equal to the original. Thus the bug can be worked around
by keeping flag -53 set (not a pleasant solution).
Rev J Behaviour
Major difference: after pressing down-arrow, Rev J goes directly
into graphic mode, so you have to press ON and then EXIT to get
into the equation editor (which Rev E goes directly into). But
that's petty cash compared to the following big change.
The same sequence of operations, first with flag -53 clear, then
set, exactly as detailed above, yields these four displays in a
Rev J:
5
/ (1+2) \
| ----- | (A')
\ 3+4 /
(notice the extra parentheses?) and then:
5
/ (1+2) \
| ----- | (B')
\ (3+4) /
which is equal to (A'); nothing at all like expression (B) above!
and then:
5
/ (1+2) \
| ----- | (C')
\ 3+4 /
which is the same as (A') above; and then:
5
/ (1+2) \
| ----- | (D')
\ (3+4) /
which is also equal to (A'). No bug in Rev J.
SUMMARY: Rev A-E have a bug in the EquationWriter that can mangle
expressions if flag -53 is clear (the default) and if "Explicit Paren-
theses" mode is toggled. This bug has been fixed in Rev J.
Unfortunately (as you can see above) Rev J always puts parentheses
around polynomial numerators. It is therefore impossible to use the
->GROB command on a Rev J to create a GROB that looks like expression
(A) above; the simplest that can be had is expression (A').
Another minor change, while I'm at it: Rev A-E don't change the menu
when you press REPL; Rev J automatically flips to the appropriate
RULES menu.
11.2. Rotation Rate to Angular Frequency Conversion Bug
About the Bug:
From: Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz <wacm@doc.ic.ac.uk>
There is a rotation rate conversion bug in the HP48 G/GX which I
have not seen reported here before, so after discussion with the
folks at Corvallis I am posting this description. Warning: it is
159 lines long!
First - an example. Put the unit object 60_rpm in level 2 and
the unit object 1_r/s in level 1, then execute the command
CONVERT. You are asking the HP48 to convert a rotation rate of
60 revolutions per minute into an angular frequency in radians
per second. 60 rpm is 1 revolution per second, or 2pi radians
per second. No HP48 G/GX will give this answer! Not everyone
uses rpm or is even aware of the existence of this unit - it is
one of the extra units in the UTILS menu of the Equation Library
- so here is a second example - add 2pi radians per second to
one Hertz. Put 6.2832_r/s in level 1, 1_Hz in level 1, and add.
You are adding an angular frequency of two pi (one cycle) per
second to a rotation rate of one per second, so the result
should be a frequency of two Hertz. On an HP48 S/SX that is the
answer. On an HP48 G/GX it is not.
When units are converted, by CONVERT, or during arithmetic on
unit objects, the level 2 object is first turned into "base
units", and then the result is converted into the units of the
level 1 object. On the HP48 S/SX, the "base unit" of angles is
one rotation (or a "unit circle" or a revolution or a cycle).
So, the angle unit of rpm (a revolution) or of Hz (a cycle if Hz
is treated as a rotation rate) is already in base units -
conversions to angles involving rpm and Hz automatically work
correctly. On the HP48 G/GX, the "base unit" of angles is the
current angle mode (DEG, RAD or GRAD) - so any conversion from
rpm or Hz (or any formula which works in cycles, rotations,
revolutions, unit circles) to angles should be preceeded by a
conversion from the unit circle to the current angle.
Apparently no-one noticed this would be necessary, because it
all worked automatically on the HP48 S/SX.
So, when you convert 60_rpm to units of _r/s, an HP48 G/GX
converts not 60 rotations but 60 "base angle units" per minute
to radians/second. In RAD mode, you get 1 radian per second. In
DEG mode you get 1 degree per second, and in GRAD mode you get 1
grad per second (in each case expressed in radians). That's
three different answers, none of which is correct! Exactly the
same happens if you convert 1_Hz to angles per second, and the
inverse mistake is made if you convert angles per time to cycles
or rotations divided by time.
I first learned of this bug from a member of HPCC (the British
club for users of HP handhelds), Peter Embrey. He describes his
troubles in articles in the first two 1994 issues of our club
journal, DATAFILE (in Volume 13 number 1 pages 12 to 14 and
V13n2p6). He was calculating the energy stored by a flywheel -
given by the formula (1/2)*I*omega^2 and after a time he decided
the answers had to be much too big when he CONVERTed from
kg*m^2*(r/s)^2 to W*h on an HP48 GX. It turns out that (r/s)
are the correct units to get the right answer, but the GX was
converting to degrees per second as it was in DEG mode, so his
answer was too large by a factor of (360/2pi)^2 - a factor of
about 3,300. In this case, his HP48 SX was not much better,
since it converted from radians to unit circles. The way to get
the correct answer is to use an HP48 G or GX in RAD mode - or to
divide out the radians from the formula before using CONVERT.
This is not yet a bug, but needs as much care as does use of
temperature units on the HP48. But when Peter tried to deal with
the problem by working in rpm, he came upon the bug described
above. My thanks to Peter for putting me on the trail!
Apparently this bug not been reported before - at least my
friends in HP tell me that it was not on their list of known
problems until I told them of it. (This means it is not fixed in
the new revision R.) Why not - does everyone know about it and
work around it without thinking to tell anyone else? Or does no-
one use their HP48 to do calculations on rotating bodies - or do
most people do calculations with rotating bodies in such a way
that they do not encounter this problem? Could there be hundreds
of students and engineers out there calculating and designing
things on their HP48 G/GX and getting wildly inaccurate results?
Has anyone built a disk drive or a jet engine which rotates far
too fast and will disintegrate because of this? No, of course
not, all engineers know that any design calculation absolutely
must be repeated on two entirely separate calculators or
computer programs! :-| Maybe some students have lost marks in
exams because of this though - but please, this is not intended
to restart the discussion as to whether calculators should be
allowed in exams!
I want to underline again that apparently no-one has reported
this before - which must mean that few people have been affected
by it. It is therefore not a good reason to throw away your HP48
G/GX or get on a high horse and demand that HP replace your HP48
G/GX - but I think it is important that people be warned so they
can take appropriate avoiding action. The rest of this message
goes into more detail - if you never worry about rotation
calculations then you can safely ignore the rest - though you
might find it interesting, so don't stop yet :-)
One way to avoid this would be to add a new unit to the HP48 -
call it what you like - the "cycle" or "rotation" or
"revolution" or "unit circle". As I wrote above, this is already
implied in the HP48 S/SX; to see this on an HP48 S/SX, put 360
degrees in level 1 and execute UBASE - the result is 1, meaning
that 360 degrees are equivalent to one base unit of angle
measurement, but that there is no named HP48 unit corresponding
to this. In contrast, UBASE on an HP48 G/GX considers the base
unit of angle measurement to be the radian, even though CONVERT
behaves as though the base unit is the current angle mode. There
appear to be two different norms for base angle units on the
HP48 G/GX!
The whole subject gets very little mention in HP's manuals. In
the original HP48 SX manual (two volumes, spiral bound), the
section on "Dimensionless Units of Angle" in chapter 13, on page
198, warns the reader about the danger of using dimensionless
units and states how angle units and scalars are treated. In the
later HP48 S and HP48 SX manual (one volume), the same warning
is given in "Converting Dimensionless Units of Angle", on page
13-12. The HP48 G Series User's Manual, in "Converting Angular
Units" on page 10-7, says that conversion will interpret a
scalar according to the current angle mode setting. (A scalar is
a pure number with no units.)
For a detailed description, look in the HP48 S/SX edition of
"HP48 Insights Vol II", section 21.4.3. This book is written by
Dr Bill Wickes, who was the design team leader of the HP48 SX,
and who wrote the "Insights" books largely to provide the sort
of explanations and details that get left out of manuals. A good
explanation of angle units is exactly the sort of thing one can
find there! He explains the pitfalls and unavoidable
contradictions of working with angles in the HP48 units system
and points out that the HP48 S/SX make the somewhat arbitrary
choice of using 2pi as the base unit of angles, thereby making
conversions between angles per time and Hertz work correctly.
Maybe no-one on the HP48 G/GX team read this while they were
making changes from the HP48 S/SX! Why did they change the base
unit at all? Most likely they were trying to deal with another
contradiction: the units system lets you add pure numbers to
angles, since both are dimensionless. If you add the number 1 in
level 2 to the unit object 0_r in level 1 on an HP48 S/SX, the
number 1 is treated as 1 base unit, or 2pi radians, and the
result is 6.2832_r - but if you take the SIN of the number 1
instead, it is not treated as 2pi, but as 1 unit of the current
angle mode. The change made on the HP48 G/GX does resolve this
contradiction, but at the cost of introducing the bug described
above.
As mentioned, a way to resolve the problems involved would be to
add the angle unit "cycle" explicitly to the HP48 units system.
Hz would then be treated as cycles per second when used in
calculations involving rotations - rpm would be treated as
cycles per minute, and conversions would go from cycles to the
appropriate angle units. This suggestion was made by Peter
Embrey in his articles, and the folks at HP accept that this is
a good solution - but they have not implemented it yet. In the
meantime, be very, very careful when converting between units of
rotation rate and units of angular frequency. I would urge
everyone who does not yet have a copy of Insights II to buy one
and read the relevant section - maybe that will even entice Bill
Wickes into publishing his long-awaited HP48 G/GX version of the
book!
I have not yet mentioned solid angles. In principle there should
be no problem - on both the HP48 S/SX and the HP48 G/GX the base
unit of solid angle is a "unit sphere", or 4pi steradians. On
the HP48 S/SX you can add the pure number 1 to 0_sr and get
12.5664_sr (4pi steradians). The HP48 G/GX manuals imply that
exactly the same should happen, but on my (version L) HP48 GX
this gives the error message "Inconsistent Units". This is yet
another undocumented difference between the Series S and Series
G but at least it is no bug!
Apologies for making this description so long, I hope most
people will agree that a subject like this deserves a careful
description! For my next trick - some details on the HP48 Random
Number Generator.
Addition Insight:
From: Eric Haas <EHaas@ix.netcom.com>
Note: The < symbol below is actually the angle character.
The angular conversion bug is actually in the definition of the
rpm unit. If you put 1_rpm on the stack, and type UBASE, you
get 1.66666666667E-2_1/s. Notice that there is no angular unit
in the definition. If the rpm unit is instead defined as 6_</s,
all conversions to and from rpms will work just fine. As an easy
work-around, define the unit RPM as 6_</s and use that instead
of the built-in unit.
If desired, one could also define the unit HZ as 60_rpm or
360_</s. However, as Hz is sometimes used to describe things
other than rotation rates, such a definition would not be
appropriate for all circumstances.
12. Appendix D: Hardware Additions
12.1. How to Make a Serial Cable
From: Frank Vorstenbosch <prompt@xs4all.nl> Revised by: Andrew Chen
Now that you have your HP, you probably want to tap the tremendous
amount of programs out there. But how do you do this? You need an HP
to PC link. You can buy one, but they tend to be fairly costly. Or
you can build your own. The process requires the following parts:
Required Parts:
o Soldering iron and flux
o RS232-9 or RS232-25 shield (serial port shield)
o RS232-9 or RS232-25 female connector (serial port connector)
o 4 pin HP connector, with sockets spaced 2 mm (NOT 0.1") apart
o Some copper wire
Of the above list of parts, most are pretty easy to acquire, and you
should be able to find them at your local electronics store. However,
the 4 pin (i.e. male) HP connector can be a bit harder to find.
If you happen to have a broken floppy drive, hard drive, or CD-ROM
audio cable lying around, look inside and see if you can find a
connector there that will fit the HP48. Do not use a 0.1" connector,
as this will damage the pins on your calculator.
HP Connector
The HP connector part of the cable will be the most frustrating
part of the link. The reason is that you will probably not be
able to find these at your local electronics store, but you
should you should find everything else there. Instead, you can
either find the connector at used computer stores or you can
create the link yourself.
Easy Way
Because the former is much easier, I will give you some tips
on where one can find the connecter. First, check your
yellow pages and look under "computer". You will find a lot
of stores, but look specifically for "computer repair" or
"computer parts". Call these stores asking for a "CD-ROM
audio cable". If the store carries these cables, go to the
store and ask to see the requested cable.
What you should see is a cable with two ends, each with a 4
socket connector. One end should be spaced a bit larger than
the other, and this one will not fit into the HP's pins
(don't press too hard, or else you will bend the connector
pins). The other side should fit like a charm. Don't be
worried about that there are only 3 sockets. This is fine
because the empty one is a ground. Once you have this cable,
cut off the unusable end, and go to the PC connector section.
Hard Way
If are unable to find a place that carries CD-ROM audio
cables, or you prefer to make your make, it is possible to
build the connector yourself. What you can do is buy IC
sockets from a local electronics store. You can usually find
them in packs of 8 or more. These IC sockets will be bound
together in a hard plastic shell, which also places at
unusable intervals. Therefore, it is necessary to strip the
IC sockets out of the hard plastic shell (don't worry too
much about damaging them, the IC sockets are fairly durable
and you have 8 of them).
Next, solder a 'fork' from thin rigid metal wires, to hold
the four IC pins spaced at exactly 2 mm while you glue them
together with superglue. Glue a plastic 'handle' to the four
IC pins to be able to remove the connector from the HP48.
You can also indicate the top side of the connector on this
handle.
Note that the hole in the HP48 in which the connector should
go is not symmetrical; the pins are nearer to the top of the
calculator than the bottom, and you can use this to make it
difficult to insert the connector the wrong way up.
With that done, you can proceed on to the PC side of the
connector.
PC Connector
The PC side of the connector is much simpler than the HP side.
All you have to do is make a standard serial connector with the
parts you bought. However, don't do it yet because you need to
solder the wires from the HP connector into the back of the
serial connector first.
Making the Connections
Now that you have the two sections done, you can begin making
the connections for the actual link. Starting with the HP side,
put in the connector and mark the top as "UP". If you have a
CD-ROM audio cable with one socket missing, make sure that the
empty socket connects to pin 1:
Connector on HP48 Connector to HP48
______ ______
|....| |oooo| <-- First is
\____/ \____/ null
pin 1 pin 4 pin 4 pin 1
If you made the HP connector the hard way, you have to solder the
ends of the IC sockets to long pieces of wire, which will
eventually connect to the serial connector on the PC side of the
cable.
With these wires done, you must solder the individual wires into
the proper places on the PC side. Use this table of pin
connections:
HP to PC cable
HP48 | RS232-9 | RS232-25
-----+---------+----------
1 | shield | shield
2 | 2 | 3
3 | 3 | 2
4 | 5 | 7
You can use either a 9 or a 25 pin female sub-D socket for the PC-
side of the cable:
9-pin RS232 25-pin RS232
connector (F) connector (F)
pin 5 pin 1 pin 13 pin 1
------------- ---------------------------
| o o o o o | | o o o o o o o o o o o o |
\ o o o o / \ o o o o o o o o o o o /
--------- -----------------------
pin 9 pin 6 pin 25 pin 14
Use flexible 4-wire cable to connect the four contacts of your HP48
connector to the PC connector. Pin 1 of the HP48 should be
connected to the metal shield of the RS232 connector. Usually it
is not easy to solder this shield; first scratching the shield bare
(it has some kind of coating) using a screwdriver or a file will
help. If this doesn't work, simply leave pin 1 of the HP48
disconnected. Note that pins 2 and 3 of the RS232 connector must
be swapped when you use a 25-pin connector.
Before connecting the completed cable to your HP48, check for
short-circuits using an ohmmeter or multimeter set to ohms or
"diode test". The HP48 has a built in serial loop back test that
can be used to test the serial cable (see the question regarding
the ON-KEY combinations).
After you are done, close the shield and connector, and put in all
the screws. You should now have a HP<-->PC link, which functions
on COM (serial) ports.
Using the Link
With the link finished, it is now ready to be tested. Download
some programs (such as those in the Best Program List) that you
wish to try. At some point you should go to
<http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/> to obtain the version of
Kermit that suits you best.
However, if you have an alternate communications program (for
example, Windows 95 comes with HyperTerminal which you can use)
you can delay downloading Kermit. However, it is a highly
recommended to obtain because certain programs for the HP48 use
special features in Kermit (such as server mode) not available
in other communications programs.
With this done, you can begin the actual transfers. Start your
communications program, and set the port to COM1 (or whatever
your link is plugged into). In Kermit, you would type "SET PORT
COM1" and in HyperTerminal you would set the dialog box with the
choice of what modem you want to use to "Direct to COM1".
Then change the speeds of the ports to 9600. In Kermit, type
"SET SPEED 9600" and in Hyperterminal click on Advanced.
On the HP, go to I/O, and go to Transfer. Set the calculator to
Wire, 9600 baud, and Kermit (or X-Modem, if you using it
instead). Then, get ready for to receive a file. Note that X-
Modem is much faster than Kermit in most situations, especially
in long transfers. However, it is not available built-in on the
S/SX.
On the PC start sending, and on the HP, start receiving. You
should see the transfer arrow on the upper right of the screen
on the HP, and it should be flashing. On the PC, you should see
a progress indicator to show how much of the file has been
transferred.
When the transfer is finished, check that you received what you
expected. If it what you expected, your HP<-->PC link works!
HP to HP Cable
If you want to use 9600 bps communication between two HP48s,
then make two HP48 connectors and simply connect the two,
swapping pins two and three.
HP to HP cable
HP#1 | HP#2
-----+-----
1 | 1
2 | 3
3 | 2
4 | 4
Warranty, Disclaimer, etc...
Although the serial interface of the HP48 is protected
internally, it is possible to damage the calculator when a wrong
connection is made. I am not responsible for any errors in this
file, or for any mistakes you may make.
From: Deborah Lynn Williams
I made an HP48 link out of four pieces of speaker wire and serial port
plug. The wiring of the plug is available above. The connection to
the HP plug is the difficult part.
I took 4 pieces of stranded speaker wire and cut them so that the wire
and the insulation were even. I then took a paper clip and pushed it
into the this open end, making a space between the wire and the
insulation. I then had to trim some of the strands that were sticking
out. I then just pushed this onto the pins in the HP48 port. It
isn't a very strong connection, but it works fine if you don't jostle
it.
The other ends of these speaker wires I connected to the serial plug.
Just remember to label which wires go to which pin, or make them all
different lengths.
From: John Cutter
Another cheap source for cables is the common serial mouse for PC-
compatibles. I had a cheap one on which the button gave out after 2
weeks of use, so I opened it up. It had a serial 9 pin cable that
disappeared into the mouse. Once open, there was a 4 pin 2 mm
connector plugged into the mouse's circuit board. All I had to do was
reverse two pins inside the connector, and it's been working fine
since. I also noticed that Logitech mice have 6 pin 2 mm connectors,
which could also be adapted. No soldering or crimping here!
12.2. Using a modem with the HP48
From: Diego Berge
My purpose here is to explain in some detail the steps you need to
follow to be able to transmit data via modem with the HP48. Another
related document is
<http://www.freeweb.org/freeweb/enrico/hp2modem.htm> by Enrico Carta.
In order to successfully connect your HP48 calculator to a modem, the
first thing you need is a 'Null Modem Cable'. A null modem cable is
like a regular serial cable, except that two of its lines are crossed.
You might wonder: So why is it different connecting to a PC than
connecting to a modem? Well, data communication devices can be
classified in two groups: Devices which GENERATE or RECEIVE
information, and devices which merely TRANSMIT information. The
former are called Data Terminal Equipment (DTE), PCs are an example of
DTE; the later is called Data Communication Equipment (DCE), and are
primarily modems. Now, when PCs were designed, it seems like they
didn't think somebody would ever want to hook two DTEs directly, as a
result, in a typical PC all we have (besides the parallel printer
port) is an RS-232 port, which is intended for connecting a DCE. So
when a machine wants to connect to a PC, its port must be that of a
DCE, even if it otherwise acts as a DTE. Within that class of hybrids
fall HP48s, Psions, some (or most?) serial printers, mice, and a long
etcetera.
Remember, the RS-232 communication scheme is:
DTE <--- DCE === DCE ---> DTE
If you want to link two DTE together, you must 'simulate' a DCE;
that's what a Null Modem Cable is for. It's called 'Null' because it
(the modem) does not actually exist, and 'Modem' because it acts like
if there was one. To build a Null Modem Cable for the 48, assuming
that you already have a regular cable, you'll need two MALE RS-232C
connectors, at least one of which must be a DB-9 (9-pin), and a short
piece of mouse cable or similar (some 3 inches should do) (If you
don't have a regular cable, I recommend that you get one). The wiring
must be as shown here:
CONNECTOR 'A' CONNECTOR 'B'
pin#: 3 2 7 (DB-25)
pin#: 2 3 5 pin#: 2 3 5 (DB-9)
name: TX RX GND name: TX RX GND
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | +---------------------------------|---|---+
| | | | ( <<< and
| +------------------>>>----------------+ | >>> show
| | direction of
+----------------------<<<--------------------+ data )
The pin number should be embossed near the pin itself in the
connector.
Once the physical part is done, which in most cases will be the most
critical, you're ready to try out your brand-new, state-of-the-art,
$2.25 null modem cable. Plug it between your regular HP48 cable and
your modem, turn the modem on (please don't forget this part :), and
on the 48 type in:
[RightShift]+[""] [alpha] [alpha] AT [ENTER]
13 [LeftShift]+[CHARS] [CHR] [+]
In stack level 1 you should have (# is a little black square):
1: "AT#"
Now type:
[LeftShift]+[I/O] [NXT] [SERIAL] [XMIT] [BUFLEN] [DROP] [SRECV]
you should get:
2: "AT###OK##"
1: 1
If this test goes wrong, try two or three more times. If it still
fails, check your cable(s), check that the 48 can transmit and receive
to/from the PC, do the same with your modem. And when everything else
has failed anyway, connect your modem to the PC, crank up a terminal
program (as Terminal / Hyperterminal, or Kermit's 'Connect' command),
and type:
AT&D0 [ENTER]
the modem should respond:
OK
This tells the modem to ignore the DTR signal from the host, which the
48 can't supply. Try again with the calculator, if it works, go back
to the terminal and type:
AT&W0&Y0 [ENTER]
to save the current modem configuration as default. If it has not
worked so far, I can't help you.
Assuming you've got it to work, now all you have to do is learn a few
modem commands to dial and, possibily, hang up. In general, modem
commands start with the two-character sequence 'AT' (no quotes) and
end with a single <CR> character (dec 13), <LF> is optional.
To dial a number use:
ATDT12345<CR>
where 12345 should be replaced by the actual number. For example:
[RightShift]+[""] [alpha] [alpha] ATDT0800890011 [ENTER]
13 [LeftShift]+[CHARS] [CHR] [+] [LeftShift]+[I/O] [NXT] [SERIAL] [XMIT]
dials the AT&T Direct access number for the UK.
If your line is not connected to a digital switchboard, you may need
to dial by pulses, then you should use instead:
ATDP12345<CR>
Next thing you'll probably ask is: 'How do I know that I'm connected?'
If the modem has successfully established a connection, it should
respond in most cases with a message like:
CONNECT 9600/V34/LAPM/V42BIS/9600:TX/9600:RX
or simply "1" if its not in the default verbose mode. Also, if the
modem has a 'CD' indicator, it'll usually light up. To find out via
the calculator whether it's connected or a problem has occurred, use
the following keystrokes:
( [LeftShift]+[I/O] [NXT] [SERIAL] )
[BUFLEN] [DROP] [SRECV]
repeatedly until a non-empty string appears in level 2. Some common
messages are:
verbose: non-verbose:
CONNECT 1
NO CARRIER 3
ERROR 4
NO DIALTONE 6
BUSY 7
NO ANSWER 8
DELAYED 24
Once you get the CONNECT message, you're ready to send any data you
want to the remote host as you'd usually do. I personally use Kermit
this way when I'm not in the office or at home.
Finally, when you're done you'll want to hang up the line. The
simplest way is turn the modem off, which I recommend. But if you
want to instruct the modem to hang up, the process usually is:
(wait at least 1 sec without sending any data)
[RightShift]+[""] [alpha] [alpha] +++ [ENTER]
[LeftShift]+[I/O] [NXT] [SERIAL] [XMIT]
(wait at least 1 sec without sending any data)
[RightShift]+[""] [alpha] [alpha] ATH [ENTER]
13 [LeftShift]+[CHARS] [CHR] [+] [LeftShift]+[I/O] [NXT] [SERIAL] [XMIT]
Note, however, that this, as most of what I have said here about modem
commands, might vary depending on each modem's particular brand, model
and configuration. You may need to read your modem's manual for more
details.
Disclaimer: As you'd expect, I take no responsibility for anything you
may break, twist, cut, slice, burn, hurt, or otherwise damage while
following these instructions.
12.3. Additional Information on the HP48 and RS-232
From: John Meyers
You can't connect the HP48 to anything else until you have first
plugged in its cable, which finally brings the HP48's serial
connections out to a DB9 connector. At that point, the HP48,
including its attached cable, is clearly configured as DCE (the same
as a modem), so you need a "crossover" (such as a "null-modem
adapter") to connect the HP48 to a modem.
12.4. Using Non-HP RAM Cards
If you use RAM cards that are NOT designed for the HP48, it is
possible to severely damage your HP48. If you want to be safe, you
should only use RAM cards designed for the HP48.
Here is an edited discussion from comp.sys.handhelds.
From steveh@hpcvra.cv.hp.com Fri Mar 1 17:00:00 1991
From: steveh@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Steve Harper)
Date: Thu, 10 May 1990 22:46:09 GMT
Subject: RE: HP48 SX Memory Card Pricing
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
There has been a substantial amount of comment regarding the memory
cards for the HP48 SX and their prices. My purpose in this response
is not to attempt to justify any particular price, but rather to
present the technical reasons why there is a substantial price
difference between the memory cards and other types of expansion
memory for PC's, for example, with which users are probably more
familiar.
Some users have correctly pointed out that the memory in the cards is
static RAM rather than dynamic RAM commonly used in PC's. Dynamic RAM
uses one transistor and a capacitor for each bit of memory whereas
static RAM requires either four transistors and two resistors, or six
transistors. The net result is that an equivalent amount of static
RAM is much larger and therefore much more expensive than dynamic RAM.
The advantage is that static RAM doesn't need to continually be
running and drawing current (refresh cycles) to retain the contents of
memory.
In addition, the static memory used in the cards is not just any
static memory, but is specially processed and/or selected for very low
standby current. This allows the backup battery in the card to keep
memory alive for a very long time, rather than requiring the user to
replace it every few months. The special processing and/or special
testing to select low current parts adds to the already higher cost of
the static RAM chips.
The standard molded plastic DIP package used for most integrated
circuits, including memory chips, is relatively inexpensive because of
its simplicity and the huge volumes. Unfortunately, these packages
are too large to put into a memory card. Therefore, the card
manufacturer mounts the individual silicon memory chips directly on a
special thin PC board together with the memory support chips. Because
multiple chips are being placed in a single hybrid package in a
special process which has lower volume, yields are lower and this
again causes the cost to be higher. Indeed, the yield becomes
exponentially worse as the number of chips and interconnections
increases in such a packaging process.
In addition to the memory chips themselves, two more integrated
circuits and several discrete components are required for power and
logic control. A bipolar technology chip senses the external voltage
and switches the power to the chips from the internal keep-alive
battery as needed. A CMOS gate array chip protects the memory address
and data lines from glitches/ESD when the card is not plugged in.
This chip also generates the proper enabling signals when there are
multiple memory chips in the card, as is presently the case with the
128 Kbyte RAM card. These chips must be designed for extremely low
current, just as the memory chips are.
In addition to the battery and the battery holder, the other
mechanical parts are important, too. The molded plastic frame holds
the PC board and provides the foundation for the metal overlays and
the shutter-and-springs assembly which protects the contacts from ESD
and from contaminants. The write-protect switch is also an important
feature. It is quite expensive for the manufacturer to make the tools
necessary to fabricate each of these parts as well as the tools to
assemble and test the complete card. While the volume of memory cards
is relatively low this tooling cost represents a significant part of
the cost of each card.
Admittedly, there are other alternatives, such as those presently used
in PC's, to provide a memory expansion capability. To provide that
kind of expansion would require the calculator to be much larger than
it is and possibly more expensive. This is clearly very undesirable.
Other features that were felt to be essential were the ability to
distribute software applications and to share and archive/backup user-
created programs and data. Other expansion alternatives do not
provide these important benefits. The I/O capabilities of the
calculator provide these features only to a limited degree.
One other item bears repeating here: Memory cards for use in the
calculator will clearly indicate that they are for use with the HP48
SX. Other memory cards exist which are mechanically compatible with
the HP48 S, but these cards cannot be relied upon to work electrically
in the calculator. The HP48 SX cards are designed for a lower supply
voltage range. Use of the other cards may cause memory loss, and
under certain circumstances may even damage your calculator
electrically.
From steveh@hpcvra.cv.hp.com Fri Mar 1 17:00:00 1991
From: steveh@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Steve Harper)
Date: Fri, 11 May 1990 16:52:07 GMT
Subject: Re: Memory Card: Give Us True Facts!
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
My previous statement that under certain circumstances the calculator
may even be damaged electrically is not a ploy. If the calculator's
internal power supply voltage happens to be near the low end of the
range, say 4.1 V, and the voltage at which the card's voltage control
chip shuts it down happens to be near the high end of its range, say
4.2 V (this can and does occasionally occur for the non-HP48 SX
cards), then the calculator will start to drive the memory address
lines and the card will still have these clamped to ground (that's
what it does to protect itself when there is not sufficient system
voltage to run). This unfortunate situation may simply trash your
memory, or if the calculator tries to drive enough of the lines high
at the same time, several hundred milliamps may flow...for awhile that
is, until something gives up... On the other hand, your calculator
and a particular non-HP48 SX card may work just fine if those voltages
happen to be at the other end of their ranges. These voltages are
also slightly temperature sensitive. It may work in the classroom or
office and not at the beach, or vice versa. The voltage trip point of
the HP48 SX cards has been set lower (a different voltage control
chip) so that this cannot occur, regardless of part and temperature
variations.
One other item was brought to my attention yesterday by Preston Brown
that I should have included in my original posting here. While most
of us recognize that comparing RAM cards to a handful of dynamic RAM
chips to plug into your PC is apples and oranges, it may be more
interesting to compare the HP48 SX cards with cards for other
products, like the Atari Portfolio, the Poquet, the NEC Ultralite,
etc. I believe you will find that the prices on the HP48 SX cards are
not at all out of line.
Steve "I claim all disclaimers..."
From prestonb@hpcvra.cv.hp.com Fri Mar 1 17:00:00 1991
From: prestonb@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Preston Brown)
Date: Thu, 17 May 1990 17:26:53 GMT
Subject: Re: Memory Card: Give Us True Facts!
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
When the RAM cards detect that voltage is to low to operate they clamp
the address lines to ground. This clamping is done by turning on the
output drivers of a custom chip included on the card. The clamping
current is specified to be 2mA min at the Vol output level. Since the
48 can be trying to drive the line all the way high even more current
is typical. 10mA per fight is not uncommon with totals of several
hundred mAs.
The VDD power supply is regulated at 4.1 - 4.9 with typical parts at
the low end (4.3). The power to the cards is switched through a
transistor, creating up to a 0.1V drop. Standard Epson cards have a
significant chance of seeing this voltage as to low and shutting down.
We have seen cards do this in the lab. When it occurs the calculator
locks up with VDD pulled down to about 2.5V and 250mA being drawn from
the batteries. This current drain greatly exceeds the ratings for the
power supply and can damage your calc. The least that will happen is
a loss of memory.
Now, why didn't we regulate VDD higher? The 48 has two power supplies
VDD at 4.3 and VH at 8.5. VH cannot be regulated higher without
exceeding the spec for our CMOS IC process. VH is used as the +
voltage for the I/O. In order to meet a +3V output level VH must be
more then 3.6V above VDD. (VDD is used as I/O ground). Our power
supply system increase the battery life and reduces the cost greatly
for the wired I/O.
Preston
12.5. Where can one obtain third party RAM cards?
If you decide you want to look into the non-mainstream alternatives
for RAM cards, you might like to check the following URLs:
o <http://www.cynox.de/>
o <http://stolte-edv.com/de/>
o <http://www.cyberline.de/kkgbr/>
o <http://www.Digitalis.de/>
o <http://home.t-online.de/home/FFFFF/>
o <http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/3190/>
13. Appendix E: Where to get HP48 Programs
13.1. Best Programs and Where to Get Them List
This list is designed to help HP48 users locate useful, well written
programs for their HP48, selected by HP48 users who send in
recommendations for their favourite programs.
Compatibility is noted by either SX (SX only), GX (GX only), SX/GX (SX
and GX), or SX?/GX (Works on GX, not sure about SX).
Most of the sites below require Internet access. However CompuServe
has a modest HP48 archive in the HP handhelds forum. Type "go HPHAND"
to access the forum. HP48 specific files can be found in DL 3.
America Online also has an HP area you can access using "Keyword PDA".
Note that for most FTP sites, any programs in uploads directories are
subject to movement into their appropriate directories (i.e. games or
utilities), or removal by the archive maintainer. There is also the
possibility that the program might have a slightly different name than
the one given below, especially if newer versions are available. If
information has changed that you know of, let me know so I can update
the list.
I have also released my personal HP48 archive, which is updated
occassionally. It should contain all of the following programs, as
well as lots of others. More information can be obtained at:
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/archive/>
Applications
o StringWriter (SX/GX): This is a replacement editor by Jean-Yves
Avenard. It offers such features as cut, copy, paste as well as
a choice of fonts. Available at http://www.epita.fr/~avenar_j/
o ChemLab (SX/GX): A very fast, efficient, and complete periodic
table from Arnold Moy. Available at
<http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~amoy/>
o EXAL (SX/GX): Great spreadsheet program by Al Arduengo.
Available at <http://lonestar.texas.net/~exal/>
o GxTools (GX): GxTools is in effect a "Toolbar" for your G/GX
consisting of many useful utilities. Put together by Jack Levy
and available at <http://www-
personal.engin.umich.edu/~levyj/hp48.html>
o HP-Writer (GX): This editor by Paquot Christophe is small, fast,
and uses UFL FNT2 but still has all the important features. The
current version is available at
<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/1930/>.
o MiniWriter (SX/GX): Small, fast, FNT1 text editor by Jean Yves
Avenard. Available at http://www.epita.fr/~avenar_j/
o Organizer (SX/GX): Organizer is a library designed to act as a
Personal Information Manager, or PIM. The goal is to create a
high-speed, easy to use, compact, yet fully functional PIM for
the HP48. Organizer includes a calendar, appointment scheduler,
annual events, TODOs, and a phone manager. Also by Jack Levy
and at <http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~levyj/hp48.html>
o Remote-BG (SX/GX): Use your HP48 as a remote control! This is
the best of the remote control programs and has the ability to
learn new codes. By Bjorn Gahm, available at
<ftp://nada.kth.se/home/d89-bga/hp/files/posted/rem34bg.zip>
o Scribe (SX/GX): Scribe is a library which will function as a
Database or Rolodex. It is designed to hold a large amount of
information in such a manner that it is easy to retrieve, quick
to find, and transparent in usage. Another great program from
Jack Levy at <http://www-
personal.engin.umich.edu/~levyj/hp48.html>
Documents
o AUR Information (GX): Information on the Advanced User Reference
Manual compiled by Adrian Drury. Available at
<http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~drury/hp48gaur/>
o FAQ (SX/GX): Contains valuable answers to Frequency Asked
Questions. Read it! The latest version is available at
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/faq/>.
o GX Programming Tips (SX/GX): This document by Doug Cannon
briefly describes how to write code that runs on both SX and GX.
Available at
<ftp://ftp.cis.com/pub/hp48g/programming/gxtips.zip>
o Library Info (SX/GX): Information on the structure and use of
libraries. By Charlie Patton. Available on Goodies Disk 8.
o ML Input (SX/GX): How to get keyboard input from ML. By Joe
Ervin. Available on Goodies Disk 7.
o RPLMAN.DOC (SX/GX): This document was written by HP and released
without support to HP48 users. It describes how to program in
System RPL. Available on Goodies Disk 4.
o Saturn (SX/GX): Saturn Processor Reference guide by Matthew
Mastracci. The URL is
<http://www.ucalgary.ca/~mmastrac/saturn.doc>
o SASM.DOC (SX/GX): Also from HP, this is the unsupported guide to
machine language programming for the Saturn processor.
Available on Goodies Disk 4.
Games
o Arkanoid (SX/GX): Breakout clone with editor - by "HP Mad". SX
version available on Goodies Disk 8. There is also a GX version
floating around, try
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/arkanoid.zip>
o Boulder DasHP (SX): Classic game of Boulder Dash by David Presle
"ORUS". Get the diamonds without getting smashed by falling
rocks or running into enemies. Available on Goodies Disk 8.
o Columns (SX/GX): Tetris-like game by Spartacus. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/columns.zip>
o Columns II (GX): Columns with grey scale for GX only, again by
Spartacus. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/columns2.zip>
o Diamonds (SX/GX): Great game by Doug Cannon! Control bouncing
ball to get the diamonds. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/diam20a.zip>
o Hapaman (GX): PacMan clone by Davor Jadrijevic. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/hapaman.zip>
o ICE Cube (SX/GX): Great action arcade game in four levels of
grey scale by Lilian Pigallio. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/ice1_1.zip>
o Jytris (SX/GX): One of the best tetris games including music,
cartoons, bombs, and grey scale intro. Written by Laurent
Jouanneau. Separate libraries are available for all HP48s
(including minimized libraries for S and G). Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/jytris11.zip>
o La Mine aux Diamants (SX/GX): Another Boulder Dash clone. By
Lilian Pigallio. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/diamants.zip>
o Lemmings (SX/GX): Save the lemmings from killing themselves! By
C. de Dinechin. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/lemmings.zip>
o LodRunner (GX): LodeRunner clone for the HP! By HPOWER, with
improvements from Mika Heiskanen. Available at ftp.cis.com.
o Phoenix (SX/GX): Phoenix clone by Davor Jadrijevic. Available
at <http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/phoenixg.zip>
o Quick Reversi (SX): Fastest Reversi by Leon Pavlov. Quite
smart! Available on Goodies Disk 8.
o Tetris (SX/GX): Tetris clone - small, fast, great! By Detlef
Mueller. Available at wuarchive.wustl.edu.
o SCHIP (SX/GX): Video game interpreter for SCHIP designed games.
By Erik Bryntse. SX version available on Goodies Disk 3.
Available at <http://www.hpcalc.org/games/schip/>
o Vaders (SX/GX): Space Invaders by Joe Ervin. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/vaders21.zip>
o WarioHP Land (SX/GX): Adventure game similar to Mario Land. By
Julien Meyer and available at <http://perso.club-
internet.fr/meyert/wariohp/wariohp.zip>
o Willy (SX/GX): Side scroller game by Mario Mikocevic. Available
at <http://www.hpcalc.org/games/arcade/willy.zip>
Graphics
o 4 Colors (SX/GX): Utilities for making four shade greyscale
graphics. By Lilian Pigallio and available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/graphics/grayscale/4colors.zip>
o Claudia (SX/GX): Greyscale demo of Claudia Schiffer, the
supermodel. By Mohamed Fatri. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/graphics/grayscale/schiffer.zip>
Math
o ALG48 (SX/GX): Very fast algebraic manipulation utilities by
Mika Heiskanen and Claude-Nicolas Fiechter. Available at
<http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~fiechter/hp48/>
o CNTR (SX/GX): Discrete and continuous control systems design;
Inverse Z and Laplace Transforms. By Cesar Crusius. Available
at <http://www.hpcalc.org/math/symbolic/cntr300.zip>
o Erable (SX/GX): Tons of powerful math utilities! By Bernard
Parisse. This package is a successor to the ALGB package by the
same author. The latest version is at <ftp://fourier.ujf-
grenoble.fr/pub/hp48/erable.zip>
o Math (SX/GX): Symbolic/numerical matrices and polynomials by
Cesar Crusius. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/math/symbolic/math210.zip>
o Matrix (SX/GX): Very fast matrix writer replacement by Arnold
Moy. Handles real and complex matrices, and uses the UFL small
font for its display. Available at
<http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~amoy/>
o MTools (SX/GX): MathTools by Jack Levy. Faster and friendly
replacements for the HP's math functions. Available
<http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~levyj/hp48.html>
o QPI (SX/GX): Replaces ->Q, shows quotients, and functions of pi,
radicals, LN and EXP. Very useful! The latest version can be
found at <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
o SolveSys (GX): Solves systems of equations. By Sune Bredahl.
Available at <http://www.hpcalc.org/math/symbolic/ssys402.zip>
o STAT03 (GX): STAT03 is a collection of fairly fast
statistical/matrix utilities. It contains 49 more or less
useful commands. About 25% is written in ML. The author is
Christian Meland, and it is available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/math/statistic/stat03.zip>
PC
o HP-IDE (Win32): HP-IDE is a SysRPL/ML IDE for Win32, making
directory and library creating much easier to do (completely on
your PC). Available at
<http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~mmastrac/hp-ide/>
o HP48 Explorer (Win32): This program runs in Windows 95 and helps
simplify file transfers. It is available at
<http://members.tripod.com/~nberry/hp48g/index.html>
o HPShell (DOS): The HPShell is a development environment for HP48
programming on PC. It handles transfers as well as editing and
character translation. Available at
<http://www.kst.dit.ie/people/twellige/hpshell.html>
o ROMDump Wizard (Win32): The best ROM dump program available. By
Christoph Giesselink, and available at
<http://privat.swol.de/ChristophGiesselink/>
Programming
o Jazz (SX/GX): This is best System RPL and Machine Language
development library that runs right on your HP48! Written by
Mika Heiskanen. The Jazz library provides commands for
assembling, disassembling and debugging both System RPL and
machine language. Both full and light versions are available at
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
o HP's Tools (DOS): Development tools for System RPL and libraries
on the PC. On Goodies Disk 4.
o GNU-Tools (Unix, DOS): A set of replacements for HP's
development tools by Mario Mikocevic (Mozgy) which that not only
runs on DOS, but also typical Unix systems such as Linux and
Solaris. It is distributed in both source and binary form.
Many of the larger HP48 programs like Jazz, Java, and the UFL
were developed with GNU-Tools.
It is available at:
o <ftp://gnjilux.cc.fer.hr/pub/hp48/gtools/>
o <http://www.zems.fer.hr/~mozgy/jwz/hp48.html>
o <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
o SSS (SX/GX): The SysRPL Shell by Stefan Wolfrum provides an
interface that helps you program in System RPL. Available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/programming/misc/sss22.zip>
Utilities
o BKUP (SX/GX): BKUP is written entirely in System RPL and is
intended to make a backup of any port(s) the user specifies. By
Bob Apodaca, available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/memory/bkup46.zip>
o FF (GX): This File Finder is designed for users with large
directory structures. It accepts a string and will search your
directories recursively for matches. By Jorge Costa and
available at <http://alfa.ist.utl.pt/~l38861/>
o FIXIT (SX/GX): This program by Mika Heiskanen and Joe Horn
repairs "HPHP48-" bad downloads. Available in ASC format in the
FAQ as well as on Goodies Disk 8.
o FXRECV (GX): Fixes bug in X-Modem for G/GX. Not necessary for
Rom R. By Cary McCallister. Available on Goodies Disk 9.
o HP82240B Emulator: Allows you to emulate the HP82240B IR
Printer. Written by Jarno Peschier and at
<http://www.students.cs.ruu.nl/people/jpeschie/>
o PCT (SX/GX): Both SX and GX versions are available of this file
and library maintenance program. Available at the standard
sites. Be sure to use the correct version for your machine! In
particular the TREE.PCT file is an S/SX program that is a common
cause of crashes on G/GX machines.
o UFL (SX/GX): The Universal Font Library provides a centralized
location for common fonts between programs. Also comes with a
Font Maintenance Library (FMnt). Maintained by Andre Schoorl
and available at <http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/ufl/>
o USEND/URECV (SX/GX): Significantly faster IR file transfers!
Approximately 4 to 6 times faster than SEND. By Dan Kirkland.
Available at
<ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/hp48g/comms/usnd3.dk>
o STOFIX (GX): Fixes STO bug on Roms L and M. By Detlef Mueller.
Available at <http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/memory/stofix.zip>
Sound
o Tricorder (SX/GX): This program will make your HP48 beep when it
is held close to an object using the IR port. Great for amusing
friends! Written by Steven Ourada, improved by Richard
Steventon, and available at
<http://www.hpcalc.org/utils/comms/wtrico.zip>
Stack Replacements and Related Programs
o EQStk (SX/GX): 7-line replacement stack intended for
mathematics. View objects on the stack in their native form.
By Mika Heiskanen. Available at
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
o Java (SX/GX): The totally improved 5-line stack environment!
Includes lowercase menus, improved status area, on-stack
algebraics, improved interactive stack, configurable font,
scroller, fast ML routines and more. By Richard Steventon,
Andre Schoorl (hey that's me!), and Will Laughlin. The latest
released version (3.2a) is available at
<http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~aschoorl/>
o MetaKernel (GX): This is a total replacement for a lot of built
in HP48 ROM code, including the stack, editor, equation writer,
matrix writer, and picture environments. It also includes
SysRPL and ML development tools. A lot of work has been put
into it to make everything extremely fast. The MetaKernel
requires a GX and is sold on a ROM card. Documentation is
available in both French and English. The full version must be
purchased from the authors, but a demo version is available at
<http://www-miaif.ibp.fr/gerald/mk.html>
13.2. Other Web / FTP Sites
o <http://www.hpcalc.org/>
o <ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/>
o <ftp://ftp.stud.fh-heilbronn.de/>
o <ftp://ftp.cyberbox.de/pub/hp48/>
o <ftp://ftp.cyberbox.de/pub/hp48/fileecho/>
o <ftp://hplyot.obspm.fr/hp48/>
o <ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/hp/hp48/>
o <ftp://ftp.ee.ualberta.ca/pub/HP48/>
o <ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/ham/hp48/>
o <ftp://ftp.polymer.uakron.edu/pub/hp48g/>
o <ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/misc/hp48g/>
o <ftp://nada.kth.se/home/d89-bga/hp/>
o <ftp://ftp.fht-mannheim.de/pub/hp48/>
13.3. FTP by Electronic Mail
For those of you who don't have FTP access, you can FTP programs by
mail. To do this, you send commands via e-mail message to the ftpmail
server, and it then sends back the programs, usually in a uuencoded
format by e-mail.
For access to any ftp site, I recommend the sunsite ftpmail server.
To get more information, send a mail message to
<ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu> with the contents of:
help
quit
There are other FTP by mail servers like the sunsite server, but they
are more heavily used, and take longer.
13.4. Bulletin Boards with HP48 Programs
Official Hewlett Packard BBS (48)
o Phone: (208) 344-1691 ; Corvallis, Oregon.
o Second Node: (541) 715-3277 ; Speed: 9600 baud
Foundations in Science (48/100)
o Phone: (206) 562-7083 644-2723 ; Speed: 14.4
o Contact: <civan@eskimo.com>
UAH ACCESS BBS (28/48/95/100)
Phone: (205) 895-6152 ; U. Alabama Huntsville.
The Ninth Bit BBS (48)
o Phone: (405) 372-7204 ; Speed: 14.4
o Contact: <scott.wilkins@ninth.ucc.okstate.edu>
Raiders of Lost Arg (48/95)
o Phone: (416) 968-6633 ; Speed: 38400 N81
o Contact: <john.ricciuti@can.rem.com>
NES BBX (48)
Phone: (503) 640-4263 ; Goodies Disks in File Area 22
[(hp)]al BBS (48/95/100)
o Phone: (612) 642-5906 ; Features: Usenet, E-Mail
o Contact: <rab@lydia.mn.org>
Electronic Design News BBS (48)
Phone: (617) 558-4582 ; Features: Open to All
Nybble's Byte (28/48/95/100/etc)
o Phone: (708) 304-0666 ; Speed: 28.8
o Features: 24 hr. Usenet/Internet
Terrapin Station (48)
Phone: (708) 657-9543
48 Files BBS (48)
o Phone: (801) 371-8760 ; Speed: 14.4
o Features: Over 3000 files
The ONE BBS (48)
Phone: +33-149-887-691 ; France.
Cyberbox (48)
o This German BBS has a filebase that contains about 1000 Files,
30MB. All are zipped, with descriptions.
o Contact: Patrick.Werner@cyberbox.de
o Phone:
o Line 01-04 : +49-441-3990033 USR 2400-33600
o Line 05-06 : +49-441-9396977 ISDN X.75
o There is also full access to the filebase at
<http://www.cyberbox.de/software/hp48/>. The start page for all
file areas is <http://www.cyberbox.de/files/index.html>
13.5. HP Goodies Disks
The HP Goodies Disks are a set of disks that are chock full of great
HP48 files. They are collected by Joe Horn, and are available on the
Internet. They contain all shareware/freeware files. Currently there
are 11 disks. They can be obtained via anonymous ftp from the places
listed below.
In the listings above, they are referred to by "GD #". All the
goodies disks have a file "fileinfo.src" which contains an index of
all the files. I would recommend everybody looking through all these
disks, as there is lots of great stuff on them!
o <http://www.hpcalc.org/compilations/horn/>
o <ftp://ftp.ee.ualberta.ca/pub/HP48/>
o UAH BBS: (205) 895-6152
o CompuServe: go HPHAND ; DL 3
14. Contributors
The maintainer thanks the following international contributors
(covering a total of 16 countries) for their invaluable help in
compiling this FAQ:
U.S. and Canada:
Dave Arnett, Allen Arnold, Diego Berge, Rich Brown, Doug Cannon,
Andrew Chen, Dallan Christensen, James Cook, John Cutter, Andrew
Dooley, Chuck Dinsmore, Jeff Dubin, Egan Ford, John Goerzen,
Paul Hart, Dave Hicks, Joe Horn, David Johnson, Jack Levy, Keith
Maddock, Scott Marlowe, Thomas De Matteis, John Meyers, David
Moisan, Derrik Pates, David Peterson, Othniel Rawlins, Eric
Rechlin, David Rice, Ray Richardson, Maynard Riley, Jake
Schwartz, Jeremy Smith, Chris Spell, Lee Studley, Deborah Lynn
Williams, Mark Wilson, Patrick Yagle.
Jean-Francois Larin, Arnold Moy, Jeff Sketchley, Matt Willis,
Ryan Youck.
Europe:
Rachid Benzaoui (France), Jorge Costa (Portugal), Yves Gadioux
(France), Bjorn Gahm (Sweden), Maarten van den Hoek
(Netherlands), Pieter-Bas IJdens (Netherlands), Peter Karp
(Germany), Jens Kerle (Germany), Wlodek A C Mier-Jedrzejowicz
(U.K.), Mario Mikocevic "Mozgy" (Croatia), Makoto Miyamoto
(Germany), Bernard Parisse (France), Matthias Paul (Germany),
Jarno Peschier (Netherlands), Lilian Pigallio (France), Rob
Simpson (U.K.), Klaus Wolferts (Germany), Stefan Wolfrum
(Germany), Stevens Wouter (Belguim), Matjaz Vencelj (Slovenia).
Elsewhere:
Guido Carvajal (Chile), Cesar Crusius (Brazil), Kevin Cheng
(Australia), Antonio Pacheco (Venezuela), Alejandro Arrieta Rios
(Chile), Richard Steventon (South Africa).
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGPfreeware 5.0i for non-commercial use
Charset: noconv
iQA/AwUBOPgDNuhzXOws+qC7EQIzvACg5PCK/6hm1+MvRJfKXbc3VgZFXKcAn0Ch
Wu1aS5TVfow6CXkv3nmzZ57v
=9DY0
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----