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HP Forum Archive 06

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HP 28s keyboard test and thousands separator.
Message #1 Posted by Julián Miranda (Spain) on 2 Nov 2001, 4:04 p.m.

Can someone confirm that the method to test the keyboard that can be found here at the Museum under HP 28s features works?

I have a hp 28s which doesn't pass the test but it's not a surprise, have the times you push a key you get nothing and the other have yooooouuuu geeeett many. But I have just found a new old-stock and the keys works but in the keyboard test I get the same 1 FAIL. I begins at the "A" on the alphabetical keyboard.

Another question, is there a way to have a thousands separator like in the Pioneers series? On a 48SX I have it works when set to FIX mode but that doesn't apply to the 28.

More a curiosity than a question, on a HP 30s what is the format of the serial number? I guess is only CNYYWW, no real serial number.

      
Re: HP 28s keyboard test and thousands separator.
Message #2 Posted by Chris Randle (Lincoln, UK) on 2 Nov 2001, 5:07 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Julián Miranda (Spain)

Mine also fails the keyboard test as described on this site. After "KEYBOARD TEST", I press the A key, but get "1 FAIL". However, the keyboard works fine in normal operation.

The manual describes a different method of invoking the keyboard test, namely hold [ON] press [NEXT], release [ON]. Using this test start, my keyboard passes: "OK-28S".

The manual describes other tests, but not the ON+DOWNARROW mentioned on this site.

            
Re: HP 28s keyboard test and thousands separator.
Message #3 Posted by Julián Miranda (Spain) on 3 Nov 2001, 9:59 a.m.,
in response to message #2 by Chris Randle (Lincoln, UK)

I asked because in a HP 28c I also have the keyboard test works.

                  
Re: HP 28s keyboard test and thousands separator.
Message #4 Posted by Chris Randle (Lincoln, UK) on 3 Nov 2001, 5:54 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by Julián Miranda (Spain)

I looked in the manuals again - more carefully this time! The 28S owner's manual _does_ mention the ON+DOWNARROW, on p.291, but says it's a factory test, which "requires keyboard input". Miles away on p.219, it talks about the ON+NEXT keyboard test running top-left to bottom-right.

This ON+NEXT test description is missing from the 28C manual, but in the 28C reference manual the ON+DOWNARROW is described in more detail, giving the key press order as top-left to bottom-right again.

Obviously something changed from the C to the S. I'd say that as long as your 28S passes the ON+NEXT keyboard test, it's fine. At worst it's behaving exactly the same as mine (apart from the keybounce problems!)

      
Re: HP 28s keyboard test and thousands separator.
Message #5 Posted by Chris Randle (Lincoln, UK) on 2 Nov 2001, 5:24 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Julián Miranda (Spain)

p.s. Don't think the 28 supports a thousands separator. Manual says that flag 48 controls the radix mark. Clear => Period is radix mark, comma is separator. Set => vice versa. In this case though I think separator refers to separating numbers in a complex number object, or separating items in the command line before entering them on the stack. Shame; I quite like a thousands separator too. Obviously not the only ones if it made a reappearance in the 48.


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