HP Forum Archive 13

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

48GX stack too big? Message #1 Posted by Dave Shaffer on 12 Nov 2003, 11:02 a.m. I don't have the manual handy, so this may have a trivial solution. I noticed my 48GX seemed to be slowing down as I used it. At some point it dawned on me that the stack had hundreds of numbers on it. I'm guessing that the internal bookkeeping to pop the stack each time I enter something is slowing down the whole machine. When I cleaned out the stack by deleting one value at a time (lots of back-arrow key presses!), it seems "better." Is this normal? Is there a single "empty the stack" command? Is there anything I should be doing as I calculate to keep the stack at a reasonable size? I agree with some other comments that a stack bigger than 4 or 5 is unnecessary. Can I put it in a limited stack mode?

Re: 48GX stack too big? Message #2 Posted by Randy on 12 Nov 2003, 11:05 a.m., in response to message #1 by Dave Shaffer L-shift DEL wipes the entire stack. I usually do that when I pick one up and start to use it. AFAIK you can't limit the stack. Might be some way in ML. Of course you could always get the 42S emulator...

Re: 48GX stack too big? Message #3 Posted by Victor Koechli on 12 Nov 2003, 11:21 a.m., in response to message #2 by Randy If you'd limit the stack size, the consequences for the calculator would be fatal. The stack you see in the display is *the* RPL system data stack, used troughout the machine by all RPL routines, internal and user made. If you'd limit its size to e.g. 4, like it has been suggested many times, you couldn't even add 1 to (2x-y) anymore, because internally, symbolics are taken apart ("exploded") into meta-objects and then reassembled. Thus, everything in the HP 18/28/48/49 depends on an infinite stack. It's an essential part of the RPL system. Just hit CLEAR (CLR on the 48SX) or the DEL key once in a while, or whenever you're done with some calculation, and you'll be fine. Alternatively, you could install HPSauce which always displays the stack depth in the status line... ;-) Cheers, Victor

Re: 48GX stack too big? Message #4 Posted by bill platt on 12 Nov 2003, 11:05 a.m., in response to message #1 by Dave Shaffer Hi Dave, just hit "DEL" once in a while. That will clear the stack.

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall