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HP Forum Archive 15

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Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #1 Posted by jbssm on 17 Dec 2005, 2:23 p.m.

Hello all,

can anybody give me a simple key press to test the card reader of an HP-97 ?

The motor is working great, but every-time I put a card in it (just some random card probably without anything written in it) it just says "ERROR"

I don't know if this means the card has nothing in it, or if the card reader is giving problem, so I need a bit of help.

I don't have manual, so I don't know how to write and read even a very small program for testing, can anybody give me an hand?

Best wishes, Jorge

      
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #2 Posted by Tony Duell on 18 Dec 2005, 7:44 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by jbssm

To save a program to card :

Switch to Program Mode (I forget exactly what it's called). Type in the program as usual. While still in program mode, feed a card into the reader. If the program is too long to fit on one track of the card, the machine will prompt with Crd (IIRC), then feed the card in the other end first to record the second track. An HP97 program will always be short enough to fit on one card (2 tracks).

To read the program back in again:

Switch to run mode and feed the card in. Again, if there's a second track, the machine will prompt for it.

To save numeric data to a card:

In run mode type in the data and STOre in the registers. Then press WDATA (I forget the exact name, it's almost certainly a shifted function) and feed in a card. If you have non-zero values in the secondary storage registers, it'll prompt for a second track as above

To read the numeric data back in :

Just pass the card through the reader in run mode.

The user and service manuals for the 97 are on the MoHPC CD-ROM set, BTW.

            
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #3 Posted by David Smith on 18 Dec 2005, 11:45 a.m.,
in response to message #2 by Tony Duell

After entering the program, switch to RUN and then enter "GOTO . 0 0 0" then switch back to PRGM mode and insert the card to write it out. This makes sure the program gets written starting at the first instruction.

Then turn the machine OFF than back ON. Insert the card to read the program. This makes sure the program actually got read from the card is not a remnant of the original program.

If you get the message CRD, the program is too long for one card edge. You will need to rotate the card use the other edge.

                  
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #4 Posted by Howard Owen on 18 Dec 2005, 12:20 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by David Smith

Quote:
Then turn the machine OFF than back ON. Insert the card to read the program. This makes sure the program actually got read from the card is not a remnant of the original program.

Before inserting the card in this step, switch back to RUN mode. You'll overwrite your card with a blank program, otherwise.

This bit me a couple of times because I'm used to the later models in which cycling power resets the machine to run mode. With the physical mode switch, that's not the case with the 97. 8)

Regards,
Howard.

                  
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #5 Posted by Vassilis Prevelakis on 19 Dec 2005, 12:08 a.m.,
in response to message #3 by David Smith

Quote:
After entering the program, switch to RUN and then enter "GOTO . 0 0 0" then switch back to PRGM mode and insert the card to write it out. This makes sure the program gets written starting at the first instruction.

No. You are thinking of another calculator. The HP-67 and HP-97 always record the first 112 steps on the first side of the card and if there are more then 112 steps in the program, prompt for the second side.

The GTO . nnn trick is used when merging programs (so that the beginning of the merged program is loaded starting at address nnn of the already loaded program.

**vp

                        
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #6 Posted by David Smith on 19 Dec 2005, 12:01 p.m.,
in response to message #5 by Vassilis Prevelakis

There is a very early version of the HP-97 firmware that needs the GOTO . 0 0 0 I doubt that you will ever see it, but better safe than sorry.

      
Re: Test an HP-97 Card Reader
Message #7 Posted by jbssm on 19 Dec 2005, 10:17 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by jbssm

Thank you all very much for the help given. :)

I will eventually buy the DVD from HP Museum, but as I needed this information fast I couldn't wait for them to arrive.

Thank you once more, Jorge


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