HP Forum Archive 16

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P41CX, Palm TX, and CPU Speed setting Message #1 Posted by Les Wright on 24 Apr 2006, 1:12 p.m. I sense in advance that the answer to the following will be "It's a matter of personal taste and comfort," but I still would like to get a sense of what experienced users are doing. I am running P41CX on a new Palm TX. It looks beautiful on the larger screen, and runs like lightening on this newer machine. Therein lies my dilemma. I would like very much for the emulator to run programs and calculations at the maximum possible speed, even though this isn't "true" to the original calculator. However, if I set the CPU setting slider to the maximum end, the virtual keypad is way too sensitive, and I get a lot of "NULLs" if the stylus lingers on a function key a little too long. I am sure that more experienced users of the emulator on newer PDAs have had time to experiment with this issue and to strike the balance between speed and oversensitivity of the keypad. Les

Re: P41CX, Palm TX, and CPU Speed setting Message #2 Posted by Thomas Okken on 24 Apr 2006, 7:09 p.m., in response to message #1 by Les Wright If the programs you're running on P41CX are HP-42S-compatible, you could try using Free42 to run them instead. Free42 uses the system clock to handle the NULL timeout, so the keyboard reacts the same regardless of how fast or slow your machine is, and, it *always* executes programs at maximum speed. (Plus, when Free42 is idle, it is *really* idle, so that the OS is able to go to low-power mode; P41CX busy-waits, preventing low-power mode, which is why it runs down the battery so quickly.) In case you're not sure if your programs run on a 42S, there's a quick check you can try: import the *.raw files into Free42, and then set the Preferences so that printer output is sent to a text file; print your programs using PRP, and then search for XROM in the print-outs. If you don't find any XROMs, the programs should work. (Note that the HP-42S and Free42 do not support HP-41-style Synthetic Programming, nor do they support full keyboard customization (USER mode).) - Thomas Edited: 24 Apr 2006, 9:29 p.m.

HP42S and handling of local labels Message #3 Posted by Les Wright on 26 Apr 2006, 11:16 a.m., in response to message #2 by Thomas Okken Thanks Thomas. The emulators and skins are very nice indeed, and I would like to get to know this calculator better, at least in emulated form. I have one question regarding 41C to 42S program porting. In 41C programs, it is not uncommon to assign certain routines to the keys of the top row, with corresponding local labels A thru E in the code. The routines are accessed out of USER mode by hitting the appropriate top row keey--indeed many an HP41C application quick reference card provides these key assignment. In executing such locally labeled routine, what does one do? Change them to global labels in the code and access them from the program menu? Maybe this is an irksome amateurs question, but if someone has a moment this would help me greatly in the task of porting HP41 progs to HP42. Les

Re: HP42S and handling of local labels Message #4 Posted by Vincent Weber on 26 Apr 2006, 11:33 a.m., in response to message #3 by Les Wright Les, The HP-42S is compatible with this behaviour from HP-41C programs: in 'Modes', you can choose the 'LCLBL' option, which will make the 'Custom' menu have 'A',..,'E..' on the first page and 'F',..'J' on the second one. So it is not a problem to port a program making use of this facility. More problematic are programs that make use of both this facility and other key assignements (you have this in the Finance module I think). In that case you will not have *both* local labels and the normal custom menu on the 42S, unless you toggle LCLBL on/off, which is a bit troublesome - but workable. In short, as long as your HP-41 program does not make use of specific modules commands (such as the Advantage), or uses extended memory/extended functions from the CX (except for the alpha commands), and does not use synthetic or assembly programming, you should be able to use it without the slightest modification on the 42. And since Thomas was kind enough to provide .raw format import (used in 41 emulators) and a program to convert 41 modules user code to .raw, you can import a lot of 41 stuff into the 42 (but nothing synthetic/assembly). Hope this helps. Cheers, Vincent

Re: HP42S and handling of local labels Message #5 Posted by Leslie Wright on 26 Apr 2006, 12:47 p.m., in response to message #4 by Vincent Weber That is great! Thank you! The other issue I have is the treatment of SF 21. In the absence of a printer on the HP41CV, this flag leads to AVIEW and VIEW halting execution, and, as I understand from my youth of writing for 41C, it is ubiquitous in programs to permit viewing of program output one line at a time in absence of a printer. (If you put STOP after each AVIEW to halt execution, in the presence of a printer you need to hit R/S to continue and that defeats the purpose of a printer! Hence the usefulness of the flag.) Is there anyway to emulate this printer-absent behaviour in Free42? If Thomas has provided a way to disable output to his "virtual" printout, I have yet to find it. On the other hand, it is delightful to have printer emulation. I recently wrote a certain unnameable person about his excellent 41C emulator, and he advise that, alas, he has no plans to develop the code further, much less provide printer support.... I seem so fickle! Don't have printing when I want it, want to disable it when I do!!!! Many thanks again, Les Best

Re: HP42S and handling of local labels Message #6 Posted by Vincent Weber on 26 Apr 2006, 3:24 p.m., in response to message #5 by Leslie Wright I believe that going to 'Modes' and then circulate to select 'POFF' instead of 'PON' will do the job...

Re: HP42S and handling of local labels Message #7 Posted by Les Wright on 26 Apr 2006, 7:44 p.m., in response to message #6 by Vincent Weber It actually is under "PRINT", but I found it! I think I need to either experiment more with the calculator on my own time, or invest in the CD or DVD this site sells.... ;) Thank you, Mr. Weber--you have been very indulgent of this newbie! Les

Works Great on Windows Mobile, Too Message #8 Posted by Howard Owen on 27 Apr 2006, 1:54 a.m., in response to message #2 by Thomas Okken Free42 looks and runs great on my brand new Verizon (Really "Ut Star.. whoozeit" - used to be Audiovox) 6700. The last great line of Palm smart phones sold out to Windows (though a Treo 700p is rumored) and there are no Linux smart phones available with a national US carrier that I'm aware of, so I get to remember just what is so annoying about WinCE. One of the things that is not annoying is Free42. Great Job, Thomas! Supporting five platforms, by my count, must be a chore. Pulling it off so wonderfully well on the three I have tried is amazing! I've visited your tip jar, and encourage others to do the same. Well done! Regards, Howard

Re: Works Great on Windows Mobile, Too Message #9 Posted by Thomas Okken on 27 Apr 2006, 7:29 a.m., in response to message #8 by Howard Owen One other thing that is not annoying about Windows CE is that it is very similar to Windows from a programming point of view, so porting Free42 to it was comparatively easy. Porting software to PalmOS is harder, and ARM-native PalmOS apps are particularly problematic (Free42 was pretty easy to ARMify, but that's because the application structure was designed for maximum portability from the outset -- most developers will have a much harder time). Hopefully the new Linux-based PalmOS will rescue the Palm platform from being steamrollered by WinCE and its unpleasant UI. Thanks for contributing! (I'm getting close to airfare for my next U.S. vacation; a few more donations will help with the hotel and rent-a-car. ;-) ) - Thomas Edited: 27 Apr 2006, 7:57 a.m.

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