HP Forum Archive 16

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

How do I backup my 42S? Message #1 Posted by Egan Ford on 6 Aug 2006, 1:14 p.m. How do I backup my 42S to a PC? Google was not much help. I found two solutions, however, both involved products that are no longer available. I do own a 48GX if that helps, but would prefer direct to PC. Print, scan, OCR is an option I suppose. Thanks.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #2 Posted by Etienne Victoria on 6 Aug 2006, 1:40 p.m., in response to message #1 by Egan Ford You can't. And even if you could backup it through IR with a 48, you wouldn't be able to restore anything in a standard/commercialy available configuration. The 42S is crippled by the lack of I/O.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #3 Posted by Thomas Okken on 6 Aug 2006, 2:11 p.m., in response to message #1 by Egan Ford As Etienne mentioned, if you ever need to restore your backup, you'll have to do it by hand, since the HP-42S infrared interface is output-only. Assuming you can live with that, you can use the printer port to create a backup. You need the INPRT library, which runs on the HP-48 series. This program captures the output from the 42S printer port. On my web site, you can find a couple of programs to convert the data captured by INPRT to *.raw files that Free42 and Emu42 can import (you need inprt2txt, part of the Free42 source package, to convert HP-42S character codes to extended ASCII, and txt2raw.pl , a Perl script that converts human-readable program listings to *.raw files). Hope this helps, - Thomas

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #4 Posted by Egan Ford on 6 Aug 2006, 5:53 p.m., in response to message #3 by Thomas Okken Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #5 Posted by Egan Ford on 8 Aug 2006, 12:31 p.m., in response to message #3 by Thomas Okken Is there anyway to print all the programs? I do not see it in the manual, nor do I see a way to write a program to find all programs and print them. Any undocumented commands?

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #6 Posted by Thomas Okken on 8 Aug 2006, 12:55 p.m., in response to message #5 by Egan Ford Quote: Is there anyway to print all the programs? Alas, no. You'll have to PRP them one by one.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #7 Posted by Geir Isene on 6 Aug 2006, 3:28 p.m., in response to message #1 by Egan Ford My advice: Print out everything = hardcopy backup.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #8 Posted by Les Wright on 7 Aug 2006, 4:30 a.m., in response to message #1 by Egan Ford Thomas is really is far too modest to boast, so I will so it for him. I recently paid far too much on eBay for a 42s. The collector part of me is glad to have it, but I don't use it much for any RPN programming of substance. For this, I am positively crazy about Free42, which I find runs very well on the larger screen of a PalmTX. Thomas has given us a simulator, not an emulator, and as such it is very fast and accesses available RAM on the handheld device for program and variable storage. Shift CATALOG MEM routinely tells me I have about 4.5MB or more available for storage, vs. 6.9KB max on the actual calculator. Plus, Thomas's implementation of Hugh Steers' BCD20 floating point package provides 25-digit internal precision with the transcentental functions computed to at least 20+ digits of accuracy--more guard digits than anyone could reasonable want in a handheld scientific calculator. It is also free (though I would recommend coughing up the 30 bucks to support ongoing development), and the developer is obsessive about responding quickly to bug reports and is overall a simply super nice guy. PDAs, emulators, and simulators are not for everyone but if you are open to the possibility I would take Thomas' advice--back up your existing 42s programs and convert them to *.raw (though I must admit I am not familiar with perl so I haven't been too bold about using txt2raw myself). That way, if your 42s continuous memory gets lost at least you will be able to run your programs under Free42 on any of the several platforms it supports. As you can tell, I am a vigourous proponent of Free42. At least until Mr. Smith comes out with the proposed PalmOS version of nonpareil, Free42 is by far the most satisfying HP calculator emulation/simulation experience I have ever had in handheld form. Good luck! Les

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #9 Posted by Walter B on 7 Aug 2006, 8:45 a.m., in response to message #8 by Les Wright Les, I couldn't have said this better! Fully agree! Three ringing cheers for Thomas!! :) Edited: 7 Aug 2006, 8:46 a.m.

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #10 Posted by Egan Ford on 7 Aug 2006, 11:46 a.m., in response to message #8 by Les Wright Actually I am quiet familiar with Free42, I did a Sharp Zaurus/Nokia 770 port (http://sense.net/zc/free42). It was *because* of Free42 I also paid too much for a 42S on eBay (fortunately it was unused and still in the box). How many others obtained a *real* 42S because of Free42?

Re: How do I backup my 42S? Message #11 Posted by Les Wright on 7 Aug 2006, 12:26 p.m., in response to message #10 by Egan Ford Boy, am I ever preaching to the choir! As to your question about motivation for acquiring a 42S, I am guilty as charged. I use the manual more than the actual calculator. Very expensive manual ;) I also got a very nice 18 year old box, which hard core collectors tell me is what drove the price up a bit. Actually Free42 (and Power48 a little too) was the main reason I splurged on a 320x480 screen Palm TX. I thought it was a little pricey at the time. But the prices are dropping like a stone since! A favourite electronics reseller has several refurbished TX's in stock for almost half of what I paid for mine just a few months ago. Les

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall