Re: A few questions concerning HP calculators Message #17 Posted by James M. Prange (Michigan) on 1 Oct 2007, 6:46 p.m., in response to message #1 by Chris Foley
Quote:
HP 50G:
In general, the usenet group comp.sys.hp48 specializes in
discussions of RPL models, and many downloads are available from
http://www.hpcalc.org/.
Quote:
- Does this calculator include all the development tools for
assembly programing (i.e. MASD, StringWriter...)?
The 49 series (49G, 49g+, 48gII, and 50g) have MASD built-in, as
part of the "Development Library" application. However, to use
mnemonic SysRPL command names, an extable library needs to be
installed. Without extable installed, numeric pointers can be
used. The extable library supplied by HP includes the supported
entry points, and the extable2 library included with Emacs also
includes some "unsupported but stable" entry points. You could
also make a "customized" extable library with whichever entry
points you chose.
With the ARM-based models (49g+, 48gII, and 50g), the Saturn
processor is emulated, and includes additional assembly language
instructions; this emulated processor is sometimes referred to as
the "Saturnator" or "Saturn+".
Debug4x includes
emulators that run in MS Windows, but note that it's the legacy
"Hardware Saturn" processor that's emulated, not the ARM processor
and Saturnator. As a result, it's not possible to run anything
that attempts to access the ARM processor or use the new
Saturnator opcodes on the emulators.
Apparently, the firmware ("ROM") for the ARM-based models is
developed (perhaps using an emulator?) using only legacy hardware
Saturn code; and at this point, they will run on the emulators, or
on the calculators themselves, including the hardware Saturn-based
49G. Then selected pieces of code are replaced (presumably to run
faster), and the resulting firmware can be used only on a real
ARM-based calculator.
I'm not familiar with StringWriter, but the built-in 49 series
editor has added features, such as BEGIN, END, COPY, CUT, PASTE,
FIND, and REPLACE. Various editors, notably Emacs, can be
downloaded from hpcalc.org.
Quote:
- Are programs already written (and downloadable) to take
advantage of the ARM processor?
Well, in a sense, all programs that run on the ARM-based models
are running on the ARM processor, although usually through a layer
of emulation, so to some extent, they do "take advantage" of the
ARM processor. Some are available that access the underlying ARM
processor, and perhaps some that use the new Saturnator opcodes.
Also see http://hpgcc.org/ and
http://sourceforge.net/projects/hpgcc.
Quote:
- Is there already a successor programmed yet (HP 51 G?)
The 50g is still pretty new, but I hope that HP is at least
thinking about what to do for its successor. I expect that anyone
who really knows has signed an NDA, so isn't allowed to publicly
comment on this.
Quote:
- What is the future to HP's calculators (compared to other
ClassPad / Nspire)? In other way, will kind of Xpander calculator
show up sometimes in the future?
I don't know. Personally, I'd prefer that HP concentrate on
working on the successor to the 50g, or perhaps a successor to the
35s, or an "updated" release of some other "Classic RPN" model.
Regards, James
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