HP Forum Archive 21

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Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #1 Posted by Namir on 9 Mar 2012, 4:00 p.m. Last night I was checking the TI-58C emulator web site by Pierre Houbert (click here). I noticed he had uploaded a new version. I downloaded the English and French version. I was surprised to see that the French version DID support changing skins, while the English version did not. Using the French version of the emulator I was able to apply an HP-41 skin to the TI-58C emulator!! How about that!!! I wrote a few short program using Houbert's emulator. Entering and editing a program is very easy since the emulator displays a list box that shows the key codes AND mnemonics of the commands. Inserting new commands and deleting existing ones is a breeze!! I highly recommend that you check Houbert's web site. He offers emulators in different languages, programs, and skins. The web site has NUMEROUS interesting links to other TI-58/59 emulators and to other calculators (most notably Russian calculators). I regard Houbert's TI-58C emulator as the best in it's category. The emulator has an integrated printer with the ability to debug/print programs, has extended memory over the physical TI-58C, and includes several solid state modules (standard, Math, EE, and so on) although like the physical calculator you can only access one module at a time. You can save and load the programs he provides as well as the ones you write. I got the impression from the web site, downloadable contents, and links, that Pierre Houbert is a dedicated calculator guy and especially to the TI-58C model. My hats off to you Pierre!! Namir Edited: 9 Mar 2012, 4:02 p.m.

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #2 Posted by fhub on 9 Mar 2012, 4:43 p.m., in response to message #1 by Namir Quote: I was surprised to see that the French version DID support changing skins, while the English version did not. It seems you've done something wrong, because also the English version allows to change skins. Franz

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #3 Posted by Namir on 9 Mar 2012, 10:50 p.m., in response to message #2 by fhub Franz, I uninstalled the English version of the emulator and then reinstalled it. This time i WAS able to change skins. I think my early mistake was installing the new version over a previous one. Namir

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #4 Posted by Namir on 10 Mar 2012, 12:49 a.m., in response to message #2 by fhub I also realized that it is really easy to type in programs in .t59 or .t58 text files. You can enter the command mnemonics and have the emulator read these files. It is advisable to first view the program in LRN mode to make sure that the emulator has correctly interpreted the all of the input of the source file. Using the Houbert emulator has brought to life my interest in programming the TI58/59. Namir

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #5 Posted by fhub on 10 Mar 2012, 5:42 a.m., in response to message #4 by Namir Quote: Using the Houbert emulator has brought to life my interest in programming the TI58/59. Yes Namir, the same is true for me. I'm following this TI58C emulator development since more than a year now, and I've even reported many bugs to the author last year, but now this emulator is really working very fine and IMO it's the most powerful and prettiest TI58/59 emulator that exists. What I like very much is that you can use this program almost completely with the keyboard, you can even enter all functions by just typing in the command (like SIN, etc.), and that's usually much faster than clicking around with the mouse. :-) Franz

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #6 Posted by Namir on 10 Mar 2012, 6:58 a.m., in response to message #5 by fhub I agree with you that Houbert's dedication has made it the best 58C emulator. I love the variety of skins that he offers, including the HP-41 and HP-65 skins. Namir

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #7 Posted by fhub on 11 Mar 2012, 8:25 a.m., in response to message #6 by Namir Quote: I love the variety of skins that he offers, including the HP-41 and HP-65 skins. But using HP-skins for this TI-emulator might be quite dangerous: maybe sometimes you'll start entering expressions in RPN instead of AOS style!? ;-) Franz

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #8 Posted by Geir Isene on 10 Mar 2012, 11:16 a.m., in response to message #1 by Namir Yes, my hat is off, too. This is a job very, very well done! I have dug into it and checked out all the options and features. He even included the HIR command right there on the keyboard :)

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #9 Posted by Namir on 10 Mar 2012, 5:12 p.m., in response to message #8 by Geir Isene Houbert's excellent implementation of the emulator has really brought back interest in programming TI calculators, starting with the TI-58C and then adapting the programs to the TI-66 and then the TI-95. Should be fun! Namir

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #10 Posted by Geir Isene on 10 Mar 2012, 6:54 p.m., in response to message #9 by Namir I have fond memories of that era of TI calculators. The first calculator I bought was i TI-57 when I was 14. I was heavy into astronomy and asked the head of the calculator club in the Norwegian Astronomical Society how I could calculate the Julian Day on my newly acquired calc. He asked how many programming steps it had... When I answered "50", he started chuckling. That was a turning point. All the professors proudly owned either an HP-67 or an HP-97. I had a measly TI-57 in my hand, and I had to key in a program every time I turned the calc on. 400 Norwegian Kroner. Lot of money for me at the time. I got to borrow a friend's TI-59 and that got the ball rolling and I got around to create self-modifying programs. But it wasn't until I bought an HP-41CX a few years later when I got my real revenge- and it wasn't until the mid 2000's when I could savor real pay-back time :) Then I had 90 calcs in my collection. Burned down. Back to some 40 calcs now. But the TIs always did have a place in my heart - that's were I learned how to program.

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #11 Posted by Namir on 10 Mar 2012, 9:30 p.m., in response to message #10 by Geir Isene Gere, I hear you friend! Nostaligia a much to do with why we still have fun with vintage machines. The late Jean Ichbiah (the father of the Ada programming languages) mentioned to me (during an interview I conducted for Computer Language magazine in the mid 80s) that programmers grow attached to their programming tools (he meant programming language) and would rather use the same tool on faster hardware. We have grown to be attached to old programmable calculators because we know these machines so well. I enjoy playing with math tools that are at the opposite end of the spectrum. On one side I use Matlab and Excel VBA to code or run downloaded numerical algorithms ... on the other end .. I write simpler numerical algorithms for various HP and TI calculator models. Namir Edited: 10 Mar 2012, 9:35 p.m.

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #12 Posted by gene wright on 10 Mar 2012, 11:23 p.m., in response to message #10 by Geir Isene Actually, the TI-57 had a constant memory mode! It used only a step or two. TI-57 Constant Memory Enjoy!

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #13 Posted by Namir on 11 Mar 2012, 1:29 a.m., in response to message #12 by gene wright Cool!

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #14 Posted by Geir Isene on 11 Mar 2012, 5:50 a.m., in response to message #12 by gene wright Wow.

Re: Updated TI58C Emulator by Pierre Houbert Message #15 Posted by Jeff Johnson on 12 Mar 2012, 12:29 p.m., in response to message #10 by Geir Isene Similar fondness here. I went through undergrad and grad school with a TI-58c, and it was a life-saver, particularly in my differential equations class in undergrad. I did not own any HP calcs during that era due to cost, so I just slobbered over the glossy HP brochures and occasionally fondled an HP-25 owned by one of my classmates :o)

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