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+--- Forum: HP Prime (/forum-5.html)
+--- Thread: about G2 prime and Communication (/thread-11946.html)
about G2 prime and Communication - fablab48 - 12-13-2018 08:17 AM
Hello all
a question about the new hp prime hardware revision,
i see some of forum reader bought the new machine,
i own the very first revison, ( ON F C 0 button write this)
Data version : v0.037.526
os version : v0.037.526
released version : v1.07
pcb version : 00
touch ic fw ver : 26
as far as i know, there is
-new color keyboard ( more readable )
-a quicker microprocessor
-perhaps some other , i don't know !!
but i have a question,
as everyone knows on TI and NUMWORKS machine there is a communication port, can be used from the internal programming language
on my HP48-GX i have a serial port --> XMIT , SRECV for those of you who know !!!
did NEW HP PRIME decide to change mind, and 'OPEN' the communication port for user's ?
HP-PRIME -- USB PORT -- FTDI-chip ft232 -- UART -- my electronic board
if this is allowed, i will replace my old PRIME, howether i will stay with my 48GX
if the answer is YES, didi someone know's the programming language command (RPN - PYTHON WRAPPER) ?
and perhaps the recommanded CABLE ?
thank' all
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-13-2018 08:29 AM
The new Prime does know how to talk to the StreamSmart data acquisition device but that's it (and has done since Rev. C hardware). There's no user level support of communications (open port, send/receive data, close port etc.).
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - fablab48 - 12-13-2018 08:40 AM
Thank you for your help.
without this communication feature added in all HP prime competitor i have 2 possibility :
-statying with my 48GX ( RPL and SERIAL)
-buy a NUMWORKS (PYTHON and SERIAL)
python is a great programming langage, but in my personal opinion RPL is more convenient.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-13-2018 08:54 AM
If you're an RPL fan and you want something a bit faster than the 48GX with more storage space then you could always get yourself a 50g (or two... I have 8 of them!)
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - HP67 - 12-13-2018 03:04 PM
And at this point buying one of them will cost more than you paid for your 8, in all likelihood
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - rprosperi - 12-13-2018 03:12 PM
(12-13-2018 08:54 AM)grsbanks Wrote: If you're an RPL fan and you want something a bit faster than the 48GX with more storage space then you could always get yourself a 50g (or two... I have 8 of them!)
I agree with grsbanks, if you like the 48GX, the 50g is almost certain to be far better, notwithstanding the moved/changes ENTER button.
But if you need true RS232, note that while the 50g does have a serial port, it is not RS232 voltage levels, and a special cable is required. With that, it works fine and you have at least the same level of control as on the 48GX.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-13-2018 03:22 PM
(12-13-2018 03:04 PM)HP67 Wrote: And at this point buying one of them will cost more than you paid for your 8, in all likelihood
They have gone up in price, true, but maybe not in those proportions just yet.
I bought one new and one from Tim Wessman, but the others I found on TAS at prices ranging from roughly £50 to £75 (about $65 to $90). You can still get them at the upper end of that range or not much over if you look carefully.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - cdmackay - 12-13-2018 07:49 PM
(12-13-2018 03:22 PM)grsbanks Wrote:(12-13-2018 03:04 PM)HP67 Wrote: And at this point buying one of them will cost more than you paid for your 8, in all likelihood
They have gone up in price, true, but maybe not in those proportions just yet.
I bought one new and one from Tim Wessman, but the others I found on TAS at prices ranging from roughly £50 to £75 (about $65 to $90). You can still get them at the upper end of that range or not much over if you look carefully.
What's TAS?
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - KeithB - 12-13-2018 09:44 PM
"The Auction Site", i.e., rhymes with Fleabay
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - cdmackay - 12-13-2018 11:37 PM
(12-13-2018 09:44 PM)KeithB Wrote: "The Auction Site", i.e., rhymes with Fleabay
argh! I wondered, but couldn't come up with a suitable anagram thanks
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - fablab48 - 12-14-2018 08:55 AM
you propose me to buy a HP50 ??
i remember the awfull HP49G+
on this machine HP developper's show us they was not able to debounce a keyboard.
my machine finish his life under my shoes !
no i don't want to buy the same machine with the same bug (never solved !!)
i don't need a real rs-232 level (+12v , +12v), whatever the voltage level it's ok for me,
but a communication line under programming language is mandatory
TI do it, but i don't like TI machine, i prefer HP,
but HP PRIME don't have a communication like his competitor, a strange choice i can't understand.
i'm sure hp fan like me and student's will be happy to communicate between a microcontroler to his super hp machine
(or raspberry pi / arduino, and so on).
NUMWORKS machine have the serial port, but it is not an HP machine !, and no RPL ..snif..
My Brave and venerable HP-48 will not be retired
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-14-2018 09:25 AM
The 50g and the 49g+ are two TOTALLY different beasts.
Yes, the 49g+ keyboard was a disaster. This is not so for the 50g.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - fablab48 - 12-14-2018 10:40 AM
ok grsbanks,
i was not aware of this difference.
so my following question !!! is where can i find an hp50g (in Europe)
perhaps i'm wrong but i guess this machine is no longer in production ?
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-14-2018 10:55 AM
(12-14-2018 10:40 AM)fablab48 Wrote: so my following question !!! is where can i find an hp50g (in Europe)
Your best bet is to keep an eye open on eBay. They have been out of production for 3 years now so you're unlikely to find one new, but there are plenty second hand on eBay (that's where I got most of mine).
Just make sure you see photos of the battery compartment. Very often, people forget that they have one that they forgot at the bottom of a drawer somewhere with batteries still in it, find it and decide to sell it without checking the battery compartment, which is now full of battery gunge.
There's one for sale here in the UK right now. I was planning on bidding on it but if you're interested, I'll send you the details via PM and let it go.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - Tim Wessman - 12-14-2018 01:43 PM
hpcalc.org has good units (marked "refurbished", but are actually new stock just were never packaged for retail as they came from a special batch). Pretty sure those ship to Europe and will be the cheapest you'll find a new one.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - cdmackay - 12-14-2018 02:35 PM
but don't forget the Sterling collapse, and VAT & import duty
Still, the only option now for a new one as Tim says.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - cdmackay - 12-14-2018 02:42 PM
I just ran it through a duty/tax calculator, for those in UK interested:
hpcalc refurb: $120
hpcalc shipping: $58 (!)
import duty 3% (HS Code 4202.31.0000): £4
VAT 20%: £29
total £174, exchange rate: USD:GBP 0.79
ouch!
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - grsbanks - 12-14-2018 02:49 PM
Are you sure it's only 3% import duty?
When I bought the MoHPC memory stick, I had to pay £14 at the post office. £8 of that was PO fees and £6 was the actual import duty on a $40 item.
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - cdmackay - 12-14-2018 04:33 PM
(12-14-2018 02:49 PM)grsbanks Wrote: Are you sure it's only 3% import duty?
When I bought the MoHPC memory stick, I had to pay £14 at the post office. £8 of that was PO fees and £6 was the actual import duty on a $40 item.
I'm not sure, but the site was
It recognised the word "calculator" as a thing, and translated that to the import duty type, which I quoted above.
I have no idea at all whether that's correct, but I can imagine that it might be different to duty on the the museum stick (which I got stitched up for recently, too, same amount as you)
edit: thanks for the reminder, a buyer would need to add ~£10 for "fees" i.e. ripoff.
edit2: I'm not at all convinced about that duty code; searching for it finds some entries like "leather wallet".
edit3: so budget for at least £185, possibly 17% higher if the duty code is wrong and could be as much as 20%.
50g were selling for £50–70 on that auction site, recently, so that would seem to be a better bet, especially as the hpcalc refurb ones don't come with a case (or even possibly a warranty?)
RE: about G2 prime and Communication - HP67 - 12-15-2018 05:56 PM
(12-13-2018 03:22 PM)grsbanks Wrote:(12-13-2018 03:04 PM)HP67 Wrote: And at this point buying one of them will cost more than you paid for your 8, in all likelihood
They have gone up in price, true, but maybe not in those proportions just yet.
I bought one new and one from Tim Wessman, but the others I found on TAS at prices ranging from roughly £50 to £75 (about $65 to $90). You can still get them at the upper end of that range or not much over if you look carefully.
It depends where you live. If you want NIB then the prices seem to be around 395£.
If i buy one from Tim's stock, I get to pay probabably another 100 - 150 USD equivalent in penalties, imaginary fees, taxes, and customs charges. I've been through this already enough times to know that I'm not trying it again.
So my statement stands
