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HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Miguel Toro - 11-12-2011 I have zero knowledge on the legendary HP 41 series of calculators and derivatives (C, CV, CX, CL … even Z?). From times to times I have been tempted to acquire one, but prices have always been too high to really justify the disbursement, thus I never really felt any urgency to read the extensive documentation available. Guided by my “everything 34s” infatuation, I followed with interest but at the same time with increased distress this post about a polynomial solver for the 34s. Apart from the, IMHO, unfair treatment towards Valentín Albillo, there is what I consider the real jewel : Ángel Martin’s post of Albillo’s solver for the HP 41. Could I, even with my infinite ignorance on the subject, port this to the 34s as a programming exercise? Naively as always, I said yes and began trying to decipher the code... and this is when things became interesting :-) So, here I am with my first obstacle: two instructions [SIZE?] and [PSIZE]. “Very well, this should be somewhere in the user handbook” - I said to myself. I decided to search on what is here called TOS... and found no reference whatsoever on the entire manual. What the heck??? I googled them and I got the same fruitless result. Is this some kind of arcane, undocumented and obscure code only accessible to the initiated? I began to wonder. Back to TOS, I found a manual written by Ángel. Ah ha! And I see a program using the dreaded codes, both of them! And also my next significant clue: XROM 25, A6:6C. So, this is an extended rom thing and I had to look for the number 25! Back to the museum, I look for this rom on the software>xrom section, finding several rom extensions implementing these two instructions, including an extended functions module identified with number 25! But there is no description of these instructions and even if I already had a little idea of what they do, I wanted to know how they really work. The next step was to look into the HP41 section of the museum and see that this module has a product number: the 82180A, and therefore there should be a user manual. So back again to TOS and voilà, finally the Holy Grail and reward of this embarrassing quest: the 82180A extended function/memory module manual, somewhat buried in the standard peripheral section of the library with the descriptions I was longing for. So, I can finally advance to line 11 :-) Conclusions - After finishing writing these lines I will buy the museum DVD. It is really a must. Until now, I was satisfied with CDs I and II which contains the majority of manuals for my collection. - It was a really fun Saturday morning activity ... - But, I will never post a so shameful confession again! Have a nice weekend! Miguel
Edited: 12 Nov 2011, 11:26 a.m.
Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Gene Wright - 11-12-2011 A better place to start if you can is the 41CX Owners manual, which included those extended functions in the original documentation. But, how were you to know? :-)
Enjoy the journey!
Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Ángel Martin - 11-12-2011 Miguel, you're at the beginning of a wonderful ride! :-) http://www.greendyk.nl/hp41c-manual/index.php The program in question has a few functions from the 41Z - another extension to the system that I wrote to handle complex numbers in a "decent" way, no FOCAL programs pls. If you're interested in Valentin's original listing I think it's available in one of the PPC TN, I should be able to dig out the reference. Yes I think it should be easy to port to the 34S, but that may be just my ignorance since I'm not familiar with it.
Si tienes alguna pregunta me puedes escribir a:
Saludos, Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Miguel Toro - 11-12-2011 Thank you very much Ángel. I will read the manual (it is much easier in pdf format) and certainly I will take advantage of your kind offer for help. Saludos,
Miguel
Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Valentin Albillo - 11-12-2011 Quote:
Thanks for your appreciation of my effort of 30+ years past. As for the "unfait treatment" towards me, don't worry, I'm more than used to it by now and doesn't upset me in the least. From Wikipedia:
"The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to recognize their mistakes. The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their ability as above average, much higher than it actually is, [...] Kruger and Dunning proposed that, for a given skill, incompetent people will:
I'm sure you can think of a number of people who should wear this shoe, as it fits exactly, isn't it ? ... :D Thanks again, Miguel, have a nice weekend, and
Best regards from V. Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - fhub - 11-12-2011 Quote:LOL, many thanks for this quote - I won't have been able to describe you better! ;-)
Franz
Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - Walter B - 11-13-2011 Franz, now you're going too far! I'd prefer you stick to your frequently repeated announciation and quit.
Re: HP 41: a documentation odyssey - fhub - 11-13-2011 Quote:Don't worry Walter, I already did quit! I just had to defend myself after this posting of Mr.V.A., who continued to attack me and tried to make an idiot out of me, and this only because he didn't like my statements about some mathematical issue (although I even have the proof for it).
So you won't read here anything from me anymore -
Franz
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