As Lubuntu user I knew it would be no small feat to connect my computer to my HP50G, HP39GS and HP39GII via USB. The Linux Wine emulator won't map the PC's USB port as a phony COM1, despite my best efforts, though somebody out there may have succeeded at this task. This rules out using the software shipped with the calculators, or even Windows Hyperterminal, for file transfers.

However, the wonderful DOSBox emulator for Linux works quite well.

The key is the addition of this line to its configuration file:

serial1= directserial realport:ttyUSB0 rxdelay:60

As long as the calculator is USB attached and switched on, the "ttyUSB0" device pops up in Lubuntu's /dev folder. This is mapped to COM1 by DOSBox (DOSBox needs to have been launched from a terminal window with the "sudo" prefix and administrator password input or it won't be allowed to acquire control of the USB port).

I have had mixed success using the venerable Qmodem Pro terminal software for MSDOS with this arrangement. I can Kermit files to and from the HP50G. I have pulled files off the HP39GS via the Xmodem protocol but I have not managed to push anything across to it. The data will transfer but the HP39GS crashes out at the end without laying the files down to local storage.

The HP39GII puts up the strongest resistance. On connection, its USB port appears as /dev/usb/hidddev0 and won't map as a serial tty type of device (HID class USB ports won't do this, I think).

Of course, the HP39GII emulator runs nicely under Wine but sans USB.

Its along time since I blew 15 hours hacking comms software around trying to make reluctant devices talk to each other. It leaves you kind of giddy!

Edited: 9 Aug 2012, 3:11 p.m.

The 39gII is an HID device. I am a bit surprised it doesn't work for you directly. Turn on the emulator, plug in the calc and try sending a matrix or something.

What specifically are you trying to accomplish with it?

Edited: 9 Aug 2012, 5:07 p.m.

I was trying to establish a single tool for data exchange with all three calculators from a Linux platform.

Under Windows Vista and 7, I can move data between HP39GII and the emulator with no problems, though a cable disconnect and reconnect cycle is usually required to bring up the link. This just doesn't work under Wine and Linux because of incomplete USB support in Wine.

So, I tried the DosBOX alternative. Unfortunately, DosBOX will not open hiddev0 as a serial port.

Ah, that makes more sense now.

TW

Hello,

Where are stocked the program files on the computer ?
I need to know to share programs.

Thank you.

I have noticed that programs created on the HP39GII emulator appear as named files in

/home/owner/.wine/drive_c/users/owner/Application Data/HP39gII

on my Linux PC.

Somewhere similar will apply on a real Windows PC. Thus, the HP39GII emulator should be able act as easily accessible storage for anything you upload off the real calculator via USB.