HP41 PPC ROM
#1

In the month's I have hung around here I have heard scarce little talk of the PPC ROM module, which seems insanely chock full of stuff.

Where does one find this beast these days? Of the plethora of HP stuff out there for sale these days, this seems to be in the same league as the legendary 95C.

Any tips on how to get one of these things for real? Yes, one can explore it readily courtesy of certain emulators, but I am curious if one of the little wafers is out there to be had?

Les

#2

Les,

If you install the HP41CX emulator from TOS, you can access the PPC-ROM. If the PPC-ROM is no included as a MOD file (in the MOD folder that is installed by the emulator), the TOS should allow you to download it. To access the PPC-ROM do:

File | Edit | Add

The File | Edit command sequence brinngs up the Edit Configuration dialog box. Use the Add button to locate and include the PPC-ROM or any other ROMs.

The approach I mentioned allows you to play with the PPC-ROM without shelling big bucks. The museum DVD has the manual for the PPC-ROW. So if you already have the DVD, you are set to go.

Namir

#3

I have it not only there in the TOS emulator, but also in the p41CX emulator on my Palm TX. And I do have the phonebook size manual on the DVD.

I was just curious about getting the real thing. Your caveat of "big bucks" makes me think these things are uncommon, and pricey.

Les

#4

I was actually interested in the Romberg Integration routine, IG, which is well documented in the manual, including an annotation of the program listing. The code uses mysterious synthetic programming steps, like "E" and ".", but apart from that the program is surprisingly brief and comprehensible.

Les

#5

The PPC ROM and its manual actually show up on eBay from time to time. They are nowhere near as rare as the 95C.

#6

I can't believe it. I just looked on eBay and a PPC ROM was sold for $289! I've got both of my PPC ROMs from when I was a member of the PPC. I remember paying $95 to pre-purchase one ROM and when so many people ordered it, I ended up getting two ROMs and manuals. I looked around recently and the 2nd large PPC ROM manual is still wrapped in it's original plastic. I never opened it since I had two copies.

What a crazy world!

Gerry

#7

Hi, Les:

    Posted by Les Wright on 27 Dec 2006, 4:24 p.m.

    "The code uses mysterious synthetic programming steps, like "E" and ".", but apart from that the program is surprisingly brief and comprehensible."

      The "E" is simply a fancy way of entering "1" into the X register, so you can substitute every lone "E" by a "1". Likewise, the "." is used to enter a "0" in the X register.

      These were used because they would save a few milliseconds but I always thought that the complication to enter these synthetic instructions and/or the confusion they created among non-synthetic-aware users vastly negated the alleged benefits.

Best regards from V.
#8

Hi Gerry,

so now you know how to iron out your Xmas expenses d:-) However, if you want to give it away for less, I'd enlist for it d;-)

Happy New Year!

#9

PPC ROMs show up on Ebay very regularly. Typical price is $75-$250

#10

You can buy one from coburlin, if you want to pay way too much.

Overpriced coburlin item

Edited: 28 Dec 2006, 1:25 p.m.

#11

Man, I hate it when that parasite gets his mitts on something of real value!

I'm not against people making a buck on HP collectibles. I'm not even averse to selling stuff on eBay myself, occasionally. But this creep is delivering expensive, negative lessons to new buyers, taking extreme advantage of their naivety. And it's clear he could care less about the machines themselves.

Ah, well. Complaining doesn't do any good.

Regards,
Howard

#12

Fortunately, getting to play with PPC stuff in emulation does the trick for me.

I really was interested in one of the many many PPC routines--the ingenious 90-step Romberg integration routine IG. Thanks to Valentin's help, the synthetic codes E and . are not so mysterious to me, and I was able to simply put the 90 steps into my 41CV from the keypad and get my jollies that way. When my card reader arrives I can actually save it for posterity too! The PPC manual includes all of the actual listings, so if another routine catches my fancy, I can use the code directly. I know that it is a we bit slower than the original code with synthetic instructions, but right now I am interested more in the craft of the program rather than speed. If I want a fast, good numerical integrator, I have access to Mathematica, whose Gauss-Kronrod routine is so fast it is scary.

Les

#13

The Quick Reference Guide is missing...
What a pity!
However $ is more expensive than €...
;o)

#14

He must have mistyped the price. $289 for a PPC ROM and phone book is almost reasonable. His standard markup over fair market value should have it at $999.99

#15

I have figured out how to play with the PPC, or parts thereof, portably.

The file ppc.mod can be found with the emulator release on TOS. Also on TOS there is a utility, modfile, that converts *.mod files to *.rom files. I then convert the resultant *.rom file with Thomas Okken's rom2raw utility, and import the *.raw file into Free42 on my Palm.

The only real hassle with this is that the PPC ROM consists of dozens of little programs with two letter names, and they make the program menu on Free42 very busy indeed. Fortunately, for now I was only interested in one routine and its dependencies, so I could just CLP the rest.

For months now I have been praising Free42 for Palm as the best handheld emulation solution for anyone with a larger screen PDA. It runs at processor speed, so is lightning fast, has memory limited only by available RAM on the PDA (typically 4.6 to 4.8 MB are reported by CATALOG-MEM on my Palm TX), the hundreds of *.raw files available on TOS are readily imported, as are modules once they get converted to *.raw files. And it is undergoing continual improvement by the developer.

Happy New Year to Thomas!

Les



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