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The X-Philes (2nd Revision)
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The X-Philes Number 1 (1995).iso
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hp48hor1
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mem.doc
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1995-03-31
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7KB
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118 lines
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN HP48.MEM FILE
by Joseph K. Horn
Voyager requires a PC copy of the HP 48 operating system to run. This file
must be called HP48.MEM and is a huge 512K text file consisting simply of the
entire contents of the HP 48's built-in ROM. Voyager was originally going to
have this file on the disk, ready to run.
But two problems prohibit this: (1) There are many different versions of the
operating system (currently six; there will be more eventually), and you
surely want Voyager to unthread Your HP 48, not someone else's; and (2) the HP
48 operating system is copyrighted, which would make disseminating it on disks
illegal.
So BEFORE YOU RUN VOYAGER, you MUST create your own HP48.MEM file. It only
takes half an hour, and costs nothing. You'll only have to do this once,
ever. Here's how to do it.
INSTRUCTIONS:
First, you will need an HP 48 serial I/O cable (HP's or equivalent). You
obviously have one already, because the EduCALC HP 48 Goodies disks are pretty
useless without a cable.
Second, you will need some way of capturing 9600-baud ASCII output from the HP
48 into a file on your PC. You may use a telecommunications program (like
ProComm) or direct DOS commands (be sure to use the MODE command to set the
COM port to 9600 baud). If you cannot get DOS to do it, and you don't have a
telecommunications program, see the note (**) at the end of this document for
a way to obtain a free copy of a shareware telcom package.
Connect your PC and 48 by serial cable. Set up your PC to receive at 9600
baud; set the 48 to 9600 too. Tell your PC to begin capturing all incoming
text into a file called "HP48.DMP". Note: this is NOT a kermit download or
any other "download protocol"; it is straight in-coming ASCII text being
captured.
Now we will begin the memory dump from the HP 48 to the PC.
First, turn on the HP 48. Now press ON and hold it down. While holding it
down, press and release the D key (4th key, top row). Now let go of the ON
key. (This is called ON/D). You should see three vertical lines in the
display. The HP 48 is now in the factory test mode. (To exit this mode, at
any time during this process, press ON/C).
Now press backarrow (the DROP arrow key), then ENTER, then / (divide). You
should see 00000: in the display, followed by some hex digits. (If you don't
see 00000:, repeat the above until you do.) The HP 48 is now in its Memory
Scanner, ready to perform the memory dump.
Now press the SPC key to begin a memory dump to your PC. BE SURE NOT TO PRESS
ON during this process; it causes digits to be lost from the memory dump, and
you'll have to repeat the whole process! You can see the addresses increment-
ing in the display, and the memory contents flashing by. In 4 minutes you
will send the first 32K (00000 to 0FFFF). All's well if the display stabil-
izes showing 10000:. We're one eighth of the way done.
Press SPC again to send the next 32K, and so on, until you see 80000 in the
display. Don't go any further! (This will take just over half an hour of
solid I/O). The memory dump is now complete. Press ON and C at the same time
to return your 48 to normal.
On the PC, run Derek Nickel's DMPTOMEM program by typing "DMPTOMEM HP48". A
new file called HP48.MEM will be created containing your 48's operating
system. Be sure that it's in the same directory as Voyager. You're now ready
to run Voyager.
PLEASE NOTE VERY VERY VERY WELL!!! I am making NO (ZERO, ZIP, ZILCH) MONEY
off this project, and cannot afford to return phone calls and letters about
this stuff. So DON'T CALL ME. (I hate to sound like Ebeneezer Grinch, but it
really bends my rhubarb when people treat people like public facilities.) If
you read and follow these instructions, then you know as much as I do; I
cannot be of any more assistance. Thank you for your pioneering enthusiasm.
If you really do need more help, send me lots of money first. Send some to
Derek too; he spent lots more time on this than I have!
(**) Note: In case you can't convince DOS to capture HP 48 output, and you
don't have a telecommunications program (a "terminal" or "modem" or "bulletin
board" program), and don't want to buy one, and CAN'T find a freeware or
shareware telcom program in your friends' software collections, and you're
REALLY desperate for a way to make HP48.MEM, then here's how to obtain a free
copy of a shareware telcom package:
(1) Format a NEW DOS disk (3.5 or 5.25, single or double sided, single or
double or high density) on your PC, and LEAVE IT EMPTY. (Unformatted disks
waste my time and will be thrown away. Dirty, old, re-run disks will not
violate my disk drives. You wouldn't believe what people send me!)
(2) Write "Free Telcom Program" AND YOUR NAME on its label. (Unlabeled disks
will get lost in the shuffle, guaranteed.)
(3) Put it into a STAMPED, PRE-ADDRESSED DISK MAILER. (They're only a few
cents at your local stationery store.) Sorry, no foreign mail, unless you can
get American stamps (many postal services sell them). I haven't got time to
barter "Foreign Reply Coupons" into airmail stamps.
(4) Put the disk (it the mailer) into an envelope with sufficient postage, and
mail to:
Joseph K. Horn
1042 Star Route
Orange, CA 92667
(5) Do NOT enclose ANYTHING ELSE. It'll just slow me down and probably get
lost anyhow. The disk label says it all.
(6) The program(s) you receive will be a surprise. As I find shorter and
simpler software, I'll change what I send. There are no guarantees of
quality, or functionality. My goal is to send you just enough to let you
create your own HP48.MEM file. I promise that I will have made it work on my
PC; if you can't get it to work, try again, but don't call me.
(7) This service is provided by Joseph K. Horn, not EduCALC, and is not
guaranteed in any way by anybody. The only reason it's offered at all is that
I'd hate to see some enthusiastic soul dying to watch Voyager run but unable
to because he or she can't make the HP48.MEM file. Such people will be eager
to make it easy for me, and will follow the above self-evident instructions by
instinct, for which I thank you. -jkh-