HP 48

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
left: HP 48SX (year of construction 1989); right: HP 49g + (built in 2004)

HP 48 is the name of a series of programmable pocket calculators from the US manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP).

The HP 48SX was introduced in 1990 and is characterized by a new programming concept called Reverse Polish LISP (RPL), which was first introduced in 1987 in the HP 28C and HP 28S . As the new top model in Hewlett-Packard's pocket calculator program, the HP 48SX replaced the HP-41, which was launched as the HP-41C in 1979.

Range of functions

The motherboard of an HP 48G

The programming differed from that of the predecessor in the following points:

  • The stack was no longer limited to four levels, but could grow at will. This allowed programs to run as real subprograms without destroying the existing stack contents.
  • The data storage was no longer processed via registers (via STO-xx commands), but via global and local variables , so that here, too, mutual influencing of different programs could be excluded
  • The programming language Reverse Polish LISP (RPL) is characterized by complex control structures, as they are known from the higher programming languages, but the concept of the reverse Polish notation ( UPN ) was also transferred here (see example under RPL)
  • In addition to the usual types, variables can also be assigned complex numbers , matrices and vectors, algebraic expressions, lists or programs
  • Scalars can be linked with (convertible and possibly also composed of several parts; e.g. or ) units
  • Recursive programming, including algebraic expressions, with any nesting depth
  • Consistent design of all mathematical functions also for the processing of complex numbers and real / complex matrices (as far as mathematically defined)
  • Manipulation of algebraic expressions up to the formal derivation of functions
  • Infrared communication between two HP 48, connection for serial RS232 interface

The first versions had a relatively small memory of 32  kB RAM , which could be expanded by a maximum of two memory cards (initially a proprietary HP format, since memory cards were not available on the market at the time, but have since been converted to SD cards in the HP 49G + ). For many applications this was initially sufficient, since RPL is processed by an interpreter and no memory area is required for the compilation.

Due to these capabilities, the HP 48SX represents a milestone in the development of pocket calculators, but it was no longer well known and important in practice due to the competition from PC-based programs ( e.g. Lotus-123 , Microsoft Excel , Quattro Pro ). as it was possible with the predecessor HP-41 .

In contrast to many PC spreadsheets, the HP 48 does not use the binary arithmetic of the mathematical coprocessor (at the time of its introduction in 1989, these were the Intel 80287 and 80387 coprocessors in the PC ), but calculates in BCD . In principle, this enables high numerical accuracy. However, since the HP 48 and its successors calculate internally with 15 digits and round each intermediate result to 12 digits, the numerical accuracy that can actually be used (without manipulating the operating system) is significantly lower than twice the accuracy of commercially available PC processors (approx. 16 digits) . In addition, the operating system is characterized by its very high stability. With Version J of the HP-48SX operating system, the last known errors in the algorithms have also been eliminated. (Firmware images have been available free of charge since 2000. These firmware images are also required by many PC-based HP-48 emulators.)

The processor with the code name Saturn clocked at a maximum of 4 MHz is an in-house development by HP. The operating system is about 256 kB for the HP 48SX, 512 kB for the HP 48GX and approx. 1 MB for the computers of the 49G / 49G + / 50G series.

Specifications

model HP 48S HP 48SX HP 48G HP 48GX HP 48G + HP 48gII (2003) HP 48gII (2007) HP 49G HP 49g + HP 50g
Years 1991-1993 1990-1993 1993-2003 1993-2003 1998-2003 2003-2007 2007–? 1999-2003 2003-2006 2006-2015
CPU Saturn
2 MHz
Saturn
2 MHz
Saturn
3.7 to 4 MHz a
Saturn
3.7 to 4 MHz a
Saturn
3.7 to 4 MHz a
ARM9
48 MHz
ARM9
48 MHz
Saturn
4 MHz
ARM9
75 MHz
ARM9
75 MHz
R.A.M. 32 kB 32 kB 32 kB 128 kB 128 kB 128 kB 256 kB 512 kB 512 kB
(384 kB usable)
512 kB
(384 kB usable)
Flash memory 2 MB
( ROM )
2 MB
(768 kB
usable as port 2)
2 MB
(768 kB
usable as port 2)
Port 1 HP expansion
up to 128 kB
HP expansion
up to 128 kB
256 kB
reserved in RAM
128 kB
reserved in RAM
128 kB
reserved in RAM
Port 2 HP expansion
up to 128 kB
HP expansion
up to 4 MB
768 kB
reserved in the flash
768 kB
reserved in the flash
SD memory card (port 3) up to 2 GB up to 2 GB
Display LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
64 × 131
LCD
80 × 131
LCD
80 × 131
Data transfer serial , IR b serial, IR b serial, IR b serial, IR b serial, IR b IrComm ,
serial
IrComm,
serial
USB (only to PC)
serial IrComm,
USB (only to PC)
serial, IrComm,
USB (only to PC)
a temperature dependent
bHP-specific infrared interface

successor

HP 49G

Close HP 48-successor is the 49G series, mainly by extending the HP 48- instruction set , a powerful computer algebra system (CAS) for symbolic mathematical operations and a slightly improved performance of the hardware , but processed by a poor quality keyboard distinguish. A large part of the software on the HP 49G has also become significantly faster through optimization. Parts of the software were translated into assembly language. The infrared interface has also been omitted from the HP 49G - however, it was reintroduced with the successor model, the HP 49g +.

This pocket calculator is the last of its kind with a Saturn processor .

HP 49g +

The infrared interface was reinstalled in the successor model HP 49g +, but it uses the IrCOMM protocol and not an HP-specific protocol like the HP 48 series. Instead of a serial interface , the HP 49g + has a USB port which enables faster data exchange with the PC ( a driver is included on CD-ROM for Microsoft Windows , the Linux kernel from 2.6.x has a corresponding driver). Since the HP 49g +, an ARM processor with 75 MHz has been used, on which the Saturn processor is emulated in software. The production of the Saturn CPUs had been stopped by NEC.

The firmware of the HP 49g + can no longer be used on the various HP 48 emulators such as the EMU48 due to the Saturn emulator in the pocket calculator. In early 2007, there were no HP emulators available for PCs that could emulate the ARM-based architecture of the HP 49g + directly on the ROM image of the firmware.

HP 50g

HP-50g

The HP 50g is the last model of the 48/49/50 series from HP and has the capabilities of the HP 49g +, is equipped with an improved keyboard and has been expanded with a serial interface. Like the HP 48gII, the HP-50g uses four micro batteries (AAA batteries). This model follows on in terms of color from the HP-48 series. The housing is black as standard. The shift keys are white and orange, the alpha key is yellow like on the HP 49g +. The HP 50G is also available with a blue housing.

The extensions for physics (hundreds of formulas with solver) and chemistry (period table, properties of all chemical elements) known from the HP 48 are available free of charge as libraries for the HP 50g.

The newer firmware of the HP 50g can also be used directly in HP 49g + computers without any changes, which means that users of the previous model can enjoy all the functional improvements. Software is available for the current model series with which the entire user guidance for all programs built into the computer is in German, and the equation library is also available in German.

literature

  • HP 48G series User Guide (UG), Hewlett-Packard. Issue 4 (2/1994, 10/1996), HP part number 00048-90127, first published: 07/1993. (English version: http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=3937 )
  • HP 48G Series - Advanced User's Reference Manual (AUR), Hewlett-Packard. Edition 4 (12/1994), HP part number 00048-90136, 0-88698-01574-2, first published: edition 1 (7/1993). http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=6036
  • HP 50g Graphics Capable Calculator - User Manual (German) (UM), Hewlett-Packard. Issue 1 (4/2006), HP part number F2229AA-90009 ?, HDP1G49AGN2 MWZ, 8-82780-50234-5.
  • HP 50g Graphical Calculator - Extended Instructions (German) (UG), Hewlett-Packard. Issue 1 (4/2006), HP part number F2229AA-90009 ?. The approximately 1000-page book incorrectly bears the same part number as the much thinner user manual. http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00748603.pdf
  • HP 50g graphing calculator user's manual? (UM), Hewlett-Packard. Edition 1 (2006-04), HP part number F2229AA-90001. http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=6513
  • HP 50g graphing calculator user's guide (UG), Hewlett-Packard. Edition 1 (4/2006), HP part number F2229AA-90006. http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=6512
  • HP 50g / 49g + / 48gII graphing calculator advanced user's reference manual (AUR), Hewlett-Packard. Edition 2 (July 14, 2009), first published: Edition 1 (2005-09), HP part number F2228-90010. http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=7141

Web links

Commons : HP-48  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ln (exp (x)) does not always simplify, but why? ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / fixunix.com
  2. http://www.hpcalc.org/hp48/docs/faq/48faq-3.html
  3. Last HP 48SX ROM Binary, Version J ( ZIP ; 191 kB)
  4. a b The Museum of HP Calculators - HP-48S / SX
  5. a b Joseph V. Paiva: The End of an Era - On the genesis, life and death of the HP 48 . BNP Media. October 1, 2004. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  6. HP pocket calculator emulators for the PC
  7. HP 49G, HP 49g +, HP 50 ROM updates
  8. German language package