Here's a snippet of ROM from the HP48SX that may give you some insight as to how the nibbles are used.
Code:
*******************************************************************************
* #next points the next word. Gives "" if at the end
* (3:HxsMask 2:$ 1:#start -> 4:Hxsmask 3:$ 2:#next 1:$token)
* Gets the word starting at #nth char, strips spaces
*******************************************************************************
RPL
26162 LABEL GetNextToken
26162 LOCALLABEL L_26162
26162 D9D20 ::
26167 99016 DUP4UNROLL
2616C FB761 DPRADIX?
26171 E5362 FindTokEnd
26176 DA162 GetNextSub
2617B 26162 GetNextToken
26180 DA916 NOTcase
26185 FD550 NULL$
2618A D7C26 ROT2DUP
2618F 40926 SWP1+
26194 4C016 5UNROLL
26199 4C016 5UNROLL
2619E CAF06 UNROT
261A3 33750 SUB$
261A8 B2130 ;
*******************************************************************************
ASSEMBLE
261AD =GetNextSub ( Unsupported )
261AD L_261AD
261AD 2B162 CON(5) (*)+5
261B2 143 A=DAT1 A
261B5 340CA30 LC(5) =FALSE
261BC 8A2 ?A=C A
261BF 56 GOYES L_26224
261C1 174 D1=D1+ 5
261C4 147 C=DAT1 A
261C7 137 CD1EX
261CA 174 D1=D1+ 5
261CD 143 A=DAT1 A
261D0 135 D1=C
261D3 179 D1=D1+ 10
261D6 147 C=DAT1 A
261D9 137 CD1EX
261DC 06 RSTK=C
261DE 174 D1=D1+ 5
261E1 147 C=DAT1 A
261E4 137 CD1EX
261E7 1C4 D1=D1- 5
261EA 07 C=RSTK
261EC 137 CD1EX
261EF C4 A=A+A A
261F1 8BE ?C<=A A
261F4 D2 GOYES L_26221
261F6 15B9 A=DAT1 10
261FA 174 D1=D1+ 5
261FD 1599 DAT1=A 10
26201 1C4 D1=D1- 5
26204 1CE D1=D1- 15
26207 15BE A=DAT1 15
2620B 174 D1=D1+ 5
2620E 159E DAT1=A 15
26212 E7 D=D+1 A
26214 34D4170 LC(5) =SKIP
2621B L_2621B
2621B DA A=C A
2621D 808C PC=(A)
26221 L_26221
26221 1CE D1=D1- 15
26224 L_26224
26224 34F2262 LC(5) =?FillNext
2622B 6FEF GOTO L_2621B
*******************************************************************************
RPL
2622F LABEL ?FillNext ( Unsupported )
2622F LOCALLABEL L_2622F
2622F D9D20 ::
26234 79E60 '
26239 E7832 IOLAM
2623E 34970 @LAM
26243 DA916 NOTcase
26248 39262 Back&Skip
2624D DA916 NOTcase
26252 39262 Back&Skip
26257 46BF2 FillRecv
2625C 39916 case
26261 BB262 FillNext
26266 0CA30 FALSE
2626B 6B936 FALSE'
26270 E7832 IOLAM
26275 B1D70 STOLAM
2627A 98262 ##CFF
2627F A3836 ERROROUT
26284 B2130 ;
*******************************************************************************
26289 LABEL ##CFF ( Unsupported )
26289 LOCALLABEL L_26289
26289 11920FF # CFF
C00
*******************************************************************************
26293 LABEL Back&Skip ( Unsupported )
26293 LOCALLABEL L_26293
26293 D9D20 ::
26298 88130 DUP
2629D B2040 SIX
262A2 12040 FIVE
262A7 3C070 RPITE
262AC 98F26 ROLLDROP
262B1 2B336 COLASKIP
262B6 B2130 ;
*******************************************************************************
262BB LABEL FillNext ( Unsupported )
262BB LOCALLABEL L_262BB
262BB D9D20 ::
262C0 39916 case
262C5 10362 Join&Cola
262CA 6B936 FALSE'
262CF E7832 IOLAM
262D4 B1D70 STOLAM
262D9 39916 case
262DE 39262 Back&Skip
262E3 0CA30 FALSE
262E8 0CA30 FALSE
262ED 18A30 TRUE
262F2 98262 ##CFF
262F7 A3836 ERROROUT
262FC B2130 ;
*******************************************************************************
26301 LABEL Join&Cola ( Unsupported )
26301 LOCALLABEL L_26301
26301 D9D20 ::
26306 32230 SWAP
2630B 8DA16 ITE
26310 A2116 UNROT2DROP
26315 B9F06 SWAPDROP
2631A 32230 SWAP
2631F BBF06 4ROLL
26324 22650 OVERLEN$
26329 33750 SUB$
2632E FE226 SWAP&$
26333 9FF30 ONE
26338 D6926 COLACOLA
2633D B2130 ;
*******************************************************************************
* Pops stk1 flag to ST 2
*******************************************************************************
ASSEMBLE
26342 =popflag->2 ( Unsupported )
26342 852 ST=1 2
26345 143 A=DAT1 A
26348 174 D1=D1+ 5
2634B E7 D=D+1 A
2634D 3418A30 LC(5) =TRUE
26354 8A2 ?A=C A
26357 00 RTNYES
26359 842 ST=0 2
2635C 03 RTNCC
*******************************************************************************
2635E =FindTokEnd ( Unsupported )
2635E L_2635E
2635E 36362 CON(5) (*)+5
26363 7BDF GOSUB =popflag->2
26367 853 ST=1 3
2636A 143 A=DAT1 A
2636D 174 D1=D1+ 5
26370 E7 D=D+1 A
26372 8FB9760 GOSBVL =SAVPTR
26379 130 D0=A
2637C 164 D0=D0+ 5
2637F 142 A=DAT0 A
26382 D8 B=A A
26384 143 A=DAT1 A
26387 174 D1=D1+ 5
2638A 132 AD0EX
2638D 164 D0=D0+ 5
26390 143 A=DAT1 A
26393 133 AD1EX
26396 179 D1=D1+ 10
26399 D4 A=B A
2639B C4 A=A+A A
2639D 560 GONC L_263A4
263A0 L_263A0
263A0 6490 GOTO L_26435
263A4 L_263A4
263A4 3430000 LC(5) 3
263AB CA A=A+C A
263AD 42F GOC L_263A0
263B0 146 C=DAT0 A
263B3 E2 C=C-A A
263B5 4AE GOC L_263A0
263B8 D7 D=C A
263BA 136 CD0EX
263BD C2 C=C+A A
263BF 40E GOC L_263A0
263C2 134 D0=C
263C5 137 CD1EX
263C8 D0 A=0 A
263CA 540 GONC L_263CF
263CD L_263CD
263CD E5 B=B+1 A
263CF L_263CF
263CF 8AB ?D=0 A
263D2 36 GOYES L_26435
263D4 14A A=DAT0 B
263D7 135 D1=C
263DA C2 C=C+A A
263DC 137 CD1EX
263DF 1574 C=DAT1 S
263E3 8E3510 GOSUBL L_2653C
263E9 161 D0=D0+ 2
263EC CF D=D-1 A
263EE CF D=D-1 A
263F0 94A ?C=0 S
263F3 AD GOYES L_263CD
263F5 8AB ?D=0 A
263F8 65 GOYES L_2644E
263FA 80DF P=C 15
263FE 893 ?P= 3
26401 D4 GOYES L_2644E
26403 894 ?P= 4
26406 84 GOYES L_2644E
26408 895 ?P= 5
2640B 34 GOYES L_2644E
2640D 897 ?P= 7
26410 95 GOYES L_26469
26412 DD BCEX A
26414 108 R0=C
26417 DD BCEX A
26419 896 ?P= 6
2641C 60 GOYES L_26422
2641E 6890 GOTO L_264B7
26422 L_26422
26422 AC2 C=0 S
26425 B46 C=C+1 S
26428 CF D=D-1 A
2642A CF D=D-1 A
2642C 161 D0=D0+ 2
2642F E5 B=B+1 A
26431 6580 GOTO L_264B7
26435 L_26435
26435 D4 A=B A
26437 100 R0=A
2643A 8F73560 GOSBVL =PUSH#
26441 340CA30 LC(5) =FALSE
26448 DA A=C A
2644A 808C PC=(A)
2644E L_2644E
2644E 20 P= 0
26450 D4 A=B A
26452 100 R0=A
26455 8F73560 GOSBVL =PUSH#
2645C 345C562 LC(5) =DUPTRUE
26463 DA A=C A
26465 808C PC=(A)
26469 L_26469
26469 20 P= 0
2646B D4 A=B A
2646D 100 R0=A
*******************************************************************************
26470 =PUSH#+1TLoop ( Unsupported )
26470 8F73560 GOSBVL =PUSH#
26477 349D562 LC(5) =#1+TRUE
2647E DA A=C A
26480 808C PC=(A)
26484 L_26484
26484 20 P= 0
26486 D4 A=B A
26488 101 R1=A
2648B 8F73560 GOSBVL =PUSH#
26492 8FB9760 GOSBVL =SAVPTR
26499 111 A=R1
2649C 100 R0=A
2649F 8F73560 GOSBVL =PUSH#
264A6 3418A30 LC(5) =TRUE
264AD DA A=C A
264AF 808C PC=(A)
264B3 L_264B3
264B3 20 P= 0
264B5 L_264B5
264B5 E5 B=B+1 A
264B7 L_264B7
264B7 8AB ?D=0 A
264BA AC GOYES L_26484
264BC 14A A=DAT0 B
264BF 135 D1=C
264C2 C2 C=C+A A
264C4 137 CD1EX
264C7 1534 A=DAT1 S
264CB ACE ACEX S
264CE 8EB800 GOSUBL L_2655F
264D4 ACE ACEX S
264D7 CF D=D-1 A
264D9 CF D=D-1 A
264DB 161 D0=D0+ 2
264DE 942 ?A=C S
264E1 4D GOYES L_264B5
264E3 80DF P=C 15
264E7 892 ?P= 2
264EA B0 GOYES L_264F5
264EC 891 ?P= 1
264EF 91 GOYES L_26508
264F1 629F GOTO L_26484
264F5 L_264F5
264F5 ACE ACEX S
264F8 80DF P=C 15
264FC ACE ACEX S
264FF 89F ?P= 15
26502 62 GOYES L_26528
26504 6F7F GOTO L_26484
26508 L_26508
26508 ACE ACEX S
2650B 80DF P=C 15
2650F ACE ACEX S
26512 892 ?P= 2
26515 E9 GOYES L_264B3
26517 89F ?P= 15
2651A 99 GOYES L_264B3
2651C 886 ?P# 6
2651F 50 GOYES L_26524
26521 560 GONC L_26528
26524 L_26524
26524 6F5F GOTO L_26484
26528 L_26528
26528 20 P= 0
2652A 8AB ?D=0 A
2652D B0 GOYES L_26538
2652F CF D=D-1 A
26531 CF D=D-1 A
26533 161 D0=D0+ 2
26536 E5 B=B+1 A
26538 L_26538
26538 6C7F GOTO L_264B5
2653C L_2653C
2653C 80FF CPEX 15
26540 89D ?P= 13
26543 A4 GOYES L_2658D
26545 89E ?P= 14
26548 24 GOYES L_2658A
2654A 863 ?ST=0 3
2654D 53 GOYES L_26582
2654F 89F ?P= 15
26552 50 GOYES L_26557
26554 5E0 GONC L_26563
26557 L_26557
26557 21 P= 1
26559 80FF CPEX 15
2655D 01 RTN
2655F L_2655F
2655F 80FF CPEX 15
26563 L_26563
26563 898 ?P= 8
26566 71 GOYES L_2657D
26568 899 ?P= 9
2656B 33 GOYES L_2659E
2656D 89A ?P= 10
26570 B3 GOYES L_265AB
26572 89B ?P= 11
26575 34 GOYES L_265B8
26577 80FF CPEX 15
2657B 01 RTN
2657D L_2657D
2657D 872 ?ST=1 2
26580 32 GOYES L_265A3
26582 L_26582
26582 20 P= 0
26584 80FF CPEX 15
26588 01 RTN
2658A L_2658A
2658A 843 ST=0 3
2658D L_2658D
2658D 863 ?ST=0 3
26590 80 GOYES L_26598
26592 843 ST=0 3
26595 5CE GONC L_26582
26598 L_26598
26598 853 ST=1 3
2659B 46E GOC L_26582
2659E L_2659E
2659E 872 ?ST=1 2
265A1 1E GOYES L_26582
265A3 L_265A3
265A3 22 P= 2
265A5 80FF CPEX 15
265A9 01 RTN
265AB L_265AB
265AB 872 ?ST=1 2
265AE 5F GOYES L_265A3
265B0 L_265B0
265B0 25 P= 5
265B2 80FF CPEX 15
265B6 01 RTN
265B8 L_265B8
265B8 872 ?ST=1 2
265BB 5F GOYES L_265B0
265BD 22 P= 2
265BF 80FF CPEX 15
265C3 01 RTN
They are used mainly in FindTokEnd and GetNextSub