41C data collection memory

[davetheguru]

(01-25-2014 11:05 PM)Garth Wilson Wrote:  After I got my HP-71, I wrote programs for it to do some of the time stuff that was already included onboard on the 41cx. (The 41cx has the time module built in, so it does not take up a port space.) It was a bit of a disappointment that the 71 didn't have as much there, but nice of course that it could still be done with user-supplied programs.
HPIL allowed it to be connected to loads of instruments for data acquisition and control. I bought my HPIL module with the Extended I/O module already built into it. The Extended Functions/Extended Memory module (which is already built into the 41cx, along with the time module, text editor, and a couple of other things you couldn't get on a 41c or cv) helped too. Then I got a combined double Extended Memory module. Extended memory works in files. Many modules made certain jobs easier that were already possible without them though. For example the first piece of equipment I ever interfaced my 41 to (besides the printer and tape drive) was the HP3421A data-acquisition unit for which there was an HP-41 module but I just looked up the 3421A commands in the manual and never bought the module. Later I interfaced the 41 to relay matrices, DMMs, signal generators, etc..
For the 41 to interface to RS-232, you use the HP82164A or FSI164A HPIL-to-RS232 interface converter. The latter came with two serial ports standard, and optionally up to eight, and of course HPIL allows lots of devices to be connected at once, meaning you could have even more if you wanted. I interfaced my 41 to IEEE-488 with the HP82169A HPIL-to-HPIB interface converter, and to parallel with the HP82165A HPIL-to-parallel interface converter. I'd say the 41 was way ahead of the 50 in real-world interfaceability.

Cool. Thanks Garth for the updates. Keep this up and I just might go dust off my 41 from storage, get an HPIL module for it and a few interfaces for it. I probably spent too much time with synthetic programming and missed all the literature on the interfaces available for it (it's been too many decades). <grin>