HP-71B: How to load and run a BIN file?

[rprosperi]

Unfortunately, the file type BIN has two totally separate meanings.

HP-71 supports binary programs of file type BIN (as seen on the '71 CAT lists). These are assembly language, executable programs, which one simply runs by typing "RUN FILENAME". There are very few of these programs circulating, however a common (and really useful!) one is the RPN calculator program. This is used by simply copying the BIN file RPN to the machine and then RUN RPN (or assigning it to a key such as DEF KEY 'fR', 'RUN RPN': which is then accessed by just pressing [f][R]. The trailing colon makes the command run as soon as you hit the key).

On the PC, the file type BIN is commonly used as an extension of DOS files which hold ROM images, which can be used as-is in EMU71 (both DOS and WIN versions). These cannot be simply downloaded by ILPer (or pyILPer) to a real 71B as they are bit-for-bit images of the ROM, and can only be loaded into an IRAM using a special program that pokes the files contents into the RAM module, nibble by nibble.