HP-48 and Win8

[Brad Barton]

Has anyone been able to send files to the 48 using Windows 8? I've got a USB-serial converter that I've finally been able to make work.

However, I can't find any communication software that I can install on Windows 8. Conn4X doesn't want to install, and I can't get WinXP to talk either.

Does anyone have any ideas what might work in Windows 8?

[Dave Britten]

Anything that can do Kermit (or XMODEM if it's a G/GX) will get the job done. Can you transplant Hyperterminal from the XP machine? That's what I often use, or I just copy to the CF card in my 200LX and send it from there via IR.

[Brad Barton]

(07-11-2015 01:54 AM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Anything that can do Kermit (or XMODEM if it's a G/GX) will get the job done. Can you transplant Hyperterminal from the XP machine? That's what I often use, or I just copy to the CF card in my 200LX and send it from there via IR.

Thanks Dave. I'll get Hyperterminal off my old XP machine and give it a try (It's a GX). Can you point me to any resources that will help get me started with Kermit or XMODEM? I'm a little slow when it comes to communications.

I think my XP computer is going to give up the ghost pretty soon. That's why I'm trying to get it to work with Win8.

Thanks again.

[Dave Britten]

(07-11-2015 01:59 AM)Brad Barton Wrote:  

(07-11-2015 01:54 AM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Anything that can do Kermit (or XMODEM if it's a G/GX) will get the job done. Can you transplant Hyperterminal from the XP machine? That's what I often use, or I just copy to the CF card in my 200LX and send it from there via IR.

Thanks Dave. I'll get Hyperterminal off my old XP machine and give it a try (It's a GX). Can you point me to any resources that will help get me started with Kermit or XMODEM? I'm a little slow when it comes to communications.

I think my XP computer is going to give up the ghost pretty soon. That's why I'm trying to get it to work with Win8.

Thanks again.

I haven't used it lately, but I think it's as simple as selecting Send or Receive from the File menu or something along those lines. I know it essentially boils down to choosing one of those two protocols, then transmitting files. Just make sure the port settings match what you've got set on your 48. You should be able to run it at the 48's max port speed. (Was it 4800 or 9600? Can't remember.) The other port settings will likely be 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control.

On the 48, you use SEND and RECV to transfer files using Kermit, or XSEND and XRECV for XMODEM. I believe ASCII-encoded files have to be transferred with Kermit; XMODEM is for binaries only (libraries, etc).

[rprosperi]

(07-11-2015 02:18 AM)Dave Britten Wrote:  

(07-11-2015 01:59 AM)Brad Barton Wrote:  Thanks Dave. I'll get Hyperterminal off my old XP machine and give it a try (It's a GX). Can you point me to any resources that will help get me started with Kermit or XMODEM? I'm a little slow when it comes to communications.

I think my XP computer is going to give up the ghost pretty soon. That's why I'm trying to get it to work with Win8.

Thanks again.

I haven't used it lately, but I think it's as simple as selecting Send or Receive from the File menu or something along those lines. I know it essentially boils down to choosing one of those two protocols, then transmitting files. Just make sure the port settings match what you've got set on your 48. You should be able to run it at the 48's max port speed. (Was it 4800 or 9600? Can't remember.) The other port settings will likely be 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control.

On the 48, you use SEND and RECV to transfer files using Kermit, or XSEND and XRECV for XMODEM. I believe ASCII-encoded files have to be transferred with Kermit; XMODEM is for binaries only (libraries, etc).

Good summary. I'm pretty sure you can x-fer any kind of file or object using XMODEM though. Note that Conn4x has lots of problems transferring complex LIST objects, regardless of protocol, season, or phase of the moon.

Also, note that to use XMODEM on the GX, you first have to download the XMODEM library that comes with Conn4x. Conn4x has a special feature that allows you to "boot strap" the XMODEM library down to the GX, which you then run for all future transfers, launching X-Server mode from the library menu. Not sure if the workaround can be accomplished using HyperTerminal, but it could be possible.

There is some 'trick' to install Conn4x on Win-8 which I don't recall (I think it's enabling install of unsigned drivers) documented somewhere in the (new) Forum archives. Use google, add "site:hpmuseum.org" at the end; it's much better at finding content here than the built-in search tool.

[Brad Barton]

(07-11-2015 02:36 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  There is some 'trick' to install Conn4x on Win-8 which I don't recall (I think it's enabling install of unsigned drivers) documented somewhere in the (new) Forum archives. Use google, add "site:hpmuseum.org" at the end; it's much better at finding content here than the built-in search tool.

Bob,

That solved the problem. Conn4x is installed and working. I'd previously searched the archives, but not using Google.

Thanks so much!

Brad

[Ed Look]

I want to thank the posters on this thread!

For the longest time, since I got my Win 8 machine a couple of years back, I have been unable to interface my HP 50g and 49g calculaors to my PC, reducing the calcs' usefulness to me.

Unsigned drivers! Like duh! Now why didn't I think of that? But even if I did, I did not know how to install such on Win 8! So this has been an enlightening and totally useful thread.

Now what to do with my 48G and G+?! I have one of these serial/USB adaptor cables, but it seems also to have stopped working with my new computer and if any software and drivers came with, I've lost them! (And I don't remember the brand of cable! Oh, well.)

Thanks again, to all.

[Brad Barton]

Ed,

Getting the USB to serial converter right is a key step in the process. Look up Prolific's PL2303 converter. There are specific chips that are compatible with Win8/8.1/10. I think it's the 2303HXD that you want, but it's been a while since I worked on this part of it, so you should probably do a little digging.

The converters themselves are only a few bucks. The key is making sure you get the right chipset and drivers. The above info should give you enough to do a little research and get your 48's talking again.

Good luck,
Brad

[Allen]

(08-18-2015 03:17 AM)Brad Barton Wrote:  Ed,

Getting the USB to serial converter right is a key step in the process.

Agreed! I tried many USB-> serial converters before I found the Trendnet TU-S9 Mine works fine with Conn48 on Win8 x64. Your mileage may vary!

[cyrille de brébisson]

Hello,

As stated earlier, the USB<->serial converter is the key.

I once had a heated argument with one of the HP engineers working on high end workstation regarding having build in, native RS232 on modern computers (he was against, saying that we could use RS232<->USB converters and that he did not want to put these old tech on his shiny new computer (I mean he was designing it))...

The problem is that RS232 at 115200 baud can send 1 byte in 1/10h of a millisecond and wait for an immediate reply. XModem, for example has a 128 bytes packet with a 1 byte ack.
This means that a packet takes 10ms to send and then 1/10th of a millisecond to ack.

USB has a 1 millisecond 'heartbeat' and a 1K packet size (send ever 1 ms). so, most USB <-> serial converters drivers will wait for a full 1KB to send or a couple of milliseconds before sending data to the converter.

The net result is that communication speed drops drastically because the 3 protocols (XModem, USB and driver to convertor) gets in each-others way.

Ergo, you need a convertor that will send data as soon as available and not wait. Not all convertors will do that.

Cyrille

[Bruno]

(07-11-2015 01:34 AM)Brad Barton Wrote:  Has anyone been able to send files to the 48 using Windows 8? I've got a USB-serial converter that I've finally been able to make work.

However, I can't find any communication software that I can install on Windows 8. Conn4X doesn't want to install, and I can't get WinXP to talk either.

Does anyone have any ideas what might work in Windows 8?

Hi,

I use a USB/Serial converter + HP Graphing Calculator PC Connectivity Kit v3.0r4 to communicate with my HP48 S/G,
this work on 3 different PC with Windows 8.1 x32 or x64

http://www.hpcalc.org/details.php?id=3713