HP 42S: Difference between revisions

518 bytes added ,  09:21, 6 February 2022
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One notable feature that it shares with [[HP 17B]] and [[HP 27S]] is its capability to print to a thermal printer using infrared. The corresponding thermal printer is the [[HP 82240]]. It is the only calculator in the Pioneer line capable of utilizing the graphics printing capability of the 82240, while other calculators in the line are limited to printing characters.
One notable feature that it shares with [[HP 17B]] and [[HP 27S]] is its capability to print to a thermal printer using infrared. The corresponding thermal printer is the [[HP 82240]]. It is the only calculator in the Pioneer line capable of utilizing the graphics printing capability of the 82240, while other calculators in the line are limited to printing characters.


The HP-42s runs on [[RPL|SysRPL]] with many low level assembly language tweaks, and thus it supports many advanced features like the [[HP 28C]] series. For example, it treats complex values as an object taking up one stack level (instead of consuming two stacks on the [[HP 41C]] or having a separate imaginary stack as on the [[HP 15C]]). It also supports plotting to LCD with each pixel being individually addressable, and thus capable of drawing or plotting under program command. However unlike the HP 28C, it supports only 4 stack levels and does not have built-in plotting utilities, requiring the user to program their own.
The HP-42s runs on [[RPL|SysRPL]] with many low level assembly language tweaks, and thus it supports many advanced features like the [[HP 28C]] series. For example, it treats complex values as an object taking up one stack level (instead of consuming two stacks on the [[HP 41C]] or having a separate imaginary stack as on the [[HP 15C]]). Matrix entry and computation has been much improved with the user scrolling through using menu cursors, automatically expanding making manual DIM obsolete, and treating complex matrices as simple extension of real matrix (without resorting to "partitioned form" and "complex-form" as on the HP 15C). It also supports plotting to LCD with each pixel being individually addressable, and thus capable of drawing or plotting under program command. However unlike the HP 28C, it supports only 4 stack levels and does not have built-in plotting utilities, requiring the user to program their own.
 
Internally, values are represented using BCD and implemented with 15 decimal digits (12 displayed) for the mantissa. Math functions are always calculated in decimal and converted for display when using other bases.  


Like other Pioneers, HP 42s ships with a debugger and self-test routine.
Like other Pioneers, HP 42s ships with a debugger and self-test routine.
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