OUT71 Manual Page


NAME

out71 - a filter to send a program to an HP71B

SYNOPSIS

out71 [-o] filetype < input_file > output_device out71 -?

DESCRIPTION

The HP71B Handheld Computer fitted with the HP82401A HPIL Interface module can read files not only from a mass storage device but also from any other HPIL device. In the latter case, the HP71B expects to receive a 32 byte header which is identical to the file's directory entry on a LIF volume, followed by the file data padded (by NULLs in the case of out71 ) to a multiple of 256 bytes. This program always sends a file called PCFILE of the user-specified file type. out71 adds the header and padding, and can therefore be used to translate a linux file for direct sending to an HP71B, for example via an HP82164 RS232 interface.

OPTIONS

-o Some HP71 files have their length (in their directory entry, and thus in the header added by out71 ) given in nybbles. out71 assumes that all the nybbles in a linux file are part of the HP71B file, and thus always sets this nybble length to an even number. This can cause problems if the original HP71B file had an odd length in nybbles. The -o option decreases the nybble count in the header by one, effectively truncating the last nybble of the linux file. -? Print a message giving program usage to standard error and exit. filetype Specify the type of the HP71 file to be created. A complete list of possible filetypes can be found in lif_create_entry.c, but the useful ones for this program include TEXT, BASIC71, LEX71 and SDATA. This parameter is case-insensitive.

FILES

hardware/* : Information on connecting an HP71B to a PC

EXAMPLES

If an HP71B is connected to the linux device /dev/cua0 via a suitable interface and mytext is an HP text format file, then out71 TEXT < mytext >/dev/cua0 will send the file to the HP71B, which should be set to receive it, e.g. by the command COPY :RS232 TO MYTEXT

REFERENCES

The data expected by an HP71 when reading a file from a non-mass-storage device is documented in the HP71 HPIL Internal Design Specifications Volume 1.

BUGS

The -o option is not elegant, but there is no automatic way to decide when an HP71 file has an odd length in nybbles.

SEE ALSO

in71(1)

AUTHOR

out71 was written by Tony Duell, ard.p850ug1@gmail.com and has been placed under the GNU Public License version 2.0