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From: ervin@pinbot.enet.dec.com (Joseph James Ervin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Becoming an official HP48SX developer????
Message-ID: <981@sousa.enet.dec.com>
Date: 20 Mar 91 17:33:22 GMT
Sender: newsa@sousa.enet.dec.com
Reply-To: ervin@pinbot.enet.dec.com (Joseph James Ervin)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 34

Hi all,

After completing my screen dissolver, it has occured to me to start writing
some more general audience stuff for the HP48 that can utilize the power of
machine language code.  

The first things that come to mind are games.  I have seen a number of
shareware or public domain games for the MAC that would be great to have on the
48SX.  It seems that a lot of these should be doable in terms of processor
speed and graphics, but there are some important pieces of information missing
from my understanding of the 48's internals.

Specifically, it is difficult to implement animated graphics without access to
a hardware timer.  I know there is one in the 48SX, but I have no information
regarding how to access it.  Furthermore, direct access to the IO registers
which control/sample the keyboard would be a must, it seems to me.  You'd want
to be able to do things like test for "key pressed and held" for things like
rotating your galactic meanie-destroyer, or changing your speed, etc..

This raises the question "Is it possible to become an official developer, thus
getting some form of _official_ information from HP?".  I know other vendors
offer these types of things for their machines.  What about the 48SX?

(Dr. Wickes, would you care to comment?)

I would ask this question on HP's BBS, but the long distance charges are brutal
from Massachusetts.  I will gladly pay these charges, hoever, if it turns out
that I need to go there for this information.

Anyone know of any such official arrangements from HP?

Sincerely,

>>>Joe Ervin     ervin@pinbot.enet.dec.com