S.U.P.E.R. HP 200LX Archive
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MF

Text Utility
Download 8.2 KB

Description

MF (for MEMO FILE) is a tiny utility that can pass the name of the file last edited with MEMO to a DOS program. This can be handy for DOS spellcheckers, formatters, fax programs etc., that normally don't have access to this information. How to use: Simply prefix the command that you would use to call your DOS program with MF, and use \m for the name of the MEMO file.

Description extracted automatically from the documentation inside the package: this entry was not in the original catalogue.

Technical details

File
mf.zip
Size
8.2 KB
Format
.zip
Year
1994
Files inside
2
Path
jorgen/mf.zip

How to install it

What to send to the palmtop saves 1.2 KB

These are the files you need. You can send them from the package contents below.

  • MF.EXE → A:\SOFT programa de DOS 7.6 KB

No need to put MF.DOC: they are manuals, source code or supporting material. Read them here and save 1.2 KB on a 1 MB disk.

Steps
  1. Copy MF.EXE to A:\SOFT. They are DOS programs: run them from the DOS icon, or add A:\SOFT to the PATH in C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT to call them by name.

Derived from the package contents and the 200LX conventions. It installs to A: on purpose: C: is a RAM disk and every byte there is memory taken from the system.

Send to my palmtop

The palmtop must be waiting before you press the button, or the transfer will fail. It is the palmtop that announces it is ready, not the other way round.

On the palmtop

  1. Connect the serial cable between the palmtop and the computer.
  2. Open Data Comm and go to Menu → Connect → Settings. Set: 9600 baud, 8 data bits, parity None, 1 stop bit.
  3. Go back to the menu and enter Menu → File → Receive, with the Zmodem protocol. The palmtop now waits: leave it like that.

On the computer

  1. Use Chrome (or Edge / Opera). Firefox and Safari cannot open the serial port, and no mobile browser can either.
  2. Find out which port is yours — if you are not sure, open the help below.
  3. Press the button and pick it in the window Chrome opens.
How do I know which port is mine?

Linux — your USB-serial adapter will be /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyACM0. The /dev/ttyS0…ttyS31 are legacy motherboard ports: the kernel lists them even when none exist, so they are almost never yours. To be sure:

ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/

It shows the manufacturer and model, and which ttyUSB* it points to. If nothing appears, unplug and replug the cable and check dmesg | tail: you will see a line like «ch341-uart converter now attached to ttyUSB0».

Permissions: on Debian and derivatives your user must be in the dialout group or the port will not open. Check with groups, and if it is missing:

sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER

You must log out and back in for it to take effect.

Windows — Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT). Your adapter shows up as COM3, COM4… If it has a yellow triangle, you are missing the chip driver (FTDI, Prolific or CH340 depending on the cable).

macOS — ls /dev/cu.*; your adapter will be something like /dev/cu.usbserial-A50285BI. Always use the cu. one, not tty..

The 200LX has no standard serial connector: you need HP's connectivity cable (the F1015A or an equivalent) and, unless your computer has a real serial port, a USB-serial adapter behind it.

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