Connecting HP 200LX palmtop via USB

[shilohdad]

Don't know if anybody out there still uses an HP 200LX, but I have an old one that I like to use at times. Unfortunately, my laptop does not have a serial port that is needed to connect the 200LX. Before I go out and try to make myself crazy, does anyone know if I have a chance to get this to work by getting a USB-Serial adapter cable that emulates a COM port? In theory, it should, but does anybody have any experience?

Thanks

[Hacker]

[mod]Are you a spambot?

Hacker (Moderator)[/mod]

[shilohdad]

No, I am not a spambot! I am a normal human being.

That being said, I have done some more stuff. Here is what I have tried and the results:

OK, I decided to not worry about the USB-serial cable yet. I have another computer that has a direct serial connection, so figured I would get that working.

Added HPLX plugin.

Plugin author's instructions say to right-click the HPLX icon, then select properties and set up the communication parameters. Unfortunately, right-clicking does nothing.

Double-left click shows the following error in the upper right message area of TC 7.55:
CONNECT\
FSPLUGIN.INI not found

Yup, I have no such file in the plugin package.

I suspect that the plugin package is for an older version of Total Commander. The plugin installation instructions say it needs Total Commander 5.51 or above. Listed below are the contents of the plugin's directory as downloaded:

docbook.css
GPL.TXT (this is the GNU license text)
hp200lx.wfx
pluginst.inf
Instructions.html
Instructions.pdf
Instructions.xml

The last 3 are the referenced installation instructions in 3 different formats

There were no errors indicated when adding the plugin to Total Commander. I added the plugin as a file system plugin.

Now, I looked at the Total Commander help file, and it said I could install the file by double-clicking the zip file. I uninstalled my original installation, then did the double-click type of installation. Again, the install did not produce any error messages. However, I got the same result when either right-clicking the HPLX icon or double-clicking it.

These problems occurred on a Windows XP system with SP2 installed.

Is there any way I can proceed. The author of the plugin evidently no longer has an HP LX palmtop, so no longer supports or updates the plugin.

Thanks

[ghisler(Author)]

1. USB to serial converters should usually work
2. Make sure you install the plugin to a directory where you have write rights. I guess that the plugin tried to store the ini file in the plugin directory, which only works when it has write rights. The installer does NOT contain any ini file.

[shilohdad]

I can see that stuff got put in c:\totalcmd\plugins\wfx\hplx, but there is no ini file there. I definitely have write rights to that directory (the user is the admin for the XP computer where TC and the plugin is installed). Is the wfx supplied (hp200lx.wfx) supposed to put the ini there? Is one supposed to do something more to activate the plugin after adding it using Total Commander.

The contents of the directory referenced above are:
docbook.css
GPL.txt
hp200lx.wfx
Instructions.html
Instructions.pdf
Instructions.xml

and two directories:
protocol (contains two text files)
source (contains, ostensibly, the source of the plugin)

Contents of source directory:
Dircache.pas
Filer.pas
Fsplugin.pas
hp200lx.dpr
hp200lx.RES
SetForm.pas


As mentioned in my second post, this plugin is VERY old, written when Total Commander 5.51 was the current version!

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, I was wrong - fsplugin.ini is placed in the same path as wincmd.ini. Try to create it yourself (Shift+F4), you can find out the right directory via menu Help - About Total Commander.

[byronjenson]

I use my HP 200lx every day. I also transfer data to and from it to my PC regularly. I plug in a compact flash card into a pcmcia adaptor for use as data storage on the 200lx. I then unplug the compact flash card and plug it into the PC to transfer the data.

[shilohdad]

byronjenson,

Is the adapter specified at the following URL basically what you use? I hadn't even thought of that method, as I didn't know such adapters existed!

http://www.amtron.com/adapter/pcacf2.htm

This would certainly allow me to do what I want to do.

Also, are there any limitations on the 200 LX about the size of CF card you can use? I have several from 128 MB up to 2 GB.

Thanks,

[byronjenson]

Joe,

Yes the adapter shown in your link is the right one. I use the flash drive as my "hard drive" and do not even use the built in memory on the computer. The largest compact flash card I have used is 128mb which for me is more than ample. I have heard that some people use larger ones. The trick is to first format it in the 200lx. Put the card in the adapter and in the 200lx. At the Dos prompt change to the a:\> drive by typing a: <enter> type "fdisk100" without the quotes. Answer yes to the question and press <enter>. Then type "format a:" <enter>. You may get messages about invalid media type but press "f" for fail and it will probably go on ahead and format the card. Hope it works for you.

Byron

[shilohdad]

Byron,

Just got the adapter today. I put in my 128MB card, did the fdisk100 and the format, and it works like a charm. I transferred a lot of stuff from my laptop to the card, and there it was, all nice and visible on the palmtop. Thanks for the excellent recommendation. All I have to do now is remember how to do some of the stuff I used to do with my 200LX!

Thanks again.

[byronjenson]

Joe,

Glad to hear it worked. Take a look at these sites to help get refreshed on what that machine can do. There are still plenty of users. A quick Google search will find you much more information.

http://www.palmtoppaper.com/

http://hp200lx.net/super.html

Byron