DB48X: A modern RPL calculator

The DB48X project intends to rebuild and improve the user experience of the HP48 family of calculators, notably their "Reverse Polish Lisp" (RPL) language with its rich set of data types and built-in functions, and Lisp-level programming power.

A free software project

The DB48X project is hosted on GitHub and GitLab. The project in these repository is presently targeting the SwissMicro DM42 and DM32 calculators. It leverages their built-in software platform, known as DMCP.

There is also a simulator that is tested on macOS or Linux, and you can even try it in your browser. If you want to support the project, you can install the iOS version.

In the long-term, the vision is to be able to port DB48X on a number of different physical calculator platforms, like the ARM-based HP50 and related machines (HP49, HP48Gii, etc), and the HP Prime (at least the G1, since the G2 seems a bit more locked down), maybe others. The basis for that work can be found in the DB48X project.

This project was presented at FOSDEM 2023 and FOSDEM 2024.

Why name the project DB48X?

DB stands for "Dave and Bill", who are more commonly known as Hewlett and Packard. The order is reversed compared to HP, since they reportedly chose the order at random, and it's about time Dave Packard was given preeminence.

Part of Dave and Bill's great legacy (beyond giving birth to the Silicon Valley) is a legendary series of calculators. The HP48 remains one of my favorites, notably for its rich built-in programming language, known as Reverse Polish Lisp (RPL). This project aims at recreating a decent successor to the HP48, at least in spirit.