Scientific Notation

[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Seems the giant numbers are in Processor Technology FOCAL:  https://www.sol20.org/manuals/focal.pdf

  2. CONVENTIONS 2.1 Numbers All numbers in FOCAL are internally treated as floating point numbers occupying four memory bytes apiece. The largest number which can be represented by FOCAL is 3.6 times 10 to the 38th power, and the smallest non-zero positive number is 2.7 times 10 to the minus 39th power. This same range applies to negative numbers as well.

The accuracy for a number anywhere in this range is limited to approximately 7 decimal places making 850.0000 equivalent to 850.00003. Any number can be given to FOCAL as an integer (without a decimal point) as a floating point number (a number containing a decimal), or as a number in scientific notation. Numbers in the scientific notation format consist of a mantissa and an exponent; the mantissa is written in decimal form followed by an E, followed by the exponent value. In the scientifically formatated number, -7.2E-11, the number -7.2 is the mantissa and -11 is the exponent. The value of this number is -7.2 times 10 to the -11th power or -.000000000072. Any form of number input may be signed (+ or -) or unsigned.

In FOCAL the following numbers are equivalent:

       700.3240
       700.32403
           7.003240E2
           7.00324E+2.0

           7.00324E01.0

         70.0324E01.0

700324.0E-3.0

              .0700324E4 

All numbers printed by FOCAL can contain up to 7 decimal digits (excluding the sign).

Find some programs and notes here:  https://sol20.org/programs.html

There doesn't seem to be any other sources other than deramp also has the exact same manual:  https://deramp.com/sol20.org/manuals/focal.pdf

Here are the tape files and manual found along with three demo programs.  Now could somebody please combine it all into a .dsk file and post it here?  

This would be nice to add everything to the Processor Technology CP/M .dsk  

  

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[Walt Perko]

Hi, 

Interesting, the Processor Technology 8080 FOCAL Cassette Rev A – SOL-20 Programming Language tape popped up on eBay:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/267572111222

It's not an insane price, but more than I can afford today.  

It would be nice if somebody could read it into a Sol-20 or Subsystem B, verify it's working and post it as a .dsk for Processor Technology CP/M.  

This also brings to mind, I wonder if there's a utility for a Sol--20 to PCGET/PCPUT?  

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