WP43 News

This area is for discussion about these families of custom high-end Scientific Calculator applications for SwissMicros devices.
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

@HPMike: Please remember you can reach y^x via [EXP][y^x] and x^2 via [EXP][x^2], i.e. via 2 keystrokes each. Any shifted y^x or x^2 functionality doesn't carry any advantage, sorry. 8-)

EDIT: With respect to y^x vs. sqrt(x): Looking at the HP-42S (and its copy, the DM42), sqrt(x) is primary while y^x is shifted. On older scientific RPN calculators, y^x and sqrt(x) were often both primary, sqrt(x) a little more frequently than y^x.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
HPMike
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Re: 43S News

Post by HPMike »

Walter wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:16 pm
@HPMike: Please remember you can reach y^x via [EXP][y^x] and x^2 via [EXP][x^2], i.e. via 2 keystrokes each. Any shifted y^x or x^2 functionality doesn't carry any advantage, sorry. 8-)

EDIT: With respect to y^x vs. sqrt(x): Looking at the HP-42S (and its copy, the DM42), sqrt(x) is primary while y^x is shifted. On older scientific RPN calculators, y^x and sqrt(x) were often both primary, sqrt(x) a little more frequently than y^x.
Well, I was suggesting that y^x be primary, not shifted, so I don't think you should be so dismissive.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

Walter wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:16 pm
HPMike wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:19 am
Walter wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 12:05 am
We have three free shifted locations on our bezel still - what do you want to see there? Which three labels should show up there? They may be functions or menus. Please give reasons why you want the three labels of your choice appearing.

Please take into account what's featured already.
y^x , x^2

These are very often used, so I don't see the need to use the EXP menu. I would place x^2 and y^x on the same key as sqrt(x), and you could move α and α.fcn somewhere else, perhaps the 7 key. y^x would be the primary key, with x^2 and sqrt(x) being shifted items. As to the third item, how about %, instead of using the FIN menu.
@HPMike: Please remember you can reach y^x via [EXP][y^x] and x^2 via [EXP][x^2], i.e. via 2 keystrokes each. Any shifted y^x or x^2 functionality doesn't carry any advantage, sorry. 8-)

EDIT: With respect to y^x vs. sqrt(x): Looking at the HP-42S (and its copy, the DM42), sqrt(x) is primary while y^x is shifted. On older scientific RPN calculators, y^x and sqrt(x) were often both primary, sqrt(x) a little more frequently than y^x.
HPMike wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:16 pm
Well, I was suggesting that y^x be primary, not shifted, so I don't think you should be so dismissive.
Please read what was written above: We have three free shifted locations...
Shifted = secondary ≠ primary.

(If, however, you want to change an (un)shifted label, please tell me at least where the previous owner of this location shall go to.)

Beyond being less handy, you can't put α and α.FN on shifted 7 since you want to access both 7 and α also in TAM easily (cf. OM, p. 59).
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
HPMike
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Re: 43S News

Post by HPMike »

Walter wrote:
Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:09 pm
Walter wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:16 pm
HPMike wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:19 am

y^x , x^2

These are very often used, so I don't see the need to use the EXP menu. I would place x^2 and y^x on the same key as sqrt(x), and you could move α and α.fcn somewhere else, perhaps the 7 key. y^x would be the primary key, with x^2 and sqrt(x) being shifted items. As to the third item, how about %, instead of using the FIN menu.
@HPMike: Please remember you can reach y^x via [EXP][y^x] and x^2 via [EXP][x^2], i.e. via 2 keystrokes each. Any shifted y^x or x^2 functionality doesn't carry any advantage, sorry. 8-)

EDIT: With respect to y^x vs. sqrt(x): Looking at the HP-42S (and its copy, the DM42), sqrt(x) is primary while y^x is shifted. On older scientific RPN calculators, y^x and sqrt(x) were often both primary, sqrt(x) a little more frequently than y^x.
HPMike wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:16 pm
Well, I was suggesting that y^x be primary, not shifted, so I don't think you should be so dismissive.
Please read what was written above: We have three free shifted locations...
Shifted = secondary ≠ primary.

(If, however, you want to change an (un)shifted label, please tell me at least where the previous owner of this location shall go to.)

Beyond being less handy, you can't put α and α.FN on shifted 7 since you want to access both 7 and α also in TAM easily (cf. OM, p. 59).
I was suggesting that y^x replace sqrt(x) as an unshifted label, and that sqrt(x) become a shifted label on the same key. Since you can't move α and α.FN, you could move sqrt(x) instead to one of the available shifted locations, e.g. [f] [8].
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

Please sketch your entire proposed layout on a piece of paper and look at it. Are you satisfied?
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
HPMike
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Re: 43S News

Post by HPMike »

Walter wrote:
Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:23 pm
Please sketch your entire proposed layout on a piece of paper and look at it. Are you satisfied?
I don't need to draw anything to envision what I'm proposing, which is quite simple. The emulator is 11 inches tall on my 25 inch monitor, and I see it quite clearly. y^x replaces sqrt(x), and sqrt(x) moves to [f] [8]. Now, the only problem I see with this is that the other shifted item on the 8 key is [g][MODE], which is completely unrelated to a math operation. You have all the other math functions and menus neatly grouped on the top row, whereas the two keys with free shifted space (7 and 8) are three rows away, and contain operations that are completely unrelated to math. If you have a problem with this, then I'd rather have y^x on the last key in the first row as a primary label, and move the sqrt(x) function back to the EXP menu. As to what to do with the available shifted space, I have no further suggestions.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

HPMike wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:12 am
Walter wrote:
Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:23 pm
Please sketch your entire proposed layout on a piece of paper and look at it. Are you satisfied?
I don't need to draw anything to envision what I'm proposing, which is quite simple.
Congratulations.
HPMike wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:12 am
The emulator is 11 inches tall on my 25 inch monitor, and I see it quite clearly. y^x replaces sqrt(x), and sqrt(x) moves to [f] [8]. Now, the only problem I see with this is that the other shifted item on the 8 key is [g][MODE], which is completely unrelated to a math operation.
Aha. You've found the crucial problem in your suggestion now.
HPMike wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:12 am
You have all the other math functions and menus neatly grouped on the top row, whereas the two keys with free shifted space (7 and 8) are three rows away, and contain operations that are completely unrelated to math. If you have a problem with this,...
Yes, I have. A good UI shall not not contain scattered functions.
HPMike wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:12 am
...then I'd rather have y^x on the last key in the first row as a primary label, and move the sqrt(x) function back to the EXP menu.
Ok, proposal heard. Though I'm not convinced a primary y^x is any better than a primary sqrt(x). I even think that square roots are used more frequently than exponentials of the kind y^x.

(EDIT: Something from the Reference Manual, p. B-1:
accesssing_functions.JPG
accesssing_functions.JPG (113.43 KiB) Viewed 1891 times
)
HPMike wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:12 am
As to what to do with the available shifted space, I have no further suggestions.
Alas, this was the task for which I was asking for your proposals. :(
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

Today, 2022-4-30, we offer you release 0.22.4 here https://gitlab.com/Over_score/wp43s/-/releases.
  • Program editing also allows for inserting steps before step 0001 now.
  • Fixed an error in creating and loading user-defined menus.
  • Fixed an error in equation editing in EQN.
  • With the simulator, you won't see the console box anymore (which won't let you kill your simulator inadvertantly anymore).
  • Fixed errors in complex number display and (very) long integer handling in program entry mode.
  • Repaired register arithmetic.
  • Implemented CPXSLV in SOLVER.
  • and more. Thanks to Mihail and Jaco!

Both manuals were updated accordingly (CPXSLV must be documented still).

Included in the release package is everything you may want to try, test, and check the 43S on your computer or your DM42. Please look into the Reference Manual, App. E and F for how to do this. Find in said manual also which (few) functions don't work yet.

Enjoy!


If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask early. And if you discover anything suboptimal, please report. There are certainly some issues - who finds one unknown yet will get 7 test points.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
HPMike
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Re: 43S News

Post by HPMike »

The main thing is that you have fixed the two problems I reported with backup.bin and wp43.sav. I noticed that the DOS box no longer appears on startup, but will it still appear if there are system errors ?
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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Walter
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Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

HPMike wrote:
Sun May 01, 2022 3:24 am
I noticed that the DOS box no longer appears on startup, but will it still appear if there are system errors ?
No, it won't.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
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