WP43 News

This area is for discussion about these families of custom high-end Scientific Calculator applications for SwissMicros devices.
User avatar
PierreMengisen
Posts: 305
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:38 pm
Location: Neuchâtel CH

Re: 43S News

Post by PierreMengisen »

Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 12:25 pm

Do we have to throw an error if we light an indicator? Overflow is an inherent feature of finite integer arithmetic.
What I propose is to avoid the user to take into account a wrong result. You won't do it but the user LAMBDA?
Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 12:25 pm
Regarding |x| & Cie.: Did you follow Jaco's recommendation (delete backup.bin)? Or did you follow mine (install in a separate folder)? What did you observe?
By deleting backup.bin nothing is changed.
After copying everything to a new folder, it works. OK
Pierre
[TI59 with PC100C; TI-84 Plus CE-T; HP41CV with HP IL loop & 2*82161A DCD & 82162 TP; HP15C; HP28S; DM41; DM41L; DM42; DM41X]
User avatar
Walter
Posts: 3070
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 11:13 am
Location: On a mission close to DRS, Germany

Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

PierreMengisen wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 2:56 pm
Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 12:25 pm
Do we have to throw an error if we light an indicator? Overflow is an inherent feature of finite integer arithmetic.
What I propose is to avoid the user to take into account a wrong result. You won't do it but the user LAMBDA?
That user shall learn about short integers before pressing buttons (s)he doesn't understand. Garbage in, garbage out. At least read the OM before stumbling through unknown areas. :mrgreen:
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
NYC41
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2017 4:23 pm

Re: 43S News

Post by NYC41 »

I'm trying to print the WP43S overlay to put on my DM calculator, but just don't know how to do it with SVG files.

I am opening the SVG in Adobe Illustrator (current version), but it gives me errors on Calibri and Cambria Math fonts: "Certain alternate glyphs are not available in this version of Illustrator."

How can I open and print the SVG to scale? I have never dealt with SVG files. Do you happen to have a PDF version, with embedded fonts or fully outlined?

The characters that are not rendering are the one after the 4 horizontal lines in gold over the "down arrow" key, and the blue character above the "U" label beside the 6 key. See pic.

Thanks!

PS: SVG location: https://gitlab.com/Over_score/wp43s/-/b ... layout.svg
Attachments
Screen Shot 2021-05-31 at 1.46.15 PM.png
Screen Shot 2021-05-31 at 1.46.15 PM.png (209.45 KiB) Viewed 2575 times
DM32 SN: 00733, DM42 SN: 00085, DM41X SN: 00517, DM41L SN: 00391
HP-01; HP-41C, CV, CX, CL, CY; HPs 42/48/49/50; many others
User avatar
PierreMengisen
Posts: 305
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:38 pm
Location: Neuchâtel CH

Re: 43S News

Post by PierreMengisen »

Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 5:37 pm
That user shall learn about short integers before pressing buttons (s)he doesn't understand. Garbage in, garbage out. At least read the OM before stumbling through unknown areas. :mrgreen:
Do you really think you can attract future users with such comments? I doubt it.

You are the one who knows :ugeek:
Pierre
[TI59 with PC100C; TI-84 Plus CE-T; HP41CV with HP IL loop & 2*82161A DCD & 82162 TP; HP15C; HP28S; DM41; DM41L; DM42; DM41X]
User avatar
akaTB
Posts: 794
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 1:56 pm
Location: Milan, Italy

Re: 43S News

Post by akaTB »

NYC41 wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 7:43 pm

PS: SVG location: https://gitlab.com/Over_score/wp43s/-/b ... layout.svg
It just opened without problems in Inkscape.
Greetings,
    Massimo
ajcaton
-+×÷ left is right and right is wrong :twisted: Casted in gold
User avatar
Walter
Posts: 3070
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 11:13 am
Location: On a mission close to DRS, Germany

Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

@NYC41: Please take p. B-35 of the Reference Manual (it's the page before last page). Print it, cut it, and you should have what you want.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
User avatar
Walter
Posts: 3070
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 11:13 am
Location: On a mission close to DRS, Germany

Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

PierreMengisen wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 7:56 pm
Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 5:37 pm
That user shall learn about short integers before pressing buttons (s)he doesn't understand. Garbage in, garbage out. At least read the OM before stumbling through unknown areas. :mrgreen:
Do you really think you can attract future users with such comments? I doubt it.
Please: There is an WP43S Owner's Manual for years. I beg and pray that people read it before or in parallel to trying the simulator. I can only guess that many people do so since some kind of questions is rare.

Also for the HP-16C, nobody explained in its manual some 40 years ago what a bit is, let alone a carry or overflow bit. For any text, you have to presume a certain knowledge to start with - starting at very low level returns very thick books. Also newbies should be honest and modest enough admitting they are newbies and have to learn a lot. I guess the number of readers having no idea of an overflow AND using the short integer subset of WP43S functions will be next to zero (I even hope it). Please allow me quoting the Reference Manual, p. 212:
By experience, it is only beneficial to use something you overview and know the background of – else it may even become dangerous for you and your fellow men.
...as well as the footnote on p. 223:
The real world shows lots of sad examples where people full of good will caused large damages by applying tools they did not know sufficiently – or applied standard tools in areas where those are not applicable. “Wenn Dumme fleißig werden, wird’s gefährlich”
(i.e. ~ “It’s getting dangerous with fools becoming busy”), a former boss of mine used to say...
Does this answer your question?
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
NYC41
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2017 4:23 pm

Re: 43S News

Post by NYC41 »

Walter wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 8:41 pm
@NYC41: Please take p. B-35 of the Reference Manual (it's the page before last page). Print it, cut it, and you should have what you want.
@akaTB: Thanks for the Inkscape recommendation. I ended up using Illustrator anyway because I know it, but downloaded it to investigate for the future.

@Walter, I looked at the recommended page in both the 0.20.0 and 0.20.2 reference manual. I noticed two things:
  • The raster image on that page in the PDF is very low resolution (or it is on the screen) and didn't look nice
  • The layout is different than the SVG file in several respects (including LOOP/TEST and I/O/PRINT reversed, TIMER/CLK being different)
So, I ended up loading the SVG into Illustrator, fixing the issues on the right side copy, and using that. I am attaching the AI file I made (it's as of 0.20.2) - DISREGARD, it is too large. That uses different characters than the "alternates." Additionally, I made the white key outlines much thinner so that they would not show up when I cut out the holes.

I loaded the 0.20.2 QSPI and program into my (beta, if it matters) DM42 and got an error screen "Incompatible Program" - see below. I said "Start Anyway" then was asked "Press the bottom left key." It didn't seem to do anything bad though.

I look forward to spending some time learning this with the owner's manual now.

Quick noob questions:
  • Why is the keypress registered upon key-up rather than key-down? For numbers, it seems to just delay the feedback. For operators (e.g., LN) it seems to be useful as continuing to hold changes it to a NOP (which nonetheless acts like an ENTER if your have a number being partially typed).
  • Is there a way to have the f/g row of hotkeys highlighted when f/g is active? (I liked this from the WP43C.)
  • If I go g-MODE, g-SYSTEM, is there a way to get back to the calculator state as it was prior to hitting SYSTEM? If no, is there a way to add an "are you sure" or "save state" dialog before running SYSTEM?
  • If I type a number, e.g., 234, then hit EXIT, it enters the number. I would have expected it to cancel my input.
(I prefer the colon-hyphen version of the divide button over the slash, like on the HP42S, if anyone cares. I may print a different label for that next.)

I haven't done anything requiring such fine motor skills for a while. Even with my progressive glasses, I needed a lot of light to see clearly. I guess I found another disadvantage of pushing 50! (chuckle) I was wishing I had those eyeglasses with binocular loupes that you see surgeons wear. I am attaching pictures of the finished product. Note to others: don't print on sticky paper on the wrong side and have to do it all over again. :)

Pics on imgur because too big for here.

PS: https://gitlab.com/Over_score/wp43s/-/releases
Attachments
Incompatible error screen
Incompatible error screen
IMG_20210531_162816.jpg (59.42 KiB) Viewed 2517 times
DM32 SN: 00733, DM42 SN: 00085, DM41X SN: 00517, DM41L SN: 00391
HP-01; HP-41C, CV, CX, CL, CY; HPs 42/48/49/50; many others
User avatar
Walter
Posts: 3070
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 11:13 am
Location: On a mission close to DRS, Germany

Re: 43S News

Post by Walter »

@NYC41: I concur with your observations. Low picture quality is due to draft state. And the layout on that page has to be updated, of course. So I have to admit my tip wasn't a very thoughtful one.

About your questions:
  • As you wrote, it makes sense for operator keys. Since you can reassign almost every key (not yet, but will come), we should have uniform properties for (almost) all keys.
  • Yes, in principle. But that highlight will cost you pixels. So far, we think the benefit of a highlight doesn't outweigh the cost and limitations imposed upon the menu view. Furthermore, f or g are indicated in display until a menu function is selected.
  • Yes, in principle. But hitting SYSTEM is no train clash. Yes, you can delete data - but the Manual advises you explicitly to SAVE before, and if you forgot once you'll most probably remember it next time, won't you? Those repeated 'Are you sure?' questions come from our Windows nanny and are not very welcome to many people.
  • Yes, in principle. But this feature is inherited from the HP-42S at least. So we kept it.
  • About that colon-hyphen symbol: AFAIK it's not written - I don't know who brought that on calculator keyboards. We looked up the international standard ISO 80000-2 regulating mathematical symbols. This standard recommends clearly: 'The symbol ÷ should not be used.' I can guess why: looking at it with challenged eyes, you may confuse it with + easily.
  • About 50!: You'll get a greater result (pun intended) when you press 50.!
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
pyridine
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:48 pm

Re: 43S News

Post by pyridine »

NYC41 wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 11:08 pm
I haven't done anything requiring such fine motor skills for a while. Even with my progressive glasses, I needed a lot of light to see clearly. I guess I found another disadvantage of pushing 50! (chuckle) I was wishing I had those eyeglasses with binocular loupes that you see surgeons wear. I am attaching pictures of the finished product. Note to others: don't print on sticky paper on the wrong side and have to do it all over again. :)

Pics on imgur because too big for here.

Nice job, anyway.
You can improve quite a lot the look by using a Sharpie (any black ink marker would do) on the edges of the paper (all the cuts), it kind of makes disappear the cuting traces, but also blends with the background.
OK it takes quite a while to do, but it is really worth it...
Last edited by pyridine on Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply