It used to have a name but it wore off; the key legends are fading too.
| key | base function | upshift function | downshift function | prog base function | prog downshift function | prog num function | prog symbol | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ./EE/- | ./EE/- | downshift | ./EE/- | A | decimal point / enter exponent / negate exponent | |||
| up/down | up and down shift | once for up, twice for down | ||||||
| C/CE | clear/clear entry | step | once for CE, twice for C; step in learn mode | |||||
| 7 | 7 | sin | arcsin | sin | arcsin | 7 | 7 | |
| 8 | 8 | cos | arccos | cos | arccos | 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | 9 | tan | arctan | tan | arctan | 9 | 9 | |
| RUN | RUN | learn | run the stored prog; enter learn mode | |||||
| 4 | 4 | lnx | ex | lnx | ex | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | 5 | rcl | MEx | rcl | MEx | 5 | 5 | recall from mem; exchange with mem |
| 6 | 6 | () | R>D | () | R>D | 6 | 6 | parens; radians to deg |
| / | / | G | 1/x memo to auto constant function | |||||
| 1 | 1 | sqrt | go if neg | sqrt | go if neg | 1 | 1 | 2-dig step # after go if neg |
| 2 | 2 | sto | goto | sto | goto | 2 | 2 | store; 2-dig step # after goto |
| 3 | 3 | ChN | D>R | # | D>R | 3 | 3 | show all 8 digits of mantissa; escape to number; deg to radians |
| x | x | . | x2 memo to auto constant function | |||||
| 0 | 0 | +/- | stop | +/- | 0 | 0 | ||
| = | = | - | ||||||
| + | + | E | 2x memo to auto constant function | |||||
| - | - | F | -x memo to auto constant function |
The trick used to minimise keystrokes is to treat program and direct entry differently. In direct entry number keys enter numbers and other functions are accessed by single (up) or double (down) presses of the shift key. On the assumption that programs are more functions than data, in program mode the number keys do the upper function with no shift, the lower on one shift, and numbers only after a specific numeric shift. This is rather confusing to use, but is a typical Sinclair trick to get something out of almost nothing. Or possibly almost something out of next to nothing.
Only the 16 keys with an entry in the "prog symbol" column can be in a program. The symbol is the 7-segment symbol used to indicate the contents of a program step. The symbol is the numeric value, or the symbol shown in blue below to the right of the key.
There are 36 steps available, 00 to 35 (18 bytes total).
Functions shown in "prog base function" can be used as a single step. Functions shown in "prog downshift function" use 2 steps, a downshift (shows as A) followed by the key from the table.
Numbers can be placed in the program after a # step (shows as 3). Numbers are terminated by anything that cannot be part of a number, basically the four arithmetic operators and =. It's a lot more efficient to put in a number by a recall from memory.
The ./EE/- key succesively enters a decimal point, then starts an exponent, then makes the exponent negative.
The legends below the arithmetic keys hint at useful functions -x, 2x, 1/x and x2. These are not true operators, just an indication of what, with no pending operations, the autoconstant function will do if that key is pressed, then the = key.
Here is a silly program that just counts the memory up by one each time the RUN key is pressed:
00 5 rcl 01 E + 02 3 # 03 1 1 04 - = 05 2 sto 06 0 stop 07 A downshift 09 2 goto 09 0 0 10 0 0
A quick Javascript model:
|
Press the keys to operate. Power key does a complete reset. The display does not do exactly what the real one does, and it's far too accurate. To catch infinite loops, maximum program execution is set to 5000 steps. (To play, load the example factorial program using the link below, enter an integer 1..69 and press RUN.)
De-bug on (100 steps max)
De-bug off
Counter: Load. The simple counter example above.
I've done almost no testing. There are sure to be numerous bugs! The code is here.
This calculator, like previous Sinclair Scientifics, has appalling trig functions. For example, [4] [5] [D>R] [sin] gives 0.7069515 instead of the correct 0.7071068, that's a 0.02% error on an 8-digit calculator. But there is worse. Observe this sequence of calculations:
| # | radians | sine calculated | true value (hp49g+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.1 | 0.099823 | 0.0998334 |
| 2 | 0.10009 | 0.099823 | 0.0999230 |
| 3 | 0.1001 | 0.0999224 | 0.0999329 |
| 4 | 0.10019 | 0.0999224 | 0.1000225 |
| 5 | 0.1002 | 0.1000218 | 0.1000324 |
| 6 | 0.10029 | 0.1000218 | 0.1001220 |
| 7 | 0.1003 | 0.1001212 | 0.1001319 |
| 8 | 0.06320 | 0.0631504 | 0.0631579 |
| 9 | 0.06329 | 0.0631504 | 0.0632478 |
| 10 | 0.06330 | 0.0632502 | 0.0632577 |
It appears to use only the first four places of decimals and to ignore any input after that. So, about the same as ordinary log tables.
It also does not even cover the full -pi/2 to pi/2 range that it claims. Here is the behaviour around the positive limit:
| # | radians | sine calculated | true value (hp49g+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1.57 | 0.9998869 | 0.9999997 |
| 12 | 1.5700001 | E 0.9998854 | 0.9999997 |
| 13 | 1.570001 | E 0.9998854 | 0.9999997 |
| 14 | 1.57001 | E 0.9998854 | 0.9999997 |
| 15 | 1.57002 | E 0.9998854 | 0.9999997 |
| 16 | 1.57009 | E 0.9998854 | 0.9999998 |
| 17 | 1.5701 | E 0.9998853 | 0.9999998 |
| 18 | 1.5705 | E 0.9998831 | 1.0000000 |
| 19 | 1.5707 | E 0.999882 | 1.0000000 |
| 20 | 1.5707963 | E 0.9998814 | 1.0000000 |
| 21 | 1.5708 | E 0.9998814 | 1.0000000 |
| 22 | 1.571 | E 0.9998803 | 1.0000000 |
| 23 | 1.58 | E 0.999829 | 0.9999576 |
Firstly the error indicator comes on too early, pi/2 is 1.5707963, yet it indicates error for angles greater than 1.57. Secondly 1.5700xxx is the angle for the peak value of the function, at 89.95° instead of 90°. Thirdly the peak value is a little short of 1. Note also in this sequence that although the results are generally insensitive to decimal places beyond four in the argument, the transitions are not where the 4th decimal digit changes.
I wonder what it does to calculate sines? Even the simple power series for sine truncated after the fourth term:
sin(x) ~= x - x3/6 + x5/120 - x7/5040
gives better results than this over -pi/2 to pi/2. And that simplifies to just five multiplies and three adds.
Some other functions:
| # | function and argument | result calculated | true value (hp49g+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | sqrt(2) | 1.414213 | 1.4142136 |
| 25 | ln(2) | 0.693172 | 0.6931472 |
| 26 | tan(D>R(45)) | 0.9995621 | 1.0000000 |
| 27 | 1/9 | 0.1111111 | 0.1111111 |
| 28 | e10 | 22024.952 | 22026.466 |
| 29 | eln(2.02) | 2.0198033 | 2.0200000 |
| 30 | arctan(1) | 0.7854105 | 0.7853982 |
Today we can buy a scientific calculator that does much more than this one, with 15-digit accuracy and solar powered, for the price of two pints of beer. Back in 1977, any scientific that didn't cost a week's wages was remarkable. I suppose it was about 30 GBP when I bought it. The cost of two pints then would have been about 1 GBP. In 1975 I paid 125 GBP for an HP-25, which was then 5% of my gross salary or 88% of one month's net pay.
2006-03-22..2015-04-11