Quick Tricks: Casio Programming Calculators and webcal.freetzi.com

Quick Tricks:  Casio Programming Calculators and webcal.freetzi.com

 I spent the last week learning how the Casio fx-3650p can be programmed to execute amazing calculations.  The reason why I say amazing is that on the surface, the fx-3650p is limited, both in programming space (360 bytes allocated on 4 program slots) and the number of variables (7: A, B, C, D, X, Y, M).  Please check out the WebCal Page Counting Machine, run by David Chuek: 

http://webcal.freetzi.com/3650P/3650.htm .  

The website is in Chinese (I believe) and I am grateful for Google Translate because I am not proficient in Chinese. 

On this page advanced programs for the fx-3650p including:

* Gamma Function, Elliptic Functions (for x<1), Beta, Zeta, and other special functions

* Determinant of a 3 x 3 Matrix

* Squaring a square matrix

* 4 and 8 point Fast Fourier Transform

* Geometry:  Distance from a point to a line, area from a set of vertices

* Prime Factorization

* Engineering Programs: Snell’s Laws, Prism, Ohm’s law

* Days between Dates, Day of the Week

If you have a Casio programming calculator, check this awesome website out.

While I was learning to code the programs myself, I notice there were several tricks that were used to save space.  I want to test the tricks for the Casio fx-5800p and Casio fx-9860GII (Linear Input Mode).   The case for the fx-9860GII should be the same for other modern Casio graphing calculators (9750g, Prizm). 

Quickly Setting X = 1 and Y = 0

Syntax:  Pol(1,0)

Calculators:   fx-3650p only

Note:  Pol(1,0) sets I to 1 and J to 0 for the fx-5800p.

The Power of Implied Multiplication

Most Casio programming calculators have only single-letter variables, which allows for implied multiplication.  For example, typing AB multiples the values stored in A and B.  In the examples listed below, I use variables A and B, but it applies to all the other variables. 

Implied Multiplication and Square Root

Syntax:  √AB

What it calculates:  √(A*B)

Calculators: fx-3650p, fx-5800p, fx-9860GII

Example:  A = 5, B = 10;  √AB returns 7.071067812  (√50)

Implied Multiplication and Powers

Syntax:  n^AB

What it Calculates:  (n^A)*B

Calculators: fx-3650p, fx-9860GII (linear input only)

Example:  2^AB where A = 5, B = 10;  2^AB returns 320   (2^5*10)

The Jump Function Shortcuts

If the Expression is Nonzero

Syntax:  (var/expression) ⇒ (execute this statement of var/expression ≠  0) : (next command)

The next command must exist or an error occurs

Calculators:  fx-3650p, fx-5800p, fx-9860GII

Example: Ask for A and B.  Divide A by B, unless B is 0. 

Prog2

? → A: ? → B: B ⇒ A ÷ B: Ans

A = 13.5, B = 2.7, result is 5

A = 13.5, B = 0, result is whatever is last stored in Ans

Using the Jump Function to create an AND condition

Connecting two or more jump functions (⇒) to create an AND condition. 

Syntax – 2 Conditions:

(condition 1) ⇒ (condition 2) ⇒ (do if conditions 1 and 2 are true) : (next command)

Syntax – 3 Conditions:

(cond 1) ⇒ (cond 2) ⇒ (cond 3) ⇒ (do if all three conditions are 3) : (next command)

  

Example: Calculate the eccentricity of an ellipse, assuming A ≥ B.  If anything improper is entered, -1 is returned.

Prog3

? → A: ? → B: -1 → C: A ≥ B ⇒ A > 0 ⇒ B > 0 ⇒ √(1 – B²/A² → C: C

A = 11.5, B = 3.6, result 0.949738796

A = 6, B = 8, result -1

A = -2, B = 1, result -1

Independent Memory

M+:  Calculate the expression, add to M and store the result to M

M-:  Calculate the expression, subtract from M and store the result to M

Syntax:  (expression) M+,  (expression) M-

Calculators: fx-3650p, fx-5800p. 

Note:  This should work on any Casio calculator with M+ and M- available on the keyboard.

Example: 

Store 7 in M.  

3^2 + 4 M+ returns 13 in the display, with M = 20

2^3 – 1 M- returns in the display, with M = 13

Absolute Value

Does you calculator not have an absolute value function?  Try this trick:

Syntax: √A²

What it calculates:  |A|

Calculators:  fx-3650p, fx-5800p, fx-9860GII

Examples:  A = 55, B = -55

√A² returns 55

√B² returns 55

Extracting the Integer Part of a Number when the Function Int/Intg is not available

Two ways to do it:

* Syntax:  Fix 0:  Rnd:  Norm 1

* Syntax:  Switch the fx-3650p to Base Mode, 3 for Decimal, then enter your program

The Last Answer (Ans) skips over a prompt

Syntax:  (calculation):  ? → var:  f(Ans)

Calculators: fx-3650p, fx-5800p, fx-9860GII

Example:  Calculate 5^1.5, ask for A, and add it to 5^1.5

Prog1

5^1.5 : ? → A:  Ans + A

Let A = 2, the result is 13.18033989

Let A = 9.75, the result is 20.93033989

Happy Leap Year Day!   Talk to you next time,

Eddie

This blog is property of Edward Shore.  2016