Spotlight: Casio fx-6500G
For my birthday, I present a review of the Casio fx-6500G.
Quick Facts
Model: fx-6500G
Company: Casio
Timeline: 1986 – 1988
Type: Graphing Scientific Calculators
Power: 3 x CR2032
Programming Memory: 486 steps at default
Number of Memory Registers: 26 at default
Screen Size: 96 x 32 pixels
Graph Types: Function, Scatter plot, Histogram, Linear Regression Plot, Point Plot
Linear Regression
Base Operations and Logic Functions
Hyperbolic Functions
Screen Sizes and Memory of Casio’s Early Calculators
fx-7000G (1985) |
422 bytes, up to 78 registers |
96 x 64 pixels |
fx-6500G (1986) |
486 bytes, up to 86 registers |
96 x 32 pixels |
fx-7500G (1988) |
4006 bytes, up to 526 registers |
96 x 64 pixels |
fx-6300G (1991) |
400 bytes, up to 76 registers |
40 x 23 pixels |
(measures from rskey.org, Casio fx-6300G manual, Casio fx-7500G manual)
Other Features
Like the other early Casio graphing calculators, including the fx-7000G, fx-7500G, and later the fx-6300G, the fx-6500G has the a similar structure.
The screen of the fx-6500G is just as wide of the screens of the fx-7000G and fx-7500G, but half of the height. The screen of the fx-6500G is still bigger than the fx-6300G and graphs take the entire screen, which I appreciate.
There are four statistical modes:
SD1: single-variable statistics analysis mode
SD2: single-variable statistics graphics mode for Histograms, data lines, and normal curves
LR1: linear regression analysis mode, with the regression equation y = A + Bx
LR2: linear regression graphics mode for scatter plots and linear regression trend lines
The defragment mode ( [ MODE ] [ . ] {Defm}) can allow an additional 60 registers at the expense of programming steps. Each new register costs 8 programming steps. Array registers are accessed in the format A[#], where A is the letter of memory and # is the number of registers away from the variable.
For example:
A[0] accesses A
A[1] accessed B
A[2] accesses C
A[25] accesses Z
A[26] accessed the first expanded memory, the same as Z[1]
# can be a negative integer. Array-type memories allow for indirect registers.
The programming command set is relatively simple, and most of it has remained throughout the entire Casio graphing and programming calculator set:
There are 10 program slots: P0 through P9.
: separates program lines from each other. The carriage return by pressing [ EXE ] also terminates the line.
◢ is the run/stop symbol. Any quoted text or numeric value is shown as the calculator stops. Press [ EXE ] to continue.
⇒ is the jump command and is used for quick If-Then-Else structures. The syntax is:
condition ⇒ do if the condition is true : (or ◢) jump to here if the condition is false.
Goto and Lbl: goto and label. There are ten labels available in each for each program: Lbl 0 through Lbl 9.
Prog: Prog executes another program as a subroutine. An implied “return” is automatically executed at the end of program.
Isz: Increment and skip. Adds 1 to a variable and skips the next command if the new value is 0.
Isz variable : do if var=var+1≠0 is true : (or ◢) skip to here if the var=var+1=0
Dsz: Decrement and skip. Subtracts 1 from a variable’s value and skips the next command if the new value is 0. If find Dsz particularly useful in simple For-Next loops.
Dsz variable : do if var=var-1≠0 is true : (or ◢) skip to here if the var=var-1=0
Final Thoughts
The calculator looks nice and clean. The fx-6500G offers all of the features of the fx-7000G and fx-7500G (and fx-6300G less the fractions) in a scientific calculator size. I like the fact the graphs do fill the entire screen. Programs and calculation modes have up to four lines. The fx-6500G is the way to handle a smaller-sized graphing calculator, which makes it a very sought, harder to find, calculator.
Eddie
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