WP43S linked to computer?

[unfrostedpoptart]

I've only had my WP34S for a couple of days but I'm already reading all the WP43S threads!

I had an idea that I think would be very useful: in addition to its normal, stand-alone mode, you could use a low-power, slow link, like Bluetooth 4, to connect to a PC/Mac. This would allow the great UI of the calculator keys but add the ability to copy/paste the X register (maybe others?) between the calculator and the computer's clipboard. I would use this quite a lot!

This could obviously get fancier, including a GUI on the computer screen that matches the physical calculator and would allow typing on either. It could even extend the interface for a bigger screen (show more registers?) or more keys to get at functions with fewer menus and lists. Could be great for writing programs more quickly that would then run on the un-tethered calculator.

Could also be the mechanism / interface for flashing / updating / saving images.

David

[walter b]

(04-21-2014 04:38 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  I've only had my WP34S for a couple of days ...

Did you find the emulator already? It's explained in App. D of the manual IIRC, and it does what you requested AFAICS.

Quote:... but I'm already reading all the WP43S threads!

That may well take more than a couple of days.

Enjoy!

d:-)

[unfrostedpoptart]

(04-21-2014 04:48 AM)walter b Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 04:38 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  I've only had my WP34S for a couple of days ...

Did you find the emulator already? It's explained in App. D of the manual IIRC, and it does what you requested AFAICS.

I just read it. Looks like 99% of what I wanted. I'll have to put in the USB jack. Anyone using this with a Mac? Will it work with CrossOver and/or Parallels/(WinXP or CentOS)?

Quote:

Quote:... but I'm already reading all the WP43S threads!

That may well take more than a couple of days.

So it appears

[Marcus von Cube]

(04-21-2014 05:56 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  Anyone using this with a Mac? Will it work with CrossOver and/or Parallels/(WinXP or CentOS)?

Yes, me.

I did all the development in a Parallels virtual machine running Windows XP.

You should check out the Qt emulators by Pascal. There is a native Mac version. The Qt emulators feature an enhanced stack and register display and are accompanied by a virtual printer. Look here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/emulator/

[unfrostedpoptart]

(04-21-2014 09:09 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 05:56 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  Anyone using this with a Mac? Will it work with CrossOver and/or Parallels/(WinXP or CentOS)?

Yes, me.

I did all the development in a Parallels virtual machine running Windows XP.

You should check out the Qt emulators by Pascal. There is a native Mac version. The Qt emulators feature an enhanced stack and register display and are accompanied by a virtual printer. Look here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/emulator/

Excellent - thanks for the link. Works great.

[RMollov]

(04-22-2014 12:03 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 09:09 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  Yes, me.

I did all the development in a Parallels virtual machine running Windows XP.

You should check out the Qt emulators by Pascal. There is a native Mac version. The Qt emulators feature an enhanced stack and register display and are accompanied by a virtual printer. Look here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/emulator/

Excellent - thanks for the link. Works great.

So you meant 34 rather than 43?

[unfrostedpoptart]

(04-22-2014 08:30 AM)RMollov Wrote:  

(04-22-2014 12:03 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  Excellent - thanks for the link. Works great.

So you meant 34 rather than 43?

Well, both. Learning the 34 and installed the emulator and reading about the future 43.

[RMollov]

(04-22-2014 04:43 PM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  

(04-22-2014 08:30 AM)RMollov Wrote:  So you meant 34 rather than 43?

Well, both. Learning the 34 and installed the emulator and reading about the future 43.

Can not be both. WP43 does not exist yet. I have only one problem with the WP34s - the solver, SLV command is not as good as the HP one we know.

[walter b]

(04-23-2014 09:37 AM)RMollov Wrote:  I have only one problem with the WP34s - the solver, SLV command is not as good as the HP one we know.

Feel free to write a better one. It's all wide open.

d:-)

[Paul Dale]

(04-23-2014 09:37 AM)RMollov Wrote:  I have only one problem with the WP34s - the solver, SLV command is not as good as the HP one we know.

In what way is the 34S solver worse than HP's? The 34S solver is in some ways more sophisticated than HP's solver. It is different however. In particular, it won't give as tight error bounds most of the time, this is due to the methods being used.

HP's solver is essentially a slightly modified secant method. The 34S incorporates several methods. The primary one, Brent's method, chooses between bisection, secant and an inverse quadratic interpolation depending on the function evaluations -- in theory it will converge faster than a secant based method. The 34S will also attempt Ridder's steps after bisections which seemed to improve convergence when I did my testing.

Of course, as Walter wrote, you are free to implement your own solver -- it is a keystroke program whose source is in trunk/xrom/solve.wp34s. If you do implement a better solver, feel free to submit it -- we'll definitely consider its inclusion. Writing a solver is not a simple task however -- the 34S solver took several iterations and rewrites to get it to its current state. Still, this is an interesting area of numerical mathematics.

Personally, I'd like to eventually improve the integration code to incorporate a Gauss-Kronrod quadrature as the sub-step in the Romberg method instead of the naïve method used.

- Pauli

[brouhaha]

(04-21-2014 04:38 AM)unfrostedpoptart Wrote:  I've only had my WP34S for a couple of days but I'm already reading all the WP43S threads!

I had an idea that I think would be very useful: in addition to its normal, stand-alone mode, you could use a low-power, slow link, like Bluetooth 4, to connect to a PC/Mac. This would allow the great UI of the calculator keys but add the ability to copy/paste the X register (maybe others?) between the calculator and the computer's clipboard. I would use this quite a lot!

The DIY543 prototype hardware includes a USB full speed (12 Mbps) port. Adding Bluetooth to the design would slow down the hardware development even more, so we're not going to do that.

There is a footprint on the DIY543 PCB for a header with the signals necessary to connect to a Bluetooth dual-mode HCI module, such as the Panasonic PAN1326. For Bluetooth LE the current drain might be OK with CR2032 coin cells, but for standard Bluetooth is is 40 mA, which will drain the coin cells rapidly.

The prototype hardware that we'll provide to firmware developers is designed for the CR2032 coin cells, but can be kludged for a series pair of AA or AAA cells. It is not yet decided whether production calculators will use CR2032 coin cells or AA or AAA cells, though I'm leaning toward AA.

Since the firmware will be Open Source, in principle anyone could add the Bluetooth LE support.

[RMollov]

(04-23-2014 10:34 AM)walter b Wrote:  Feel free to write a better one. It's all wide open.

If I could, I would.

[walter b]

(04-24-2014 06:32 AM)RMollov Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:34 AM)walter b Wrote:  Feel free to write a better one. It's all wide open.

If I could, I would.

I'd rather be a hammer than a nail ...

[RMollov]

(04-23-2014 11:31 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  In what way is the 34S solver worse than HP's? The 34S solver is in some ways more sophisticated than HP's solver. It is different however.

- Pauli

We have already discussed this a few times. Long story short - I have at least 2 examples where WP34s' SLV gives up with error unlike HP15C, HP48G, HP50 and Free42 & 42s simulators which I tested. No offence, but am I wrong assuming their solvers are better?


Cheers,

[Paul Dale]

I would agree the solvers are different. Better is a different matter. Solving an arbitrary function has been proven to be an intractable problem.

Regardless, go ahead and re-implement HP's solver (it has been done before I believe) and submit it to the project.

Personally, I'm not planning on re-implementing the current solver for the fourth time. It works more than well enough for my usage.


- Pauli

[RMollov]

(04-24-2014 07:19 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  I would agree the solvers are different. Better is a different matter. Solving an arbitrary function has been proven to be an intractable problem.

Regardless, go ahead and re-implement HP's solver (it has been done before I believe) and submit it to the project.

Personally, I'm not planning on re-implementing the current solver for the fourth time. It works more than well enough for my usage.


- Pauli

I know you will not change it for the 34s project. You said that before.
I appreciate big time what you did.
Stack shaffeling is a marvel.
So are BACK and SKIP and many more. I wish they were available on the 41.

Cheers,