Casio's and Complex Numbers

[edryer]

Imagine my surprise to find my newly acquired 1986 FX-3900P came with complex number functionality... I was shocked!

But it got me thinking... ignoring the "G" series and focusing purely on the Scientific "P" (from the FX-201P up to but *not* including the FX-5800P nor the BASIC stuff) how many of them could work with Complex Numbers and Matrices?

FX-3900P Complex Numbers, any others?
Did any of the "P" series allow matrix manipulation?

I'm looking for a 90's Casio Scientific "P" (prefer early 90's) that could handle Matrix and Complex Numbers... any?

Thanks!

[xerxes]

There are some older non programmable scientific models with complex numbers support like the FX-100D, FX-115D, FX-570AD, FX-570CD, FX-570D
and FX-991D. The FX-5500L(A) supports complex numbers and matrix calculation but these cannot be combined, if I remember correctly.

[edryer]

Thanks, will look into them.

I have just started collecting a few Casio devices (starting with an FX-602P) as in the UK most of us in the 80's and 90's at School were raised on Casio (vs TI in the US) with the FX80/FX81/FX82 range being the standard (and so many variants of these). Almost every student in my School had an FX81 when I attended!

Interesting the first in the line (cheap School/College Scientific) being the FX80 (I think was actually 1979) had the same yellow protective LCD of the FX-501/502P, after that changing to the normal LCD.

In fact the FX501P/FX502P was probably Casio's first LCD Scientific.... followed by the FX80....

Mind you could be wrong!

[cdmackay]

(11-23-2018 09:24 PM)edryer Wrote:  I have just started collecting a few Casio devices (starting with an FX-602P) as in the UK most of us in the 80's and 90's at School were raised on Casio (vs TI in the US) with the FX80/FX81/FX82 range being the standard (and so many variants of these). Almost every student in my School had an FX81 when I attended!

Similar here, but I think we all had 82s; could have been 80, but I don't remember the yellow plastic. The 81 was a bit different, wasn't it, white? I don't remember that.

[edryer]

1979-1980 "FX80 College" (Yellow LCD)
1980-1989 FX81
1989-1991 FX82 (the original, nothing after the model number)
1998 fx-82W, 85W
2001 fx-82MS, 83MS, 85MS
2004 fx-82ES, 83GT, 85ES
2008 fx-82ES plus, 83GT plus, 85ES

They came (esp. the FX82) I think in different variants. You can even buy FX82 variants today.

This is from memory so could be off.

The yellow I am remarking on was the LCD screen cover, which like the FX501/502P was "yellow" and was some sort of filter to protect early LCD compounds I believe... they were only around till about 1980.... they were also used on the early LCD watches (like the Seiko ones from 1976). I think only the first three Casio LCD Calculators (501P/502P/FX80) had this "filter".

You are right FX81 was white, was by far the most common calculator in UK Schools around 1980-1990 !!

[xerxes]

The first yellow LCD scientific should be the FX-1000 from 1976.

Some more yellow LCD scientifics are: FX-48, FX-2000, FX-2200, FX-2500, FX-3000, FX-3100, FX-5000 and FX-8000.

[cdmackay]

(11-24-2018 01:05 AM)edryer Wrote:  1979-1980 "FX80 College" (Yellow LCD)
1980-1989 FX81
1989-1991 FX82 (the original, nothing after the model number)

thanks; how odd; the schooldays I'm remembering would be 1978–82, so can't have been the 82. Mine definitely weren't white, so must have been the FX80, yet it's odd that I don't remember the yellow cover.

I remember a few other pre-1982 UK Casio models, e.g a folding wallet with always-on time/date function, solar, pre-1982 I'm sure. I have a strong memory of this one, but can't seem to find it with Google; am I dreaming?

Also a folding one with buttons on the RHS (a bit like the HP 28, but with touch buttons instead of proper buttons), although that one might possibly be later than 1982 (when I moved schools). 410/450-series I think.

happy calculating days, although if I'd known about HP/RPN then, perhaps I'd have been happier still. Didn't get my first programmable Casio until univ in 1984; 700P I think, which I must dig out and get going. Then a 7000G which seemed revolutionary at the time (to me).

[cdmackay]

(11-24-2018 12:27 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  

(11-24-2018 01:05 AM)edryer Wrote:  1989-1991 FX82 (the original, nothing after the model number)

thanks; how odd; the schooldays I'm remembering would be 1978–82, so can't have been the 82.

Just found a link for an Argos catalogue from 1982 with the FX82 in it, so that must have been what I had then.

[ijabbott]

(11-24-2018 01:05 AM)edryer Wrote:  The yellow I am remarking on was the LCD screen cover, which like the FX501/502P was "yellow" and was some sort of filter to protect early LCD compounds I believe... they were only around till about 1980.... they were also used on the early LCD watches (like the Seiko ones from 1976). I think only the first three Casio LCD Calculators (501P/502P/FX80) had this "filter".

I'm not sure why some LCDs had yellow filters, but I don't think they had any protective function. I suspect it was more for aesthetic reasons, or to improve contrast. There are plenty of LCD displays around from the time that didn't have the yellow filter (including some Seiko LCD watches from 1976) that are still perfectly readable.

Some displays suffer from "LCD rot" but that's usually due to the seal around the edges becoming compromised. (EDIT: Some do rot from the middle outwards though - perhaps due to micro fractures?)

[edryer]

Quote:Just found a link for an Argos catalogue from 1982 with the FX82 in it, so that must have been what I had then.

Oh, OK!
It is likely then that the FX80/81/82 followed the years in terms on introduction 1980,1981,1982 (I did think this once though!), thinking about it a near 10 year gap between the FX81 and FX82 didn't make sense!

Quote:I'm not sure why some LCDs had yellow filters, but I don't think they had any protective function.

I just read that somewhere so may well be wrong, but for sure after around 1980 no manufacturer were using them...

My first "real" Calculator was at University as well... an HP12C from a thrift shop in Victoria (Canada) back in 1995, before that believe it or not I was using a Z88 for a lot of stuff.... but a bit big for School!!!

[david sanz]

Aparently, fx-115D is also able to manage complex numbers



Looks like a fx-100C plus solar power, complex numbers capability.

While I am at it, fx-991H also features a CMPLX mode

Looking at the user manual:
http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/pdf/Cas...20203c.pdf
I think fx-115D, fx-100D, etc... are only able of addition, sustraction, multiplication and division of complex numbers