Type | Programmable Graphing |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Casio |
Calculator | |
Entry mode | V.P.A.M. |
Display type | LCD Dot-matrix |
Display size | 160×240 dots |
CPU | |
Processor | SuperH 3 |
Programming | |
Programming language(s) | BASIC-like |
Other |
The Casio ClassPad 300, ClassPad 330 and fx-CP400 [1] are stylus based touch-screen graphing calculators. It comes with a collection of applications that support self-study, like 3D Graph, Geometry, eActivity, Spreadsheet, etc. A large 160x240 pixel LCD touch screen enables stylus-based operation. It resembles Casio's earlier Pocket Viewer line. HP and Texas Instruments attempted to release similar pen based calculators (the HP Xpander and PET Project (see TI PLT SHH1), but both were cancelled before release to the market.
The ClassPad 300 allows input of expressions, and displays them as they appear in a textbook. Factorization of expressions, calculation of limit values of functions, and other operations can be performed while viewing the results on a large LCD screen. It also comes with graphing tools for 3D graphing and drawing of geometric figures.
The user interface features a pull-down menu format. Solutions, expressions, and other items can be selected with the tap of the stylus. Drag and drop, copy and paste, and other pen-based operations, are also supported. An eActivity application allows the creation of so-called eActivities, which can include figures, expressions, and explanations.
In the United States the ClassPad series is banned from standardized tests including the SAT, the ACT, and the AP Calculus test, [2] due to its virtual QWERTY keyboard and stylus usage. [3]
In 2017, the fx-CG500 was released, targeted towards the North American market. While almost entirely identical to the fx-CP400, its removal of the QWERTY keyboards means it is included in the list of allowed calculators on American standardized exams, including AP and SAT.
During 1996, CASIO worked on the CAS (Computer Algebra System) and studying Geometry. The CAS was first used in the Casio CFX-9970G then the Casio Algebra FX 2.0, and later formed the core math system for the ClassPad.
In 1999, the idea of the eActivity emerged. It was intended to allow all applications to interact from within one application, and display information in a textbook style.
In 2000, CASIO opened a new office, the CASIO Education Technology M.R.D. Center in Portland, Oregon, USA. They hired many engineers, and started to implement more features.
In 2002, CASIO completed a prototype for the ClassPad. Before the prototype was complete, an emulator was used for testing. The emulator was later included in the software that was being developed for data transfer. The data transfer and emulator software later merged into one product called the ClassPad Manager.
In 2003 and 2005, CASIO released respectively their first and second product: the ClassPad 300 with 4.5 MB of flash memory, and the ClassPad 300 Plus with 5.4 MB of flash memory and other improvements.
In 2006 CASIO released OS 3.0 for the ClassPad. OS 3.0 featured Laplace and Fourier transform, differential equation graphs, financial functions, AP statistics and parameterized 3D graphs. Subsequent releases were only available for users with OS 3.0 or later.
Later in 2006 & 2007 CASIO released OS 3.01 and 3.02, concentrating solely on bug fixing. The 2007 ClassPad was called the 330 series, but was distinguished from the 300 plus only by its having OS 3.02 pre-installed.
In 2008 CASIO released OS 3.03 for the ClassPad. OS 3.03 featured new probability distribution functions, an extended numeric solver and several user interface improvements. The corresponding hardware with this OS installed was the 330-A series [4]
In 2009 CASIO released OS 3.04 for the ClassPad. OS 3.04 featured an updated spreadsheet application, stat function enhancements and several user interface improvements. Also, there were two hotfix releases for OS 3.04.3000 - namely: OS 3.04.4000 [5] and OS 3.04.5000 [6]
In 2010 CASIO released OS 3.05 for the ClassPad. OS 3.05 featured new financial functions and an 'on data' option for quartile calculation.
In 2011 CASIO released OS 3.06 for the ClassPad. OS 3.06 featured new imaginary calculation functions and an improved numeric solver. So far, one hotfix release followed: OS 3.06.1000
In 2012 CASIO released the ClassPad 330 Plus featuring a faster CPU (SuperH 4) and the calculator is now treated as a regular USB mass storage device.
In December 2018 Casio released 3.10.7000 for the ClassPad 330 Plus. Adding improvements in calculation precision.
Type | Programmable |
---|---|
Introduced | 2013 |
Latest firmware | 2.01.7000.0000 |
Predecessor | ClassPad 330 Plus |
Cost | ~$150 USD |
Calculator | |
Entry mode | V.P.A.M. |
Precision | 15 digits (typical display) 611 digits (for integers, maximum length that can be stored exactly) 15 decimal digits 1000 digits (maximum) |
Display type | Color LCD |
Display size | 320 × 528 (4.8 inch) |
CPU | |
Processor | SuperH 4 (SH7305) |
Programming | |
Programming language(s) | BASIC-like, often called Casio-BASIC |
User memory | 512 KB (included in RAM) |
External memory | 24 MB (storage) 5.5 MB (eActivity) |
Memory register | 2 MB (512 KB available to user) |
Interfaces | |
Connection | USB 3pin data communication |
Connects to | Computer via:
Other fx-CP400s via:
|
Other | |
Power supply | 4 AAA alkaline or nickel-metal hydride batteries |
Power consumption | 1.0 W |
Weight | 315 grams |
Dimensions | 8.9 cm (W) 20.6 cm (D) 2.11 cm (H) |
The fx-CP400, [1] released in 2013, has a colour screen also capable of switching the screen between portrait and landscape views. The resolution was also improved, to 320 × 528 pixels.
The CPU is a SuperH 4 of the SH-7305 model. It contains a 2MB RAM chip, but only 512KB are available to the user. It includes 24 MB of flash storage, and 5.5 MB for eActivity.
On this calculator, integers can be stored up to 22032, which is 611 digits long. After that, scientific notation is used to represent numbers up to 101000.
The Casio fx-CG500 was introduced in 2017, and is almost identical to the fx-CP400. The most significant difference is that its virtual keyboard is stuck in alphabetical (ABC) layout, as opposed to the fx-CP400's option to switch between QWERTY, German QWERTZ and alphabetical layout. Due to this, it is now included in the list of authorised models in American SAT and AP exams. [3]
It has a grey-colored appearance, as opposed to the fx-CP400's black on white design.
The calculators can be programmed in two ways. The Classpad comes with Casio BASIC, a built-in BASIC-like interpreted language, allowing the user to create programs using built-in functionality.
The other method is to create an add-in. Add-ins are binary programs, executing directly on the calculator's CPU. Casio/Saltire has released an SDK, allowing users to create their own add-ins, though no support is provided for this by Casio. The SDK is available for registered users at Casio's website. Currently there is no SDK version compatible with the new Classpad 330 Plus or the fx-CP400.
After the release of the SDK, a Lua interpreter plugin (CPlua) was created. This add-in allows users to develop programs and games in Lua.
The TI-89 and the TI-89 Titanium are graphing calculators developed by Texas Instruments (TI). They are differentiated from most other TI graphing calculators by their computer algebra system, which allows symbolic manipulation of algebraic expressions—equations can be solved in terms of variables, whereas the TI-83/84 series can only give a numeric result.
A computer algebra system (CAS) or symbolic algebra system (SAS) is any mathematical software with the ability to manipulate mathematical expressions in a way similar to the traditional manual computations of mathematicians and scientists. The development of the computer algebra systems in the second half of the 20th century is part of the discipline of "computer algebra" or "symbolic computation", which has spurred work in algorithms over mathematical objects such as polynomials.
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. It was founded in 1946, and in 1957 introduced the first entirely compact electronic calculator. It was an early digital camera innovator, and during the 1980s and 1990s, the company developed numerous affordable home electronic keyboards for musicians along with introducing the first mass-produced digital watches.
A graphing calculator is a handheld computer that is capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing other tasks with variables. Most popular graphing calculators are programmable calculators, allowing the user to create customized programs, typically for scientific, engineering or education applications. They have large screens that display several lines of text and calculations.
The TI-92 series of graphing calculators are a line of calculators produced by Texas Instruments. They include: the TI-92 (1995), the TI-92 II (1996), the TI-92 Plus and the Voyage 200 (2002). The design of these relatively large calculators includes a QWERTY keyboard. Because of this keyboard, it was given the status of a "computer" rather than "calculator" by American testing facilities and cannot be used on tests such as the SAT or AP Exams while the similar TI-89 can be.
A scientific calculator is an electronic calculator, either desktop or handheld, designed to perform calculations using basic and complex mathematical operations and functions. They have completely replaced slide rules and are used in both educational and professional settings.
Pocket Viewer was a model range of personal digital assistants (PDAs) developed by Casio around the turn of the 21st Century.
The TI-30 is a scientific calculator manufactured by Texas Instruments, the first model of which was introduced in 1976. While the original TI-30 was discontinued in 1983 after several design revisions, TI maintains the TI-30 designation as a branding for its low and mid-range scientific calculators.
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The Casio FX-7000G is a calculator which is widely known as being the world's first graphing calculator available to the public. It was introduced to the public and later manufactured between 1985 and c. 1988. Notable features are its ability to graph functions, and that it is programmable. The calculator offers 82 scientific functions and is capable of manual computation for basic arithmetic problems.
Programmable calculators are calculators that can automatically carry out a sequence of operations under control of a stored program. Most are Turing complete, and, as such, are theoretically general-purpose computers. However, their user interfaces and programming environments are specifically tailored to make performing small-scale numerical computations convenient, rather than general-purpose use.
The HP Xpander (F1903A) aka "Endeavour" was to be Hewlett-Packard's newest graphing calculator in 2002, but the project was cancelled in November 2001 months before it was scheduled to go into production. It had both a keyboard and a pen-based interface, measured 162.6 mm by 88.9 mm by 22.9 mm, with a large grayscale screen, and ran on two rechargeable AA batteries. It had a semi-translucent green cover on a gray case and an expansion slot.
The Casio CFX-9850G series is a series of graphing calculators manufactured by Casio Computer Co., Ltd. from 1996 to 2008.
The TI-Nspire is a graphing calculator line made by Texas Instruments, with the first version released on 25 September 2007. The calculators feature a non-QWERTY keyboard and a different key-by-key layout than Texas Instruments's previous flagship calculators such as the TI-89 series.
Xcas is a user interface to Giac, which is an open source computer algebra system (CAS) for Windows, macOS and Linux among many other platforms. Xcas is written in C++. Giac can be used directly inside software written in C++.
The Casio fx-9860G is a series of graphing calculators manufactured by Casio, successor of the fx-9750G PLUS/CFX-9850 PLUS/CFX-9950 PLUS/CFX-9970 family of calculators. All of them are capable of being programmed by means of sophisticated languages and tools including assembly language, Basic variants, and ports of programming languages such as C, as well as hosting add-ins which are compiled on a computer and then downloaded to the calculator.
Graphic calculators made by Casio include the touchscreen ClassPad 300 as well as the models with traditional buttons which can be divided into two main generations listed below. Casio produced the world's first graphing calculator, the fx-7000G.
A financial calculator or business calculator is an electronic calculator that performs financial functions commonly needed in business and commerce communities. It has standalone keys for many financial calculations and functions, making such calculations more direct than on standard calculators. It may be user programmable, allowing the user to add functions that the manufacturer has not provided by default.
Casio V.P.A.M. calculators are scientific calculators made by Casio which use Casio's Visually Perfect Algebraic Method (V.P.A.M.), Natural Display or Natural V.P.A.M. input methods.
The Casio Algebra FX series was a line of graphing calculators manufactured by Casio Computer Co., Ltd from 1999 to 2003. They were the successor models to the CFX-9970G, the first Casio calculator with computer algebra system, or CAS, a program for symbolic manipulation of mathematical expressions. The calculators were discontinued and succeeded by the Casio ClassPad 300 in 2003.