Canon F-300P
| Datasheet legend
Ab/c:
Fractions calculation
AC: Alternating current BaseN: Number base calculations Card: Magnetic card storage Cmem: Continuous memory Cond: Conditional execution Const: Scientific constants Cplx: Complex number arithmetic DC: Direct current Eqlib: Equation library Exp: Exponential/logarithmic functions Fin: Financial functions Grph: Graphing capability Hyp: Hyperbolic functions Ind: Indirect addressing Intg: Numerical integration Jump: Unconditional jump (GOTO) Lbl: Program labels LCD: Liquid Crystal Display LED: Light-Emitting Diode Li-ion: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery Lreg: Linear regression (2-variable statistics) mA: Milliamperes of current Mtrx: Matrix support NiCd: Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable battery NiMH: Nickel-metal-hydrite rechargeable battery Prnt: Printer RTC: Real-time clock Sdev: Standard deviation (1-variable statistics) Solv: Equation solver Subr: Subroutine call capability Symb: Symbolic computing Tape: Magnetic tape storage Trig: Trigonometric functions Units: Unit conversions VAC: Volts AC VDC: Volts DC |
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Canon F-300P
Look what the mailman just brought! Well, not the mailman, but the UPS deliveryman, a very likeable chap whose services I do not use more often only because of the exorbitant customs brokerage fee that UPS charges on cross-border shipments from the US.
Anyway, never mind UPS, look at this calculator! The Canon F-300P is unusual in more ways than one. This machine is both highly useful and quite frustrating at the same time. Useful because it has a multitude of functions, a large display, a clean and logical layout. Frustrating because - you guessed it - the darn thing has no program flow control! Although it has plenty of room in its program memory, all you can enter is plain formulas, nothing more. Well, a little bit more: apparently, one memory register can be used to implement a simple loop. But even this feature is not really meant for program control, but more to permit the operator to perform the same calculation interactively multiple times.
What can I say? I never understood back then, and I don't understand now why such artificial limitations had to be incorporated into the design of some otherwise very nice and pleasant-feeling calculators. Especially since, at the same time, other manufacturers came forth with calculators with remarkably flexible functionality.
Because of its inflexibility, my example program for the F-300P is just a simple formula computing the logarithm of the Gamma function for positive arguments. Well, at least it's accurate! Using the Lanczos-approximation, the following program computes the logarithm of the Gamma function to 10+ digits of precision:
LN (2.50662828350+92.2070484521÷(ZRM01)- 83.1776370829÷(RM01+1)+14.8028319308÷(RM 01+2)-.220849707953÷(RM01+3))+(RM01-.5)× LN (RM01+3.85)-RM01-3.85
One thing to be said in favor of the F-300P is that despite its frustratingly limited programming model, it comes with a comprehensive set of program examples in the form of a program library booklet. All straightforward formulae of course, but nevertheless a useful collection from various areas of mathematics, science, and engineering.