Hewlett-Packard HP-34C
| 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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Hewlett-Packard HP-34C
The HP-34C was the high-end calculator in Hewlett-Packard's Spice series. With the exception of magnetic card programmables, this was one of the highest-end programmable calculators with an LED display ever made. In addition to a full complement of scientific functions, 21 memories, and 210 steps of program storage, it had such advanced features as a numeric equation solver and a built-in numeric integration function. It also had a sophisticated programming model with labels, subroutines, flags, and indirect addressing.
As it turns out, the calculator also had a built-in implementation for the Gamma function (or, to be precise, an extended factorial function), and a pretty good one at that. It yielded accurate results for all real arguments for which the function was defined (some calculators had Gamma function implementations that worked only for positive numbers, for instance.) As a result, writing a Gamma function program was a trivial exercise:
001-25,13,11 LBL A 002- 1 1 003- 41 - 004- 25 1 x! 005- 25 12 RTN
Not exactly the pinnacle of creative calculator programming, is it. On the other hand, the calculator is not sophisticated enough, for instance, to support a Gamma function program that calculates the function's values for complex arguments. So what am I to do?
As it turns out, there is a meaningful exercise that better demonstrates the use of the HP-34C: a program that computes the incomplete Gamma function using iteration. This program, in fact, is an adaptation of the incomplete Gamma function program that appeared in the Math Pac for the HP-65, published by Hewlett-Packard. I used variations of this program on other calculators as well, such as the APF 90.
To use the program, enter the function argument and the integration limit, then press the A button.
001-25,13,11 LBL A 002- 23 1 STO 1 003- 21 x-y 004- 23 2 STO 2 005- 25 3 yx 006- 24 2 RCL 2 007- 71 ÷ 008- 23 3 STO 3 009-25,13, 1 LBL 1 010- 24 1 RCL 1 011- 24 2 RCL 2 012- 1 1 013- 51 + 014- 23 2 STO 2 015- 71 ÷ 016- 24 3 RCL 3 017- 61 × 018- 23 3 STO 3 019- 51 + 020- 14 61 x!=y 021- 22 1 GTO 1 022- 24 1 RCL 1 023- 15 1 ex 024- 71 ÷ 025- 25 12 RTN
