How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
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Posts: 46,084
Hi ya Folks,
As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
particular brand of fine arts education.
I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
allowed to use a calculator).
I'm really out at sea on this: can I get some recommendations as to
what I should look for by way of features and/or specific models that
would be suitable for all the basic electronics stuff. I don't need
anything ultra fancy, but need something EASY to operate and understand
that will get the numbers to do all the right things.
Also, I suppose I'm now officially consigned to the Remedial Math Room
(sure is crowded in here!): any tips on a good EASY (simpathetically
light-hearted) math brush-up book? The farthest I went into math was
the intro to trig (or was it calculus?)...hmmm, its been a while. I
need to attain or regain fluency in everything from algebra onward in
order to interface my head to the Stamp as well as analogue/digital
electronics in general. Did I mention it should be easy?
Thanks a bunch.
Cheers,
-Neal
P.S.: if this is edging off topic and not of general list interest,
please respond via private e-mail.
As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
particular brand of fine arts education.
I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
allowed to use a calculator).
I'm really out at sea on this: can I get some recommendations as to
what I should look for by way of features and/or specific models that
would be suitable for all the basic electronics stuff. I don't need
anything ultra fancy, but need something EASY to operate and understand
that will get the numbers to do all the right things.
Also, I suppose I'm now officially consigned to the Remedial Math Room
(sure is crowded in here!): any tips on a good EASY (simpathetically
light-hearted) math brush-up book? The farthest I went into math was
the intro to trig (or was it calculus?)...hmmm, its been a while. I
need to attain or regain fluency in everything from algebra onward in
order to interface my head to the Stamp as well as analogue/digital
electronics in general. Did I mention it should be easy?
Thanks a bunch.
Cheers,
-Neal
P.S.: if this is edging off topic and not of general list interest,
please respond via private e-mail.
Comments
Texas Instruments makes some good scientific calculators that will do most
basic trig and whatnot. Hit the local college bookstore and see what they
recommend -- this is usually all you need. It needs to do scientific
notation and have the sine / cosine stuff as well as square root, etc...
If you need to do binary / hex stuff, you can find some that have computer
math features also.
Original Message
> As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
> alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
> rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
> particular brand of fine arts education.
> I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
> and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
> seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
> as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
> relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
> calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
> allowed to use a calculator).
> I'm really out at sea on this: can I get some recommendations as to
> what I should look for by way of features and/or specific models that
> would be suitable for all the basic electronics stuff. I don't need
> anything ultra fancy, but need something EASY to operate and understand
> that will get the numbers to do all the right things.
simple trig functions and HEX; BIN; DEC & OCT conversion keys. It s/b around
$35.00
CL
> Don't tell me they made you use a slide rule!
>
> Texas Instruments makes some good scientific calculators that will do most
> basic trig and whatnot. Hit the local college bookstore and see what they
> recommend -- this is usually all you need. It needs to do scientific
> notation and have the sine / cosine stuff as well as square root, etc...
>
> If you need to do binary / hex stuff, you can find some that have computer
> math features also.
Actually, I'm doing a bunch of analogue to digital experiments now, and
all of the accompanying conversions. Ok. Computer math features.
Thanks.
-n.
>Don't tell me they made you use a slide rule!
>
>Texas Instruments makes some good scientific calculators that will do most
>basic trig and whatnot. Hit the local college bookstore and see what they
>recommend -- this is usually all you need. It needs to do scientific
>notation and have the sine / cosine stuff as well as square root, etc...
>
>If you need to do binary / hex stuff, you can find some that have computer
>math features also.
They've sold these things in Walmart and K-Mart for several years now and
I'll bet they're cheaper than at your local college bookstore. Staples
might be a good bet too.
Jim H
>Hi ya Folks,
>As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
>alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
>rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
>particular brand of fine arts education.
>I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
>and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
>seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
>as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
>relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
>calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
>allowed to use a calculator).
>I'm really out at sea on this: can I get some recommendations as to
>what I should look for by way of features and/or specific models that
>would be suitable for all the basic electronics stuff. I don't need
>anything ultra fancy, but need something EASY to operate and understand
>that will get the numbers to do all the right things.
>
>Also, I suppose I'm now officially consigned to the Remedial Math Room
>(sure is crowded in here!): any tips on a good EASY (simpathetically
>light-hearted) math brush-up book? The farthest I went into math was
>the intro to trig (or was it calculus?)...hmmm, its been a while. I
>need to attain or regain fluency in everything from algebra onward in
>order to interface my head to the Stamp as well as analogue/digital
>electronics in general. Did I mention it should be easy?
>
>Thanks a bunch.
>
>Cheers,
>-Neal
>
>P.S.: if this is edging off topic and not of general list interest,
>please respond via private e-mail.
I had a TI-35 for at least (+15) years, until a few weeks ago It fell
off the table about 3 ft and broke the LCD.
I now have a TI-30X IIS... Some features are nice but it's not quite
a TI-35.... NO BIN/OCT/DEC/HEX conversion which comes in handy for
my line of work.
Special Functions I would look for (not necessisarly in order of pref.):
SCI/ENG capability
SIN and SIN-1
COS and COS-1
TAN and TAN-1
HYP
PI
SQRT
LOG
1/x
BIN/OCT/DEC/HEX conversion <-Very handy!
Beau Schwabe IC Mask Designer
National Semiconductor Wired Communications Division
500 Pinnacle Court, Suite 525 Mail Stop GA1 Norcross, GA 30071
bookstore sell one thats easiest to use.
Original Message
>> Hit the local college bookstore and see what they
> >recommend -- this is usually all you need.
> They've sold these things in Walmart and K-Mart for several years now and
> I'll bet they're cheaper than at your local college bookstore. Staples
> might be a good bet too.
Accessories) will do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions too.
Original Message
From: <lovegasoline@y...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 2:13 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
> Hi ya Folks,
> As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
> alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
> rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
> particular brand of fine arts education.
> I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
> and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
> seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
> as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
> relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
> calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
> allowed to use a calculator).
> I'm really out at sea on this: can I get some recommendations as to
> what I should look for by way of features and/or specific models that
> would be suitable for all the basic electronics stuff. I don't need
> anything ultra fancy, but need something EASY to operate and understand
> that will get the numbers to do all the right things.
>
> Also, I suppose I'm now officially consigned to the Remedial Math Room
> (sure is crowded in here!): any tips on a good EASY (simpathetically
> light-hearted) math brush-up book? The farthest I went into math was
> the intro to trig (or was it calculus?)...hmmm, its been a while. I
> need to attain or regain fluency in everything from algebra onward in
> order to interface my head to the Stamp as well as analogue/digital
> electronics in general. Did I mention it should be easy?
>
> Thanks a bunch.
>
> Cheers,
> -Neal
>
> P.S.: if this is edging off topic and not of general list interest,
> please respond via private e-mail.
>
>
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed with. Text in the Subject
and Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
"programmers' " or "engeniers' " calculator. If you dont need mobility, these
would be a good choice, since they have some useful functions and usually are
free [noparse]:)[/noparse][/font]
If you'd rather do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions on a hand held calculator, the
Hewlett Packard 28S 'Advanced Scientific Calculator' is great, but a bit
pricey.
Dennis
Original Message
From: arlen fletcher [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=vct6zf1qK1e8L1Hr9q8BFf60p4-j-RBsyaxaWcyHOyew1Vlq1bc6LJXjlXDF4naQQPWU-Qh6g8mgBx2O0A]arlen.fletcher@a...[/url
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 8:25 AM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
FWIW, if you're using Windoze, the Calculator application (under
Accessories) will do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions too.
Original Message
From: <lovegasoline@y...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 2:13 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
> Hi ya Folks,
> As I work my way through the Parallax tutorials and inch further into
> alien territory, some of it hostile (i.e., math), I'm discovering the
> rich deficiencies (thankfully at the time!) that accompanied my own
> particular brand of fine arts education.
> I stare at numbers and have my own ideas as to how they should interact
> and why, but the numbers themselves, and the electronics they empower
> seem to have ideas of their own. I figure I should try and tame them,
> as well as spare myself copious amounts of grief even if it means
> relinquishing mathematical Glory. Essentially, I need to buy a good
> calculator (oddly, when I studied math in public school, we were not
> allowed to use a calculator).
<deleted>
Did you know that the calculator in Windows will perform all the calculations
you have asked about plus a lot more, including logarithms and reciprocals of
logarithms.
Sid
>
> Neal,
>
> If you'd rather do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions on a hand held calculator, the
> Hewlett Packard 28S 'Advanced Scientific Calculator' is great, but a bit
> pricey.
>
> Dennis
The TI-36X Solar does BIN/OCT/HEX/DEC conversions as well as having
AND OR XOR NOR etc. functions. As I recall mine cost less than US$20.
-Nick T.
Used to get a laugh in college when someone wanted to borrow my HP -- after
a few minutes they usually got disgusted and found someone with a working
calculator.
Original Message
> If you'd rather do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions on a hand held calculator, the
> Hewlett Packard 28S 'Advanced Scientific Calculator' is great, but a bit
> pricey.
>Used to get a laugh in college when someone wanted to borrow my HP -- after
>a few minutes they usually got disgusted and found someone with a working
>calculator.
Same here. Typical question after poking a few keys... "Where's the equals
key?"
73 de Jim, KB3PU
ethnicity), which HP and some of us users think is the better way to b
Original Message
From: Rodent [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=WUQrcoSYQPj7o5mbozVQA_FnwzMMdWNcqm7GvyNxKE18vrRptr1UjspkQIAsyoP_7NQcNKOtYGVk]daweasel@s...[/url
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 2:50 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
Is it RPN or "normal?"
Used to get a laugh in college when someone wanted to borrow my HP -- after
a few minutes they usually got disgusted and found someone with a working
calculator.
Original Message
> If you'd rather do BIN/HEX/DEC conversions on a hand held calculator, the
> Hewlett Packard 28S 'Advanced Scientific Calculator' is great, but a bit
> pricey.
To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
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previous boss had an old HP and I had the latest (at that time) TI. He
never encouraged me to use his calculator, but he seemed to do calculations
a bit easier and faster then I could. After a while, I told him I was going
to buy an HP. He warned me, "Once you switch to RPN, you can can't go
back". I didn't know what he meant at the time. I got the calculator (an
HP 15C) and quickly and easily came to love it. And I found he was right, I
can no longer use an algebraic calculator! Well, I can force myself to
figure it out, but RPN is so much easier and natural. I think the human
brain works in RPN with a stack!
My dependency on RPN caused some problems when I went looking for a PDA. I
started with a Sharp organizer thing, but the calc was algebraic. I still
had to carry my HP 15C. Then I discovered the HP 200LX. The calculator can
be set for RPN or algebraic! The calc is not as good as a 15C, but I've
been getting by OK. Life is good. My wife took over the 15C, but she still
lets me use it occasionally.
Danny
> previous boss had an old HP and I had the latest (at that time) TI. He
> never encouraged me to use his calculator, but he seemed to do
My love for RPN ran into a similar problem ... namely I mostly need a
calculator when I don't have one around and use the windoze calculator ...
I found that once I went RPN, it was a pain to come back, but with enough
effort I can now use either one equally. If it's a complicated calculation
I'll either get off my lazy butt and get my calculator or open up a
spreadsheet [noparse]:)[/noparse] ...
John
mathematician who developed the Push-Pop stack method used in these
calculators? My guess would be (with a little help from Tom Lehr):
"Who deserves the credit?
Who deserves the blame?
Nikolai Ivanovitch Lobachevski is his name!"
Dennis
Original Message
From: Danny Gaudenti [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=goK2RPcHpzb24icZfzqhkid7I6JISMX0v9YDPRufZVrUMFTWE7iQgluZkJwZnDmA54tf94TUrHlX6bI]gaudent@q...[/url
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 9:40 AM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] How to Interface My Head to the Stamp?
I was once warned about switching from an algebraic to RPN calculator. My
previous boss had an old HP and I had the latest (at that time) TI. He
never encouraged me to use his calculator, but he seemed to do calculations
a bit easier and faster then I could. After a while, I told him I was going
to buy an HP. He warned me, "Once you switch to RPN, you can can't go
back". I didn't know what he meant at the time. I got the calculator (an
HP 15C) and quickly and easily came to love it. And I found he was right, I
can no longer use an algebraic calculator! Well, I can force myself to
figure it out, but RPN is so much easier and natural. I think the human
brain works in RPN with a stack!
My dependency on RPN caused some problems when I went looking for a PDA. I
started with a Sharp organizer thing, but the calc was algebraic. I still
had to carry my HP 15C. Then I discovered the HP 200LX. The calculator can
be set for RPN or algebraic! The calc is not as good as a 15C, but I've
been getting by OK. Life is good. My wife took over the 15C, but she still
lets me use it occasionally.
Danny
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>A bit off track, but does anyone remember the name of the brilliant Polish
>mathematician who developed the Push-Pop stack method used in these
>calculators? My guess would be (with a little help from Tom Lehr):
>"Who deserves the credit?
>Who deserves the blame?
>Nikolai Ivanovitch Lobachevski is his name!"
The manual for my old HP-45 calculator said it was Jan Lucasiewicz,
pronounced as best I recall as Voo-cash'-uh-vich.
Jim H
> AND OR XOR NOR etc. functions. As I recall mine cost less than US$20.
>
> -Nick T.
Yes! I poked around looking at specs and the TI-36x Solar seems to be
the current equivalent of the recommended older TI-34: it does
conversions and more. That should do it.
Thanks to everyone for the calculator recommendations, web-based
freebies, onboard Windows caluculator insights, HP RPN (whatever that
is), and general calc-lore.
My old calculator is a simple el-cheapo job with just the basic
functions and in the ten years I've had it, it has aged like a tank in
most respects (I suppose they really should make these things with
rubber holsters like DMMs, as they love being dropped).Recently, late
at night while checking some figures with a friend for a monetary
transaction, I left her with a sheet of paper with some figures on it
and handed her the calculator. When I returned I was deeply amused.
She was curled in knots...most of the keys are either ENTIRELY blank or
have the numbers 90% worn off..I've grown so used to it I'd never
really noticed. It is so much like the proverbial Timex watch (licking,
ticking) I've even considered re-inscribing the numbers on the keypad
to keep it going for another ten years.
Every once in a great while one recognizes a product that cost nearly
nothing and just WILL NOT die. Yes, a dumb little calculator but it has
managed to gain my respect due to its improbable longevity as well as
the time we've spent together frivilously calculating the value (now
negative) of my kingdom.
Cheers,
-Neal
Russian to start, and created a non-Euclidean geometry
in which the angles of a triangle were less than 180
degrees. Lucasiewicz (1878-1956) gets the credit for
RPN, although no doubt some Newtonians will try to
claim it for their man.
Having an HP calculator in high school helped me make
more sense of programming courses later, and
especially discrete mathematics.
In case any one is still reading this thread for
information instead of reminiscences, RPN is also
called postfix notation, and reflects the way assembly
language works. Conversely, function notation is a
form of prefix notation, e.g. =SUM(A1,B1).
Both postfix/RPN and prefix/function notations have
the advantage over infix notation that paratheses are
not needed. To come back to the Stamp,
7 + 6 / 2 = 6 ' on the Stamp, which operates
' left-to-right w/o precedence
7 + 6 / 2 = 10 // in C++ and most PC Basics with
// precedence, bane of word problems
In RPN, the problem would be more clear:
7 6 + 2 / ' this is the problem the Stamp
' is solving
7 6 2 / + // this is the problem C++ etc.
// are solving
Bob Pence
--- Jim Higgins <HigginsJ@s...> wrote:
> At 21:10 07/01/01, Dennis P. O'Leary wrote:
> >A bit off track, but does anyone remember the name
> of the brilliant Polish
> >mathematician who developed the Push-Pop stack
> method used in these
> >calculators? My guess would be (with a little help
> from Tom Lehr):
> >"Who deserves the credit?
> >Who deserves the blame?
> >Nikolai Ivanovitch Lobachevski is his name!"
>
> The manual for my old HP-45 calculator said it was
> Jan Lucasiewicz,
> pronounced as best I recall as Voo-cash'-uh-vich.
>
>
> Jim H
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
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> with. Text in the Subject and Body of the message
> will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
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