WP 43S Project
Introduction
A brain storming area for the development of the 43S calculator. Just a collection of ideas and goals for the moment. Everything is subject to change on a whim including the name.
Goals
To create the best ever RPN calculator.
Technicalities
Proper alpha keyboard like the 34S or 41C series.
Menu based or XEQ alpha based – there will be too many functions for the keyboard. Maybe both menus and XEQ alpha.
Typed values like the 42s and later RPL machines.
Fully assignable keyboard with the 41C series hold to see function, keep holding to cancel.
Less cluttered keyboard than the 34S – fewer shift keys, less overloading and complexity in the keyboard state engine and no hot keys.
Dynamic memory allocation.
I/O of some kind (serial, USB, SD).
Modular software design to allow independent development of (native) functions.
A less limited font – sub and superscripts for every available character.
Data Types
Reals (decimal or binary or both?)
Long reals (again decimal or binary – leaning towards binary here to make use of lots of existing libraries)
Integers (binary integers like the 16C/34S or unlimited precisions ones like the 50g or both?)
Strings
Complex numbers
Arrays (at least one and two dimensional, at least real and complex)
Fractions (i.e. exact rationals)
Intervals (?)
Quaternions (?)
Units
Hardware