Casio PB-700

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
Years of production: 1983  Display type: Graphical display  
New price:   Display color: Black  
    Display technology: Liquid crystal display 
Size: 3½"×8"×1" Display size: 160×32 pixels
Weight: 12 oz    
    Entry method: BASIC expressions 
Batteries: 4×"AA" alkaline + 1×"CR-1220" Lithium Advanced functions: Trig Exp Cmem Snd 
External power:   Memory functions:  
I/O: Casio I/O     
    Programming model: BASIC 
Precision: 12 digits Program functions: Jump Cond Subr Lbl Ind  
Memories: 2(0) kilobytes Program display: Text display  
Program memory: 2 kilobytes Program editing: Text editor  
Chipset:   Forensic result: 9.00000716758  

pb700.jpg (41097 bytes)This poor Casio calculator almost drove me crazy. In fact, I am ashamed to admit, I was almost ready to hit it with something real hard, something I am usually very reluctant to do to my treasured machines.

Why, you ask? What brought out the vandal in me? Very simple... you see, every once in a while, for no apparent reason at all, this calculator responded with SN error to everything I typed. No apparent reason at all. I entered 10 X=1 and it accepted that program line. I entered 20 Y=2 and it was rejected.

Fortunately (for my own sanity and for the calculator's integrity) I discovered the reason just in time. You see, the big L-shaped key on the typewriter keypad and the key labelled ENTER on the numeric keypad do not have identical functionality. The numeric keypad's ENTER key is used to execute a line in calculator mode. For instance, typing 2*2 ENTER yields 4 on the display; but if you use the large key on the typewriter keyboard, the *2 part will be entered as BASIC line 2 in program memory.

I suspect that this was Casio's way of dealing with the lack of a MODE key which, on other Casio machines, switches between RUN and WRT modes...

The PB-700's programming model is similar to that of other Casio BASIC calculators, as demonstrated here by my favorite example, the Gamma function:

10 INPUT X
20 G=1
30 IF X>5 THEN 70
40 G=G*X
50 X=X+1
60 GOTO 30
70 G=X*LOGX-X+LOG(SQR(2*PI/X)/G)
80 G=G+((((1/99/X/X-1/140)/X/X+1/105)/X/X-1/30)/X/X+1)/12/X
90 PRINT G,EXPG