Compucorp 326 Scientist
| 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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Compucorp 326 Scientist
The Compucorp 326 Scientist is the last in a line of fabulous calculators, made by the legendary Compucorp division of the long defunct Computer Design Corporation. It was also the only 300-series Compucorp machine with an advanced programming model that included conditional and unconditional branching, labels, and subroutines.
These machines are simply beautiful. Despite their large size, they have a graceful appearance; they look like oversize pocket calculators, in fact, but designed with a perfect sense of aesthetic proportions.
The Compucorp 326 has 160 partially merged program steps (many multi-keystroke instructions are merged into a single keycode.) A standard accessory to this calculator is the Compucorp 392 tape drive, which could record programs to standard cassettes, or specially manufactured endless cassettes made by Compucorp.
The Compucorp 326 displays program steps using a screen format that, until now, I thought was unique to Russian calculators like the B3-21. In addition to the current program step, the preceding and succeeding steps are also shown. So for instance, if your program consists of the steps 7 8 9, and the program counter is at step 2, you'd see the following when the RUN/STEP/LOAD switch is in the LOAD position:
007 .002 008 009
To demonstrate the more advanced programming model of the 326, I decided to use the incremental Gamma function as an example; rather than merely evaluating a complex formula, this program actually uses an iterative method to approximate a result with great accuracy. The program can also be used to calculate the Gamma function of an argument, by simply specifying a high enough integration limit.
Invoking the program is a bit unusual. To calculate the incomplete Gamma function for a=5, x=30, use the following keystrokes: 5 × 30 START. (Use JUMP 0 to position the program counter at the beginning of the program if necessary.) This method made it possible to create a program with no embedded STOP instructions, and it also made it possible to create a program that can be used from within another calculation. For instance, the keystrokes 6 + ( 5 × 30 START ) = will calculate the sum of 6 and the incomplete Gamma function for a=5, x=30.
.001 200 LABEL 0 .002 300 STn .003 001 1 .004 001 1 .005 020 = .006 300 STn .007 002 2 .008 310 RCLn .009 001 1 .010 025 ax .011 310 RCLn .012 002 2 .013 024 ÷ .014 310 RCLn .015 002 2 .016 020 = .017 300 STn .018 003 3 .019 300 STn .020 004 4 .021 201 LABEL 1 .022 310 RCLn .023 003 3 .024 023 × .025 310 RCLn .026 001 1 .027 024 ÷ .028 001 1 .029 301 ST+ .030 002 2 .031 310 RCLn .032 002 2 .033 021 + .034 300 STn .035 003 3 .036 310 RCLn .037 004 4 .038 022 - .039 320 EXCH .040 004 4 .041 020 = .042 351 JUMP+ .043 001 1 .044 310 RCLn .045 004 4 .046 024 ÷ .047 310 RCLn .048 001 1 .049 160 ex .050 020 = .051 033 STOP .052 350 JUMP .053 000 0
