Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed. Ohms law is probably a bad example since it is just simple division, although I will admit it would be really nice to have something which helps prevent the issues when for whatever reason one's brain pulls the wrong formula for something rarely used...
Along those same lines, I occasionally have to manipulate complex formulas, and just to make thing easier, I'd in the past would use a copy of derive, which I understand has been swallowed by TI-Nspire. Can anyone comment on the ease of using Ti-Nspire when manipulating complex formulas?
And yes, I can do all of this by hand - which is largely what I'm doing today, but why should I waste my time?
On 17/08/2011 15:21, Forrest Christian wrote:
> I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does
> things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly
> and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a
> 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for
> instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current
> through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed. Ohms law
> is probably a bad example since it is just simple division, although I
> will admit it would be really nice to have something which helps prevent
> the issues when for whatever reason one's brain pulls the wrong formula
> for something rarely used...
You probably know about these, but just in case - I find the following very handy:
MiscEl - Loads of useful electronics calculations (Ohm's law, Charge curves, CRC, Component ID help, Unit Conversion Coils, Thermal, etc, etc)
I'd say this is the closest to what you are asking for above.
Frink - excellent conversion/calculation/programming tool - understands just about every unit and how they relate to each other.
SciLab - like MatLab but free
> Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with
> right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which
> actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
>
> I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does
> things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly
> and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a
> 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for
> instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current
> through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed. Ohms law
> is probably a bad example since it is just simple division, although I
> will admit it would be really nice to have something which helps prevent
> the issues when for whatever reason one's brain pulls the wrong formula
> for something rarely used...
>
> Along those same lines, I occasionally have to manipulate complex
> formulas, and just to make thing easier, I'd in the past would use a
> copy of derive, which I understand has been swallowed by TI-Nspire. Can
> anyone comment on the ease of using Ti-Nspire when manipulating complex
> formulas?
>
> And yes, I can do all of this by hand - which is largely what I'm doing
> today, but why should I waste my time?
>
> -forrest
>
I use and have used for many years Calc98. It's got a plethora of
conversions and
constants, does base-to-base conversion (among the big four, anyway) very
easily.
> Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with
> right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which
> actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
>
> I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does
> things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly
> and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a
> 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for
> instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current
> through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed. Ohms law
> is probably a bad example since it is just simple division, although I
> will admit it would be really nice to have something which helps prevent
> the issues when for whatever reason one's brain pulls the wrong formula
> for something rarely used...
>
> Along those same lines, I occasionally have to manipulate complex
> formulas, and just to make thing easier, I'd in the past would use a
> copy of derive, which I understand has been swallowed by TI-Nspire. Can
> anyone comment on the ease of using Ti-Nspire when manipulating complex
> formulas?
>
> And yes, I can do all of this by hand - which is largely what I'm doing
> today, but why should I waste my time?
>
> -forrest
>
>
For the say dozen or so simple formulas, enter the formulas into an Excel (or Open office calc). Save the spreadsheet :)
On 8/17/2011 10:21 AM, Forrest Christian wrote: {Quote hidden}
> Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with
> right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which
> actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
>
> I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does
> things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly
> and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a
> 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for
> instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current
> through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed. Ohms law
> is probably a bad example since it is just simple division, although I
> will admit it would be really nice to have something which helps prevent
> the issues when for whatever reason one's brain pulls the wrong formula
> for something rarely used...
>
> Along those same lines, I occasionally have to manipulate complex
> formulas, and just to make thing easier, I'd in the past would use a
> copy of derive, which I understand has been swallowed by TI-Nspire. Can
> anyone comment on the ease of using Ti-Nspire when manipulating complex
> formulas?
>
> And yes, I can do all of this by hand - which is largely what I'm doing
> today, but why should I waste my time?
>
> -forrest
>
>
> Check out Sage, which has an online notebook facility.
> http://www.sagemath.org/
>
> For "desk calc" and basic math with comprehensive handling of physical
> units I use the Frink applet. http://futureboy.us/frinkdocs/
>
> I also installed an HP48 emulator for access to its equation library.
I was going to say pick up an HP41 off eBay, except they are pricey for what you get, and then if you want the add-on ROM pacs, they are through the roof for price, as collectors items.
> Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with
> right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which
> actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
>
> I'm looking for either a hardware or software calculator which does
> things like ohms law, base conversions, and the 'common' stuff quickly
> and easily (read: more efficient than just doing it by hand or with a
> 'normal' calculator), but also has a depth of other formulas (for
> instance I recently was dealing with capacitor charge and current
> through a drain resistor) which can be accessed when needed.
There's a web app for the Chrome browser called "Chromey Calculator" that I
like.
Last thing I typed into it was "50 ft-lb * 10 rpm in watts =" and it
answers: 70.99 W (watts)
The other one that was nice "100nC *20000Hz in amps =" 0.002A
At 08:21 AM 8/17/2011, Forrest Christian wrote:
>Every time I go through a stage of intense R&D (like I'm dealing with
>right now), I get generally frustrated with a lack of a calculator which
>actually does the stuff I need it to do without a lot of work.
Besides using my trusty HP RPN hand-held calculators, I currently use Calc98, eCalc, Excalibur on my computer. I do miss my trusty HP45 (it finally died) but the '49 and '50 have replaced it. I just haven't learned all of the new features yet.
If I have serious if-then type calculations, I use TK Solver from UTS. It is by far the best investment that I have ever made for that type of software.
I started out with a free version of TK Solver called 'Mini-TK' which might still be available from UTS. Its pretty much identical to its paid-for version, but limited to 20 each of rules and variables. A rule is an equation that helps describe the desired result - you list the rules however you see fit. TK then solves all of those rules.
The 20 rule limit was never a problem for me when I was using the free version but the paid-for version adds in tables, which makes interpolation between data points much easier to do. That one feature was worth the cost of the software.
What I like so much about TK Solver is that I don't have to write the equations such that the unknowns are on one end of the equation. Just write the equations however you like, sticking the unknown variable(s) wherever it makes sense to do so.
I've done some fairly serious R&D that simply would not have been possible (for me) to do without TK Solver.
You can read all about it at <http://www.uts.com/> . Typing "TK Solver" into Google brings up all kinds of documentation, including youtube how-to videos.
Google search will almost do this exact same thing. I had to translate
your expressions as follows but then it worked:
"50 foot pounds * 2 * pi * 10/minute in watts"
"100 nanocoulomb * 20000 Hz in amps"
On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 11:59 AM, Denny Esterline <.....desterlineKILLspam.....gmail.com> wrote:
> There's a web app for the Chrome browser called "Chromey Calculator" that I
> like.
> Last thing I typed into it was "50 ft-lb * 10 rpm in watts =" and it
> answers: 70.99 W (watts)
>
> The other one that was nice "100nC *20000Hz in amps =" 0.002A
>
> Those are fairly messy calculations otherwise.
>
> -Denny
>
My personal favorite is Matlab because I have been using it for so
long - but it is very pricey and does not natively do symbolic math -
you need to pay extra for add-ins for it to do that.
Sean
On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 11:06 AM, Carl Denk <EraseMEcdenkspam_OUTTakeThisOuTwindstream.net> wrote:
> For the say dozen or so simple formulas, enter the formulas into an
> Excel (or Open office calc). Save the spreadsheet :)
>
It gives you a nice breakdown of the formula rather than a simple
answer from Google.
On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 9:38 AM, Sean Breheny <shb7spam_OUTcornell.edu> wrote:
> Google search will almost do this exact same thing. I had to translate
> your expressions as follows but then it worked:
>
> "50 foot pounds * 2 * pi * 10/minute in watts
A product similar to Matlab is Mathcad. It is a free form, symbolic
math spreadsheet that is very good. It is also a little pricey, but it
is excellent at math of all forms.
On 17/08/2011 17:43, Sean Breheny wrote:
> My personal favorite is Matlab because I have been using it for so
> long - but it is very pricey and does not natively do symbolic math -
> you need to pay extra for add-ins for it to do that.
Scilab is fine for those of us with no money. Octave is also good and free, but more different.
also on Windows you can switch the calculator to Scientific (it then does octal/hex/binary/decimal). You can get the free "power toy" MS scientific calculator with graphing too
too many to mention for Linux.
A spreadsheet is good.
I also use AADE filter designer not just for filters but coil and pad calculations
You can get a octal/hex/binary/decimal physical calculator from €2 for no-name clone of old casio, or €12 for a more modern calculator that displays the formula
On 08/17/2011 11:28 AM, @spam@alan.b.pearceKILLspamstfc.ac.uk wrote:
>> Check out Sage, which has an online notebook facility.
>> http://www.sagemath.org/
>>
>> For "desk calc" and basic math with comprehensive handling of physical
>> units I use the Frink applet. http://futureboy.us/frinkdocs/
>>
>> I also installed an HP48 emulator for access to its equation library.
>
> I was going to say pick up an HP41 off eBay, except they are pricey for what you get, and then if you want the add-on ROM pacs, they are through the roof for price, as collectors items.
>
>
If you have a Android phone you can download the Droid48 app and you'll
have an HP48 in your hands.
> On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 11:06 AM, Carl Denk <RemoveMEcdenkTakeThisOuTwindstream.net>
> wrote:
>> For the say dozen or so simple formulas, enter the formulas into an
>> Excel (or Open office calc). Save the spreadsheet :)
>
> I second the Excel recommendation for simple, fixed formulas.
One big advantage with spreadsheets is the following. Instead of single,
big formulas create meaningful sub-results on the way. Do this per
column (or per row, depending on taste). Then fill in different data
sets (make sure you use a different format, like cell color, for data
that is supposed to be entered) in different rows (or columns, depending
on taste). This may help you see relationships in the data that you
weren't aware of before. This is something unique to this technique of
using spreadsheets, and while other tools can provide something similar,
you usually have to go to greater lengths to actually see the data in
this way.
Also, keep constants in separate cells and refer to them with absolute
references or names. This allows you both to copy your formulas and they
still work, and to change the constants if needed. (It also documents
them better than just "hardcoded" into the formulas.)
imach.com>wrote:
