This is where you'll find the most current version of the DIY Calculator (along with
any other other programs we might decide to create). See also the Additional Documentation and
Change History sections below.
Note: Once you've downloaded and installed the DIY Calculator, make sure you visit our Demos page where
you'll find some step-by-step tutorials that will get you up-and-running before you know it!
The DIY Calculator Software Itself
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If you already have an earlier version of the DIY Calculator running on your computer,
then use the Start > Programs > DIY Calculator > Uninstall DIY Calculator command to remove it from your system.
Next, download our new Setup.Zip (software version 4.0.9) file by clicking the icon to the left, select the Save Target As command
(or equivalent) from the ensuing pop-up menu or dialog, save the file to the "My Downloads" folder on your computer, and then un-ZIP
and install the little scamp. (If you haven’t installed the DIY Calculator before, you may wish to peruse and ponder
these installation instructions.) |
Additional Documentation
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The Official DIY Calculator Data Book: Click the icon on the left to download a compressed (ZIP)
file containing an Adobe Acrobat version of the Official DIY Calculator Data Book. Amongst other things, Appendix D provides an introduction to
the DIY Calculator's assembly language, while Appendix A describes the DIY Calculator's addressing modes and
instruction set in excruciating detail. Also, in order to get up-and-running, it would be a good idea to check out some of the step-by-step demonstrations
on the Demos page.
But remember that the VERY BEST way to learn the DIY Calculator's assembly language – and also to discover how computers perform their magic in
intimate detail – is to perform the step-by-step labs in our book How Computers Do Math (if you haven't already done so, why not
Purchase a Copy from Amazon right now?)
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Workbench and Terminal (software version 4.0.7): This Adobe Acrobat document – which you can obtain by clicking the icon to
the left – describes new Workbench and Terminal utilities that have been added to the DIY Calculator. The workbench contains a election of input switch devices
and output display devices (including 8-bit LEDs and 7-segment displays. The terminal comprises a QWERTY keyboard input device and a console (screen) output
device. See also the associated Workbench 101 laboratories provided on the
Demos page.
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Data Gatherer (software version 3.0.0): This Adobe Acrobat document – which you can obtain by clicking the icon to
the left – describes the Data Gatherer utility. Note that the output files generated by the Data
Gatherer are intended for use by tools such as the Code Coverage and Code Profiler utilities which are discussed on the More Tools page |
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BCD Instructions (software version 2.0.7): This Adobe Acrobat document – which you can obtain by clicking the icon to
the left – first introduces the concept of Binary Coded Decimal (BCD); unpacked and packed BCD formats; and unsigned, sign-magnitude, and
signed (tens-complement) BCD representations. Next, we introduce the DIY Calculator's new DADD, DADDC, DSUB, and DSUBC instructions,
which are tailored to perform BCD operations on BCD data (the "D" prefix for these instructions stands for "Decimal"). |
Change History
| Version 4.0.9: |
01/16/2006 |
Small updates to the DIY Calculator's virtual QWERTY keyboard. The <Esc> key has been made non-sticky
while the <Tab> and '*' keys have been "tweaked" (these keys generate codes of $1B, $0B, and $2A, respectively). |
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| Version 4.0.7: |
01/08/2006 |
DIY Calculator augmented with Workbench utility (switches and display devices) and Terminal utility (QWERTY keyboard and Console display). |
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| Version 3.0.0: |
09/18/2005 |
DIY Calculator augmented with Data Gatherer utility (also the problem with the calculator not terminating correctly has been fixed). |
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| Version 2.0.7: |
08/17/2005 |
DIY Calculator and Assembler augmented to support new Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) instructions. |
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| Version 1.0.2: |
01/01/2005 |
Original version of the DIY Calculator as supplied with the book. |