mechanical digital calculator

Calculator

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A calculatoris a device used for carrying out calculations. These days, most calculators incorporate general-purpose computing technology, but they're typically designed to execute specific functions. For example graphing calculators focus on graph-centered math such as trigonometry and statistics. In addition, modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though some personal digital assistants (PDAs) are similar in size and size to hand-held calculators.

As calculatorsare miniature, one day devices that are as small as credit cards might be able to perform the similar calculations as today's large scientific calculators. Another option is comparable to a portable computer which has notations that are not entered by buttons but written on an LCD. With this development, the requirement for buttons would be eliminated and the overall size of the device would be further reduced.

Overview

At one time, clerical tools made of mechanical like abaci, comptometers, Napier's bones, books of mathematical charts, slides or mechanical adding machines were employed for numeric work. The term "calculator" denoted a person who performed this work for a living using such devices as well writing instruments and pen. The semi-manual method of calculation was tedious and error-prone.

Modern calculators are powered by electricity and come in various sizes and shapes ranging from cheap, give-away, credit card-sized models to more robust models with built-in printers.

Electronic calculators

In the past, calculators were as large as today's computers. They were the first desktop calculators, which quickly replaced by electromechanical desktop calculators, later by electronic devices that used first thermionic devices, then transistors, and finally hard-wired integrated circuit logic. Today, most calculators are hand held microelectronic devices.

Basic configuration

The level of complexity of calculators differs according to their purpose. A simple calculator can include the following elements:

  • A power source such as a batteries or solar panel both
  • A display, made of LED light sources (LCD) or LED lights (LCD) capable of showing a number of numbers (typically either 8 or 10.)
  • Electronic circuitry
  • Keypads that contain:
    • The ten digits, from 0 through 9
    • The decimal point
    • The equals sign will call for the answer
    • The four arithmetic functions (namely subtraction multiplication and division)
    • A cancel button to clear the current calculation
    • Switches for off and on
    • Other basic functions including square root and percent (%).
  • Higher-end models may come with a memory of one number, which can be stored in case of need. There may also be an Cancel Entry button to eliminate the current numbers that are being entered.

In the last decade Simple calculators were installed in other small devices, such as cell phones, pagesters, or wrist watches.

Electronic calculators with advanced technology

The more sophisticated scientific calculators are able to support trigonometrics, statistical calculations, and other mathematical functions. The most advanced modern calculators have graphics and incorporate features of computer algebra systems. They are also programmable. calculator applications can include solvers for algebraic equations, financial models, and games. Many calculators of this kind can print numbers as large as ten digits or decimal places completely on the screen. Scientific notation is used to represent numbers that are as high as 9.999999999*10 99. If a higher value or a mathematical expression yielding more than the one entered (a common instance is entering "100! ", read as "100 factorial") then the calculator will simply display "error."

"Error" is also displayed if a function or an operation is not mathematically defined for instance, division by zero , or even bases of negative numbers (most scientific calculators don't accept complex numbers although some of the more expensive models have specific functions for working with complex numbers). Certain, but not all calculators are able to differentiate between the two types of "error," though when they do, it's not easy for the user to comprehend since they're usually referred to with the names "error 1" or "error 2."

There are a handful of companies that design and produce the most modern professional finance and engineering calculators the most well-known include Casio, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Texas Instruments (TI). Calculators like these are great examples of embedded systems.

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