Wp34s unit conversions



#4

I just had to use the wp34s conversions in "real life" for the first time yesterday, and I had a problem with the user interface.
Basically, I had to convert a few values from cm to inches. I entered the value, entered the Conv menu, chose the appropriate conversion, and read the result on the display.
Then to convert the other values I had to do it all again, because if you try to enter another number, the calculator just changes units, keeping the same argument, until you press Enter or Exit.
Now, in real life it never happens that if, for example, you need to convert 12.34 cm in inches, then you have to convert 12.34 lbs to kg or whatever; it's much more likely that if you are converting cm to inches, you will need to convert more of the same units.

So I would suggest the following modification: you enter the Conv menu, choose the units, then press Enter to acknowledge the actual conversion you need; then you can repeatedly enter arguments and they are all converted, without the need to re-do everything from scratch.
Then if you press Enter twice, the calc could exit the conv menu leaving the latest value on the stack; or pressing Exit would just exit without modifying the stack.

What do you all think? I think this (or something similar) would be much more user-friendly in "real life" than it is now! :)

Cristian


#5

Ciao Cristian,

I'm not sure I got you right. When I do some conversions of the same kind, e.g. cm to inches, I work like this:

12,3
[f][CONV][C][v][v]
[XEQ]
3,4
[f][CONV]
[XEQ]
5,6
[f][CONV]
[XEQ]
etc.
This looks easy enough for me. YMMV.

Walter


#6

Walter, I just tried it again, and it works as you said - and it indeed is easy enough.
I could have sworn that yesterday, everytime I re-entered the Conv menu, it started again from the first item in the menu. I have re-flashed since yesterday, but I doubt anything has changed there - I suppose I was just doing something wrong. Again. :(
Anyway, it is ok indeed, just disregard my above post!

Cristian


#7

Cristian, which revision are you running and on which hardware? I'm still tracking down the lock-ups other users have reported.

The strange behavior of the CONV menu might be caused by just reading the values while still in the menu and then trying to reenter the new input value which will definitely not work. You need to XEQ or ENTER^ first.

#8

The conversions are designed to change the value in X rather than just viewing the converted value. The latter is useless in a program. The lower line display was a later addition and is useful but the primary purpose is still to do a conversion. Press XEQ or ENTER to convert and exit the catalogue.


I suspect your typing digits caused the catalogue to navigate elsewhere which confused things. Digits enter alpha characters and these cause navigation like all catalogues.


- Pauli


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Interesting Base Conversions - Porting a 1975 HP 25 Program to the HP 35S Eddie W. Shore 1 1,397 10-13-2013, 07:49 PM
Last Post: BruceH
  Unit circle on HP Prime Mic 2 1,364 08-28-2013, 05:22 PM
Last Post: Thomas Klemm
  Decimal/Binary Conversions for the HP 39gii - 3/16/2013 Eddie W. Shore 0 962 03-16-2013, 04:30 PM
Last Post: Eddie W. Shore
  Unit conversions inside programs on 50g Chris Smith 2 1,299 02-23-2013, 05:35 AM
Last Post: Chris Smith
  [WP34S] WP34S firmware on the AT91SAM7L-STK dev kit? jerome ibanes 1 1,250 10-04-2012, 04:59 PM
Last Post: Paul Dale
  17bii unit conversions Dave Britten 12 3,463 03-27-2012, 11:59 AM
Last Post: Dave Britten
  WP 34S adding own conversions Lourensk 4 1,613 03-24-2012, 02:45 PM
Last Post: Walter B
  Re: Voyager 1xC emulation in the same unit? uhmgawa 4 2,215 01-24-2012, 01:09 AM
Last Post: uhmgawa
  Dave Ramsey et al with early HP 41C conversions to CL Geoff Quickfall 4 1,882 01-01-2012, 12:51 AM
Last Post: David Ramsey
  [wp34s] Incomplete Gamma on the wp34s Les Wright 18 5,353 12-06-2011, 11:07 AM
Last Post: Namir

Forum Jump: