Casio fx-570ES Scientific Calculator Tweak

http://edu.casio.com/products/ntd/fx570es/

I bought a new Scientific Calculator, Casio fx-570ES. You can click on the link above for more information about the calculator. Previously I am using Casio fx-570MS until recently I left my calculator at my hometown. The function for both of them are similar, and I am being told that the newer fx-570ES support more calculation function/feature which are not available in the older model.  The one on the left is fx-570MS, (belongs to my housemate) and the one on the right is my new fx-570ES.

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Normal functionality of the new calculator doesn’t give much problem to me, location of the keys similar to the new one. One thing that really bugs me on the new calculator is they remove the number prefix (like milli, nano, pico, Mega, Kilo, …) on the new calculator, and they change the combination of the SHIFT + Number to other functions. I will say I rely a lot on this function on my previous Scientific Calculator for the calculation of timing in my coding work.

Casio fx-570MS number key with the number prefix (f, p, n, u, m, k, M, G, and T).

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Casio fx-570ES number key without the number prefix.

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I don’t know if they did research on the usage of the number prefix, but for me it is really a big disadvantage in the newer model. So, what I did to “tweak” this new calculator is I write in the number prefix myself to the new calculator.

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So, writing the number prefix to the calculator will not magically turn the calculator to function the way we want, but, let me explain on how I really “tweak” the calculator or improve the usage of the calculator.

The table of the number prefix (get it from wikipedia):

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The method I use will only applicable for the prefix, nano, micro, milli, kilo, mega and giga, which I have written the symbols above key number 3, 6, and 9. In the older calculator, what we normally do is we key in a number, press SHIFT, and press the number prefix to apply that prefix to the number we insert previously.

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For the new one, what I actually did is I write the number prefix next to the number of x10­x for that prefix. For example, for kilo, the x10­x for kilo is x10­3 . So, instead of pressing the SHIFT + k prefix on the old one, I will be pressing x10­x + key number 3 on the new one. Example of inserting 8milli to the calculator:

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Steps for inserting a kilo prefix in the old calculator:

Old Calculator Steps for inserting kilo prefix

Steps for inserting a kilo prefix in the “tweaked” new calculator:

New Calculator Steps for inserting kilo prefix

So, for prefix kilo, mega and giga, the steps will be x10­x key + the number prefix key. For mili, micro and nano, the steps will be x10­x + ‘-‘ + the number prefix key. For example to insert a 8 mili to the calculator, the steps will be:

New Calculator Steps for inserting 8m number

So, for the prefix on the top left of the number key we can simply insert x10­x + number prefix, for the prefix on the top right of the number key, we will need to insert x10­x + ‘ – ‘ + number prefix.

I am not sure if this method do improve the usage of the Casio fx-570ES for you. The feedback from my housemate is one can simply memorize all the x10­x number for the prefixes. But for me, this really ease me in using the calculator, sort like making the prefix functionality back to this new calculator. Please comment on your thoughts, and for those who are having the same problem as me, try it and do leave comments.

5 thoughts on “Casio fx-570ES Scientific Calculator Tweak”

  1. hello
    permission to use your pic in this thread to put on my website…
    many students ask me regarding how to do number prefix in casio 570es…

    Reply
  2. Hi there. Did you ever find another calculator with the prefixes available directly? I have been looking everywhere for one.

    Reply

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