fx-docs

Documenting exploits and hacking for CASIO scientific calculators



Welcome to fx-docs, a documentation project aimed at consolidating the wealth of information surrounding the exploits and hacks for CASIO’s scientific calculators. Exploits and hacking involve applying low-level technological concepts in order to produce outcomes that these simple calculators weren’t designed for. Contributions have been made over many years by different communities all across the internet, but particularly:

While many of these communities are now inactive, the research they worked tirelessly upon is still scattered across pages of forums and threads. fx-docs exists to streamline this information into a comprehensive yet comprehendible neatly structured set of documents, resources and technical information. In particular, I expect this documentation to walk through calculator hacking concepts for people new to the scene, as well as act as a repository of useful resources for anyone who wants to get their hands on calculator hacking and learn about how it all started.

If you’re new to the calculator hacking scene, take a look at this page.

Note

Simple English: fx-docs is a website which has information on calculator hacking. Most information is for CASIO scientific calculators. Most research was done in these online groups:

Today not many people talk on those websites anymore. But the research they did is still available to us. Now, we are writing guides and collecting resources to help people learn more about calculator hacking.

Project philosophy

fx-docs is a small, individual project by me (aidswidjaja) in order to collect and collate information relating to calculator hacking, in particular, CASIO scientific calculators. There is a strong focus on attribution, and the collection of high-quality resources around this topic. Contributions are very welcome! Please read our Contributing guide and submit a pull request to GitHub if you are interested in helping out. Things like translations (especially for Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), attribution/sources and explanation of deeply technical subjects are highly valuable to improving these docs. However, any and all contributions are welcomed, including research about other (non-CASIO) calculator models, if you are looking for a place to host your research.

I broke one of my calculators earlier this month (September 2020 - while running late to maths class) and with both my final years of schooling starting to kick in, other new endeavours I want to personally embark on, and the dwindling activity of the calculator community, this will probably be my final major work within the calculator enthusiast community. I haven’t been here for long nor have I been particularly significant in my contributions to any actual discoveries, but I hope that this helps someone out there who wants to have a bit of fun with even the simplest of devices.

~ aidswidjaja

Note

Simple English: Hi, my name is aidswidjaja! I made fx-docs to collect research on CASIO calculator hacking. I am doing my best to:

  • make good information on calculator hacking for anyone to use

  • credit the people who did research

  • note where resources (like pictures, diagrams) can be found online

Anyone can help. Please click here to learn more.

Sadly, because of many reasons this might be my last work in calculator hacking research.

  • I am quite busy at school

  • I want to do other things

  • My own calculator broke while I was running to maths class

  • There are not many people in calculator groups anymore

But I hope it helps you - thank you for using this website. I hope that my work here helps many people in the future!

Other languages

Translations aren’t available yet. If you would like to contribute, please see the Contributing page.

For automatic translations online software is available, though quality can vary: - If you need to translate to Chinese - try using Baidu Fanyi. - For all other languages - the best option is Google Translate.

Note

In the meantime, this documentation features the use of Simple English. In places where Simple English can’t be included, a note (like this one) will be provided that summarises the key ideas in Simplified English form.

Disclaimers

Warning

This information is supplied by volunteers in good faith. However, no-one is not responsible if you break your calculator, blow up the battery during your maths exam or start the next nuclear war. We do our best to make sure the information here is safe for you and your calculator, but you proceed at your own risk.

Danger

Don’t use hacked calculators in academic settings unless you have reset the calculator prior to an exam. Calculators which have had hardware modifications should not be used at all. Doing so could be considered malpractice. For students in NSW, please visit the NESA website for more information on why hacking your calculator can be a bad idea.

Tip

Pranking your friends by soft-locking their calculator can get you in trouble.

Contact

For enquiries about this project, please use any of the following contact methods: