USB to Casio FX-880P Adapter Manual V.

01

Manual and Instructions for

PC-USB to CASIO FX-880p / FX-850P Calculators

Doc. Ref ADP_V01

Revision date : 21/12/2022

Introduction:

This document tries to briefly explain how to set up and use the USB to RS232 Port adapter
for CASIO FX880P and FX850P calculators.
The Adapter is a design to connect a PC Computer USB port to the side connector placed
in the calculator.
This connector is a propietary by CASIO, and today is practically impossible find it in the
market . The connector is a 30 pin, spaced 50 mils ( 1,27mm), double row by 15.

The solution proposed is a little PCB, with the chip from FTDI FT232RL, and some
associated hardware, enclosed in a 3D printed case.
The pins are very delicate and must be handled with care, both the insertion and the
extraction of it in the calculator.

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1- Details of the adapter.

The schematic and construction of the pcb is attached.

Schematics:

Plotted PCB:

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Full view of the adapter :

The complete information of the CAD, gerber and other info is available on request.
The signal levels at the connection pins are selectable 3.3V or 5V.
Normally, they are delivered with 5V levels.

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In order to have the adapter fully operational, two steps are necessary:
-A Installation of FTDI drivers
-B Installation of the Windows communication program.

2- Installation of the FTDI drivers

The first thing is to download the drivers from the official page of the manufacturer for the
operating system that is available.
Go to -> https://ftdichip.com/drivers/

and follow the next steps:

We need the VCP (virtual COM port) diver, select and

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Select the actual diver, normally it should be something like :

Whe we have downloaded the file, install It.

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Now, simply follow the installer instructions...

Once Completed the installation process. You can check and remap the installed port
to a COM port number that is suitable to work with the communications program, in our
case from 1 to 4 . ( the comms program CASIOPC.EXE only work with these 4 port
numbers).

With the driver fully installed, connect the adapter to the computer's USB port (not
connected to the calculator at the moment). The computer will recognize the adapter,
assigning it a port number.
The following step, is check the assigned port and if necessary, change it to one of the
suitable ones 1 to 4.
To check the installed port, go to CONTROL-PANEL ->SYSTEM->DEVICE
MANAGER .

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USB to Casio FX-880P Adapter Manual V.01

fig.1

we will see in the dialog box the installed devices. Go to Ports(COM & LPT),

fig.2

The devices that we will see are dependent on the ones that each machine has installed. It
may be something different than those shown.
When we insert the adapter, the box will change and show the new device as

fig.3

Normally, the assigned port can be a value outside the range of 1 to 4, then we have to
remap it to a value within our acceptable range.
To do this, pick over the new assigned port line with the mouse .....
(place mouse over , and then rigth click...

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The dialog change to :

fig.4

The dialog shows..

fig.5

Select ADVANCED button...

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fig.6

We can see now the assigned COM port and modify if necessary.

fig.7

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USB to Casio FX-880P Adapter Manual V.01

When we have the correct selections, we accept and close the dialog.
We will now have the adapter correctly installed and configured.

3-Installation of the Windows communication program.

The next step is to install the communications program CASIOOC.EXE and configure it.
This program has been found in the web. No other support of the same is available.
Since several messages and instructions are in spanish, they are detailed in this manual in
english.
Install de executable in your selected or elected directory. Install it normally in your own and
separate from the rest of the applications.
Execute and see :

Only three options are available: Files, Window and Help.

The help file is not available.
To see the complete menus, firts we should set a NEW file or OPEN a saved file.
To start, set a NEW file...

fig.8

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Or open a previously saved one ....

fig.9

If a new is selected, we get a black page where edit our file, and complete menus.

fig.10

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USB to Casio FX-880P Adapter Manual V.01

The complete menús are :

File, Edit, Comunications, Format, Configuration, Window, Help.

In each menús, we have :

In FILE:

fig.11

In EDIT:

fig.12

In these two msub-menús, no more explanations are needed, since they are well known in
the operating system.

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In COMMUNICATIONS :

fig.13

As you can see, we only have the RECEPTION options active, since the file to be edited is
blank. Until we edit something, the TRANSMISSION options will not be activated.

In CONFIGURATION:

fig.14

Select the option Comunication ,this is the first option that must be configured, that of the
program and the speed .

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The parameters of the comunication are :

fig.15

A good selection for the speed are 2400 bauds. Select the appropiate PORT.
Save and exit.
All other configuration parameters are only to change the screen aspect.
Normally, leave by defaults.

The menus File , Edit,Comunications, Format, Configuration,Window and Help,

and their sub-menus are in english, so , no further explanations are necessary.

We will focus on the transmission and reception menus.

Assumed we have a BASIC program in the opened window File, and named...

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Save a program to calculator. PC->CALCULATOR Com

Connect the adapter to PC. (assumed has been previosly configured).

Connect the adapter to CALCULATOR ( swithched OFF).
Apply power to CALCULATOR.
Go to Comunications-> Send Program...
The screen shows :

fig.16

The screen gives us the instructions to make the transmission from the PC to the
calculator.

The translation of the messages are :

“Sitúese en el área de programa donde desee enviarlo”

Go to the program area where you want to send it

“Escriba en la calculadora”
type on calculator

“pulse EXE en la calculadora, luego, Comenzar en el PC”

press EXE on calculator, then Start on PC

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Actions:
Put the calculator in MODE 1 ( press keys MODE, 1)

The calculator screen shows :

_______________________________
P0123456789 35368
Ready P0
_______________________________

Then write in the calculator :

LOAD”COM0:5”

press EXE... the pick PC program START....

The file is transferred to calculator. We can se the progress bar in the upper side of
the program. When transmission is completed, the screen shows :

fig.17

“Transmision finalizada, pulse BREAK en la calculadora”

Transmission finished, press BREAK on the calculator

Press OK in the windows program, and the BREAK in the calculator.

You can see the program inside the calculator memory, insert LIST EXE...
The calculator command to receive a serial program is LOAD , the parameters COM0
are for serial RS232, :5 is for the elected speed.
See CASIO manual for a complete description of the parameters.

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Upload a calculator program to Computer . CALCULATOR -> COMPUTER

Select the menús Comunications-> Receive Program

The screen change to :

fig.18

messages translation:

“sitúese en el área de programa que desee salvar”

go to the program area you want to save

“escriba en la calculadora”
write on the calculator

“Pulse Comenzar en el PC, luego EXE en la calculadora”

Press Start (buuton) on PC, then EXE on calculator

Actions:
Put the calculator in MODE 1 ( press keys MODE, 1)
The calculator screen shows :
_______________________________
P0123456789 35368
Ready P0
_______________________________

Then write in the calculator :

SAVE”COM0:5”

press START button in the PC.... then EXE in the calculator.

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If you start this reception over a screen when we have a program edited, the system warns us
that we are going to overwrite the program.

fig.19

“va a sobreescribir en un archivo ocupado. ¿desea continuar?”

going to overwrite a file. do you wish to continue ?

If we continue, we see in real time the received characters writen to the file.
When transmission is ended, we see :

fig.20

“Comunicacion finalizada, pulse OK”.

Communication finished, press OK

Press OK button. In the calculator , we see message Ready P0.

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4- RS232 Comunication options for FX880P/FX850P calculators.

Following the Casio FX880P/850P Owners´s Manual, at page´s 84,85,86,

we can see a brief decroiption of all the parameterá and option used in the management
of RS232 port , in CASIO , COM0.

By defaults, the communication parameters are :

COM0: 2,E,8,1,N,N,N,B,N

as Baud Rate :300 bauds (2)

Parity :Even (E)
DataBits :8 bits (8)
Stop bits :1 bit (1)
CS :Not Used (N)
DS :Not Used (N)
CD :Not Used (N)
Busy :Used (B)
ShiftIn/Out :Not Used (N)

Examples for TX and RX leaving by defaults parameters and set only the Speed to
2400 Bauds. (command to write in the calculator).

To Donwload a File from PC to calculator:

MODE 1
LOAD”COM0:5” EXE

To upload a file from calculator to PC:

MODE 1
SAVE”COM0:5” EXE

Note : XXX in colour named keys

As showed in the mentioned pages of the manual, the general mode of the TX/RX
command are :

COM0 :[[Speed],[Parity],[Data],[Stop],[CS],[DS],[CD],[Busy],[Code]]

Paremeters in detail:

SPEED: (baud rate, data transfer speed)

6 : 4800 bauds
5 : 2400 bauds
4 : 1200 bauds
3 : 600 bauds
2 : 300 bauds
1 : 150 bauds

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Note: 2400 (5) or less should be specified when comms are specified by OPEN
statement.

PARITY:
N : No parity bit
E : Even parity
O : Odd parity

DATA: Number of bits each character

7 : 7 bits
8 : 8 bits

STOP: Stop bits at end of each character

1 : 1 bit
2 : 2 bit

CS: CTS Clear to send.

C : Used The sending device waits until CS is ON
N : Not Used

DS: Data set Ready DSR

D : Used
N : Not Used

CD: Carrier Detect (CD)

C : Used
N : Not Used

Complete description is available in the CASIO manual.

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5 – General Communications Program´s.

For file transfer to or from a computer, any program that is capable of handling the
computer's RS232 port is in principle suitable.
The communications protocol is very simple, it involves sending/receiving in ASCII , with
each line ending with the control characters, CR (Carry Return), LF (Line Feed ) .
See an example of a file edited in HEX...

For example , the BASIC file :

10 A = 0
20 PRINT A
30 A = A+1
40 GOTO 20
50 END

Internally is coded as :

There are some general communication programs available.

I have checked some, very simple, one of them is a personal used in testing purposes.
The program is not very user friendly, but it serves the intended purpose.

The appearance or displayed window is as follows :

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This simple programm, enables the comunication in a basic mode, nut ONLY from
PC to calculator.

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Another useful application is the venerable HYPERTERMINAL.

Unfortunately, it is not available starting with Windows 7. The last version that had it was
XP .
We can install it in windows 7, simply by copying the files :

hypertrm.dll
hypertrm.exe

from a system with XP, and place in a local directory.

Make an direct access icon and "voilá", all work done.
If we use this software, start and see new screen window :

When application start, assing a name of the connection ,or open one saved previosly.
Named and ACCEPT.
Then , in the new window, select Conection Using COMx:

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Select the serial port assigned to the adapter, in this case COM4. And ACCEPT.
Then the next step is configure the comunication parameters:

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Normally, set to 2400,8,E,1 and NO flow control. Accept (OK button).

Now we stay in the main window and are ready to send / receive files to/from calculator.
I
To transfer a program from the PC (download) to the calculator, proceed as follows:

1- Place the calculator in reception mode :

LOAD"COM0:5"
2- Go to Hyperterminal Menu "Transfer"
3- Select "Send Text File" and follow the instructions.

4- Once file is transferred, Press BREAK key in the calculator.

If everything went well, we will have in our calculator the file

To transfer a program from calculator (upload) to the PC, follow the steps...

1- Select in the Hyperterminal program from menu “Transfer” ->

capture text, and follow the instructions about directory, name to be saved.
2- Write in the calculator SAVE”COM0:5” and press EXE.

The hyperterminal program does not show or indicate that reception is complete. But the
received data is displayed on the screen at the rate it is received. Then we can copy the
buffer of received data and save it in a file, for editing.

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