Using PrizmSDK to Build Programs for Casio Graphing Calculators

Introduction

If you’re a developer who loves coding or is interested in running custom programs on Casio graphing calculators, you may have heard of PrizmSDK. PrizmSDK is a software development kit (SDK) designed for developing programs that run on Casio graphing calculators, such as the fx-CG series. In this article, we will walk you through how to use PrizmSDK, which integrates libfxcg, mkg3a, gcc, and binutils into a complete SDK toolchain.

Components of PrizmSDK

Your PrizmSDK is built upon the following toolchain components:

• libfxcg: A library that facilitates hardware interactions with the Casio fx-CG series calculators, providing an abstraction of the calculator’s API and hardware operations.
• mkg3a: A tool for packaging and generating executable files in the G3A format, which is the format required by Casio calculators.
• gcc (GNU Compiler Collection): The compiler that translates C or C++ source code into machine code.
• binutils: A suite of tools for handling object files, including the linker and other utilities.

By combining these tools, PrizmSDK allows you to easily compile, package, and run programs on Casio calculators.

Installing PrizmSDK

First, make sure you’ve cloned the PrizmSDK repository. You can do this by running the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/TabNahida/PrizmSDK.git
cd PrizmSDK

Before proceeding, you need to install some dependencies like gcc, make, and binutils. On Linux or macOS, you can install them using the following command:

sudo apt-get install gcc make binutils

Then you can run following commad to clone gcc binutils libfxcg and mkg3a:

git clone https://github.com/Jonimoose/libfxcg.git
git clone https://gitlab.com/taricorp/mkg3a.git
git clone git://gcc.gnu.org/git/gcc.git
git clone git://sourceware.org/git/binutils-gdb.git
chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh

If you’re using Windows, it’s recommended to use PrizmSDK prebuild by libfxcg.

Building Your First Program

Once the installation is complete, let’s create and build a simple “Hello, World!” program.

1. Writing C Source Code

Create a new directory and navigate into it:

mkdir hello_world
cd hello_world

Next, create a file called main.c and insert the following code:

#include <fxcg/display.h>

int main(void) {
    // Clear the screen and display "Hello, World!"
    Bdisp_AllClr_VRAM();
    PrintXY(5, 5, "Hello, World!", 0);
    
    // Wait for user input
    while (1) {
        int key;
        GetKey(&key);
        if (key == KEY_CTRL_EXIT) {
            break;
        }
    }
    
    return 0;
}

2. Compiling the Program

Ensure you’ve set up your environment variables to include PrizmSDK’s toolchain in your $PATH. For example:

export PATH=/path/to/PrizmSDK/bin:$PATH

Then, use make to compile the program. You can utilize the Makefile from PrizmSDK to simplify the process. Run the following command:

make

After compiling, you will see a .g3a file, which is the executable format that you can run on the Casio calculator.

3. Uploading the Program to the Calculator

To upload the generated .g3a file to your calculator, connect your calculator via USB and transfer the file to the “Applications” folder on the calculator.

Additional Features

PrizmSDK offers a rich set of APIs, enabling you to perform more complex tasks on the calculator, such as:

• Graphics Drawing: You can draw graphics and even create simple games.
• File Operations: Read and write files directly.
• Hardware Interaction: Interact with the calculator’s hardware, such as the keyboard and display.

Conclusion

With PrizmSDK, you can leverage the hardware capabilities of Casio graphing calculators to develop rich custom programs and applications. This article walked you through installing the SDK, writing a simple “Hello, World!” program, and deploying it to the calculator. As you continue exploring the SDK, you’ll be able to create more complex and exciting applications.