Summary of ARDUINO NANO POWERS REVERSE POLISH NOTATION CALCULATOR
The SB116 is a custom-built Reverse Polish Notation calculator by Simon Boak, featuring an Arduino Nano, a metal case, a custom PCB keyboard, and a small OLED display designed to evoke 1980s calculators. It supports multiple numeral systems—binary, octal, decimal, and hex—and offers bitwise operations useful for 6502 assembly programming. While the source code is available, the case and keyboard construction require DIY effort, emphasizing a blend of retro aesthetics with modern technology.
Parts used in the SB116:
- Arduino Nano
- Custom PCB keyboard
- OLED display
- Hand-built metal case
There’s something about Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) and the calculators that use it. It calls to mind a time when a calculator was a serious tool, and not just a throwaway toy. Created in the legacy of such calculators by HP and Texas Instruments, [Simon Boak] shows off his SB116, sporting an Arduino Nano under the hood. It’s a fully custom design, with a hand-built metal case, a custom PCB for the keyboard, and a tiny OLED display for maximum retro green goodness.
The impetus for this build was to replace a particular calculator, a well-used TI Programmer, that’s useful for working with 6502 assembly. The SB116 supports binary, octal, decimal, and hex; and boasts some downright useful functions — AND, NOT, OR, XOR, and bitshifts. The source code is available, but you’re on your own for the case and keyboard. And for maximized retro faux-nostalgia, [Simon] designed a box that would have looked right at home on an 80s store shelf.
Stick around for more retro-modern takes on calculators, or tales of repairing a genuine vintage model.
Source: ARDUINO NANO POWERS REVERSE POLISH NOTATION CALCULATOR
