Where is the beginner's manual?

PicoCalc
1

After installing the replacement screen Clockwork sent me, I finally have a working PicoCalc, a mere 125 days after I ordered it. When it comes on, I get a list of what appear to be languages (I see references to Lua, Python and LISP), and some other things, none of which are identified. I was looking on various sites for a “Picocalc for dummies” sort of document, but this apparently doesn’t exist. When I select “Default app”, I get a microscopic “22280)” prompt. Typing “help” gets me “Error: undefined help”. I get a similar message when trying “man”. A “?” returns “?”. Where do I get some actual documentation for any of this?

Also, in the FAQ part oi the tiny paper booklet the unit shipped with, there is a reference - “….hold down the ‘BOOTSEL’ button on the Pico…” . My unit has no button labelled BOOTSEL.

Can someone point me to ANY documentation that will help me get started with this thing? Otherwise, it’s a $100 paperweight.

2

This may help

Specifically the GettingStarted document and the resources tab

3

I think you where refering to the PicoMite documentation, here it is as PDF
There is a beginner tutorial page 170 :wink:

4

BOOTSEL is a button on the Pico board, the assembled PicoCalc has a small label “RESET” near where this button is (through the vent on the back) on the Pico1H it ships with, but might not line up if a different board is used in its place

5

I looked at the PicoMite documentgs you pointed me to. I understand this is for the bootloader option ““PicoMitecbf6d71.bin”. What I’d like to find is docs for [Default App], and pointers to docs for each of the bootloader menu options, or at least a description of each one so I can figure out which ones to explore.

6

The default app is the last application you’ve ran. It appears you are running the uLisp REPL.

I recommend you begin with Picomite as it is the intended software for the Picocalc

7

When you load one of the programs below [Default App]

then the next time when you boot your PicoCalc then you can use [Default App] as this keeps the last used program you’ve loaded.

So if this is PicoMite, then it will start every time you select [Default App]

8

my “Default App” is whatever was there when I first turned on the device. If it was uLisp REPL, that’s what Clockwork set when they packed it to send to me. They should make Picomite the default from the factory, and explain all of this in the missing documentation I was searching for. I just switched to PicoMite and it does now load when I select “Default”.

Thank you, Tomasserio and AmazingArjan