# Swiss\_micros\_tools, and a tutorial outside the our bubble

**URL:** <https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/swiss-micros-tools-and-a-tutorial-outside-the-our-bubble/4768>\
**Category:** Releases\
**Tags:** macos, linux, ada, windows, tutorial\
**Created:** [September 22, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/swiss-micros-tools-and-a-tutorial-outside-the-our-bubble/4768 "2026-09-22T20:08:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krischik](https://forum.ada-lang.io/user_avatar/forum.ada-lang.io/krischik/32/420_2.png) [@krischik](https://forum.ada-lang.io/u/krischik)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/swiss-micros-tools-and-a-tutorial-outside-the-our-bubble/4768/1 "2026-09-22T20:08:27Z")

</div>

I have just shipped **swiss\_micros\_tools** : host-side Ada 2022 programmes that drive SwissMicros pocket calculators over USB serial. The first binary, **dm\_set\_time** , sets the machine clock from the host. Memory send/receive are next.

The interesting bit is how it is built, and that I wrote it up as a pair of workshop notes rather than a reference dump.

This crate — and the sibling HP-41CX tools — show Ada _outside_ the Ada bubble: retro-calculator forums, people who would otherwise use Python, Excel or serial terminals.

- Tutorial pages: [https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/swiss-micros-tools/](https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/swiss-micros-tools/)
- Worked specimen (`dm_set_time`): [https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/swiss-micros-tools/dm\_set\_time/](https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/swiss-micros-tools/dm_set_time/)
- GNATdoc: [https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/gnatdoc/swiss\_micros\_tools/](https://calculator-scripts.sourceforge.io/gnatdoc/swiss_micros_tools/)
- Files: [https://sourceforge.net/projects/calculator-scripts/files/](https://sourceforge.net/projects/calculator-scripts/files/) ·
- Git: [https://sourceforge.net/p/calculator-scripts/code/ci/master/tree/](https://sourceforge.net/p/calculator-scripts/code/ci/master/tree/)

If you have been looking for a small, complete example of advanced command line parsing, opening a serial port and speak a line protocol, this is the one.

— Martin