Casio Digital Diary Information Casio Digital Diary Information| Updated
9-Feb-2018
FAQ on Casio Digital Diary communications... Compatibility of diary models, cables, and software Organizer Reviews and Recommendations Tips on using the Casio Diaries and software Other Useful Links Your question not answered here? Contact Us
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Top 13 questions:I don't have a manual - where can I get one? My diary is broken - where can I get it fixed? My diary is broken and I didn't have a backup - is there any way to save the contents? (short answer: Maybe) What do I need to back up my diary contents to a PC? I forgot my secret password - is there any way to recover the secret data? (short answer: No) My Casio diary won't communicate with the PC - why not? My diary says "Data Error" when I turn it on - what should I do? I need a new electronic diary - what model should I buy? Is XLink/Win or CASIF/Win compatible with...? (short answer: Yes) How do I exchange data with <other PC program>? How can I transfer data between my Casio diary and Palm/other organizer? I got a new Casio diary and it has different size plug on the serial cable than my old one - can I use it with a size adaptor? (short answer: No) My new PC doesn't have a serial port. How can I plug in my Casio diary cable? DownloadsBackup software: XLink/Win Year 2018 holiday schedule files for the USA and Canada (CSV text format) Lost your manual? Try Generic user manual for the Casio Digital Diaries or http://world.casio.com/sf/download/en/manual/ Need some entertainment? Moon Base Beta text adventure game for Casio SF diaries More downloads on the registered users web page.... Register Casio ContactsCasio USA web site www.casio.com
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XLink/Win version 2.8 has been released (What's new in 2.8). This is a minor update, intended primarily to make the program more Vista-friendly. The default application folders are changed to comply with the Microsoft standards which are more rigorously enforced in Vista, and certain internal functions which caused unnecessary warnings from Vista's User Access Control have been altered to avoid the problem. In addition there are some new functions for more convenient import and export of files, and support for Microsoft Outlook format. XLink/Win version 2.8 has also been tested with the final version of Windows 7 which Microsoft has released to manufacturing, and there are no known compatibility problems.
http://www.usersmanualguide.com/casio/pocket_viewers has manuals posted for many old and new Digital Diary models, including the old SF-4100 and some of the NX and CSF models (thanks to Matt W. Ammons for the link).
Casio has introduced some new SF models in Japan: the SF-4990 with 256 Kb of memory, the SF-6990 with 512 Kbytes of memory, and the SF-7990 with 1 Mbyte of memory. They look more-or-less like the SF-4985ER and support similar features. Looks like the SF model line is not finished yet. Casio has also finally published some of their SF manuals online in PDF format at http://world.casio.com/sf/download/en/manual/.
Update 2004: The SF-4990 is now available in many parts of the world (but not North America apparently). Unfortunately it is confirmed incompatible with previous SF models. Both the cable and the communication protocol are different. It is not supported by XLink/Win or CASIF/Win.
The new Casio PV-S250 model, which has been available in Europe for some time, is now available in Canada. While most features are similar to the previous PV-100/200/200A/400A models, this new unit features:
Most of the Casio SF Digital Diary models have been gradually disappearing from store shelves and online retailers over the last few months. It seems that Casio has stopped producing new models, and remaining supplies are now limited. Only the SF-4985ER and SF-7200SY continue to be available. Casio has not announced any official decision to end the SF model line, but they have been concentrating primarily on their PV and WinCE models lately, while Sharp has taken pretty much over the low-end electronic organizer market. In any case, XLink/Win will continue to support the full range of Casio and Sharp models. Casio has sold several million of the SF models since the mid 1980s, and people will certainly continue to use them for many years.
If you currently own a Casio digital diary, or you are wondering if you should buy one while they are still available, have no fear: XLink/Win is also compatible with most of the current Sharp models, and can migrate your data with no loss should you not be able to find a replacement Casio diary in the future.
Casio has released more models in the PV series, including a new high-end PV-750 model, and the new PV-S250 and PV-S450 "slim" models. These new PV models include a new spreadsheet application. For more information on the PV models, see http://www.pocket-viewer.com (operated by Surerange in the UK).
A new Message Board has been set up with sections on Casio diaries and accessories, and on using XLink/Win software with Casio diaries. There's even a For Sale/Wanted section for those who want to buy or sell Casio diaries and accessories. The message board is open for message posting by anyone. It is preferable to post technical support questions to the message board if they are of general interest. Of course we will still answer technical support questions by email. Read the News and Announcements section for more information on the message board.
We are going to try this message board for a while instead of the Listbot mailing lists. Those who prefer to receive email notification of updates can subscribe to receive an email whenever something new is posted to the News and Announcements section of the message board. We will still send any important announcements to the current Listbot mailing list members.
Casio is apparently planning to follow in the footsteps of Palm with their latest "X" models in the PV series, and provide a Software Development Kit to support 3rd-party applications. (Finally! It only took them a decade and the runaway success of Palm to get the message). You'll find more information gleaned from Casio at the CeBit show in Germany and an unofficial copy of the first downloadable game and the instructions to update the PV at http://www.planet-interkom.de/denzler/update.html.. PV-100/200 users please note that this will not work with the older models.
The new SF-7100SY model (with 1 Mbyte memory) is compatible with the SF-6900SY. If you have a software version which does not yet list the SF-7100SY, you can specify one of the SF-6x00SY models instead. A model SF-7200SY is also on the way with 2 Mbytes of memory.
Year 2000 holiday schedule files for the USA and Canada are available for download (SCH CSV text format). Thanks to Verne Nelson for preparing the USA holidays file.
The SF-4700x and SF-4900x models are being replaced by the SF-4985ER, which has the same appearance but adds the missing ToDo and Expense data types. The SF-4985ER is compatible with previous models in the SF series.
Casio has released a new set of SF-49xxZ models with a Czech character set. The data format of these models is incompatible with the standard SF-49xx models. CASIF/Win and XLink/Win have been updated to support these Z models. A special character set translation file is also required. Registered users please contact IMSL Software if you need the file.
Casio has released a new set of SF-5x80RS models with a Russian (Cyrillic) character set. The data format of these models is incompatible with the standard SF-5x80 models. CASIF/Win and XLink/Win have been updated to support these RS models. A special character set translation file is also required. Registered users please contact IMSL Software if you need the file.
The Casio PV-100/200 "Pocket Viewer" pen models and the BN-10/20/30 "Business Note" keyboard models share a common communications protocol and data format which is not compatible with any other Casio models. The BN models appear physically similar to the SF-6x00SY models, but they cannot communicate. The PV models have a special communications mode which allows them to receive data from older Casio SF models, with 3 restrictions: 1) they can only receive, not send 2) it works only with the older standard SF models, not with the SF-5x80/5x90SY/6x00SY models 3) not all data types can be received.
The SF-6x00SY models (SF-6500SY, SF-6700SY, and SF-6900SY) models use a slightly different communications protocol than previous models in the SF-5x80 and SF-5x90SY series. Please contact IMSL Software for an update of CASIF/Win if you need support for these models (this update supports the Sync mode for SF-5x90SY and SF-6700SY models). If you use Casio's FA-128 V1.0 software (SF Interface for Windows), you need an update to V1.1.
Cable specifications for the SF-5x90SY/6x00SY 12v serial cable with the larger 3.5mm plug are also available from IMSL Software. DO NOT attempt to use the older 6v serial cable with these diary models, or the new 12v cable with older diary models - you will likely damage something.
In response to a lot of questions about compatibility of diaries, cables, and software, we have prepared the following brief summary of compatibility between Casio diary models, cables, and software. This information can be found in the FAQ on Casio Digital Diary communications....
The Casio USA web site at one time had a decent Tech Support bulletin board which allowed Casio diary users to post messages and receive responses from Casio Tech Support and other users in the "Personal Organizers" section.Unfortunately it was suspended by Casio due to customer complaints that there were too few answers coming from Casio. This is too bad, since the bulletin board itself was useful for information exchange between Casio diary users, regardless of the limited technical support attention from Casio.
IMSL Software has a mailing list for users of Casio diaries and CASIF/Win or XLink/Win software. See http://CASIFWIN.listbot.com/ if you want to subscribe or post to it.
See Useful Links for other possible places to look for information.
NEW: See Message Board above
In case you were't sure, the Casio diaries are all Year 2000 compliant. They will correctly handle dates in the year 2000 and beyond, and the date/time will correctly roll over from midnight December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000. The only problem you will find is that if you were used to entering a 2-digit year as a shortcut on the diary, it will no longer work after 1999 because year 00 is not equivalent to year 2000 (it's either 1900 or 1980, depending on your model).
Exactly the same is true of most Windows software packages for Casio diary backup (including CASIF/Win): they will correctly handle dates in the year 2000 and beyond, but you must use a 4-digit year format because year 00 is not equivalent to year 2000 in Windows (it's 1900). About the only exception to this is Windows Link, which does translate year 00 to year 2000.
Casio has recently introduced some new models:
The SF-4700C is a new member of the SF-4700 line, with the same features as the SF-4700L, available in silver as well as black. The SF-4700C is compatible with the standard SF diary family for communications. It is very similar to the SF-4600B, but has a few worthwhile changes: it's slightly longer and wider, but it has a bigger keyboard with a numeric keypad at the upper right, and dedicated mode keys along the top. It also has a display backlight. Casio uses the trailing letters on the model number to mean various different things, but in this case "L" stands for "Large screen" and "C" stands for "Compact screen".
The SF-6500SY, SF-6700SY, and SF-6900SY are new members of the SF-5x90SY family, with the same features and memory as the SF-5590SY/5790SY/5990SY, but with a wider screen. The wider screen allows the unit to always display a one month calendar next to the standard Schedule screens. These models are compatible with the SF-5x80/5x90 family for communications. In North America these models are sold with a cable and backup software, but in other countries they are available with or without this option (a "P" suffix on the model number indicates "Plus backup cable and software"). Interestingly the physical appearance of the case and screen of these models is identical to the BN-10/20. Like the BN models, they use AA size batteries instead of AAA, which is a positive advantage since AAs are cheaper and last longer. Not only is the case similar to the BN models, most of the screen graphics look the same (e.g. the Telephone mode index screen looks exactly the same on both models) ... but just to be clear, the BN-10/20 models are NOT compatible with any of the SF/CSF/NX Digital Diary models, and cannot communicate with any of these models or their backup software packages.
The PV-200 (Pocket Viewer) is an entirely new model similar in appearance to the Palm Pilot, but a little smaller and slimmer. It is not compatible with the previous NX models which had a similar physical form. It has an innovative one-touch navigation button on the side, and the standard applications are reasonably complete, but there is no mention of any capability to add new applications like the Palm Pilot.
In response to many requests, we have finally created a downloadable user manual for the Casio Digital Diary. This brief manual attempts to cover all models in one document, so it doesn't go into a lot of step-by-step detail, but it does cover all the basics for all common models. Send us your feedback, and please don't copy it all over the web until it has a chance to go through some review and improvement.
To order a new original manual from Casio USA for any Digital Diary model (free in the USA, check with local distributor in other countries):
By telephone: 973-328-1670
On the web: Go to the Casio USA web site, click on Service and Support, select Personal Organizers, click on FAQs - there aren't any for the Digital Diary, but there will be a another drop down box that says "Broken...."; click on it and you will see Catalogs and Manuals listed. Once you click on that you will get an order form to order your instruction manual.
Other countries: If you go to http://www.casio.co.jp/English and click on contacts at the bottom of the page, you can find the name of a Casio distributor in your area.
Windows Link Inc. has their Casio World web site up and running now (http://www.casioworld.com). This incorporates the information from Mark Winthrop's old site and a message board to replace Mike Shirley's BOSS old mailing list.
A number of users of Casio's Russian models have asked why their entries are not translated to the proper characters on the PC. This is because these models have their own unique character set which must be translated to the appropriate Russian font in Windows (see the topic SUBS in the XLink/Win or CASIF/Win Help file for instructions on character set translation).
Update: The new SF-4600RS and SF-4900RS Russian models have the Send options "To same model" and "To other model" to select whether the Russian language character set should be sent as-is or translated to standard ASCII characters where possible (blanks used for untranslateable characters). XLink/Win and CASIF/Win now support this feature and the Russian character set. The character set translation file is available to registered users from IMSL Software.
The old SF-4000 and SF-4100 models lacked an external serial port, but it turns out that Casio published a Technote describing how to hook up the unused serial communications pins on the internal PCB and display a "hidden" communications menu (thanks to Shimon Feuchtwanger for sending this information). If anyone has an old SF-4000/SF-4100 with vital information in it which they have been unable to back up, let me know (infoi1@imslsoft.com) and I'll send the information.
A few people have asked if the SF-4600C model is compatible with other models and software packages like CASIF/Win since it isn't listed. It is compatible - just select SF-4600B as the model number.
The SF-5x90SY models are fully compatible with the SF-5x80 models, and with software packages which support the SF-5x80 models, but the cable is not compatible. They use a separate and different protocol for their automatic Sync function which is fully supported only by Casio's FA-128 software so far. IMSL Software will add full support for the Sync function to CASIF/Win, but initially there will only be partial support.
Ran across a posting on Usenet about the BASIC programming IC card for the Casio BOSS SF-9x00/R10/R20 series! I sent an enquiry, and here's what I heard back from Emanuele Siboni:
"I bought my Basic IC card in a shop specialized in CASIO products here in Milan (Italy) but the card itself is actually made by a German company:"/S/Y/S/TECH, GmbH". The ref. reported on the manual is:
/S/Y/S/TECH, GmbH Ref.: CASIO-BASIC
Stahlgruberring 34
D-81829 Muenchen
FAX +49-89-426285
It has no serial number on it an is called simply "basic card" on the manual (which reports all the commands accepted by the card, the syntax and some explanation). It has 128kb rom and 32kb ram. It runs a pretty old version of Basic..."
The new Casio BN10/BN20 models have recently appeared on store shelves. They look a lot like the Windows CE models, slightly smaller, good-looking screen and keyboard. Use standard AA batteries (good). Appear to use a proprietary IC card (bad). Built-in functionality looks good: word processor, spreadsheet, database, terminal program etc. Doesn't have numbers and math symbols on the keyboard (bad!).
Looks like a serious alternative to the Win CE models. The price of the 1 Mbyte BN10 model is good (well under U.S.$200), but as usual Casio charges a serious premium for the 2 Mbyte model., and the optional modem card may be expensive.The BN models are supported by the same PC Synch software as the PV models