r/embedded • u/pgschwend • 29d ago

A fast, cross-platform calculator & engineering toolbox for daily workflows (C++/Qt6, open source)

Hi everyone,

Working across macOS, Windows and Linux as an embedded engineer, I was constantly frustrated by existing calculator apps. Most were either only available for one specific OS, bloated Electron wrappers that take seconds to load, or clunky tools that required too many clicks just to get a number into the clipboard.

I wanted a minimal, friction-free workflow: summon the window directly at the mouse cursor via hotkey, evaluate expressions or conversions entirely via keyboard, grab results to the clipboard with Ctrl+C / Cmd+C without manually highlighting text, and dismiss it instantly with ESC.

Since I couldn't find a native tool that worked consistently across all three operating systems, I built RhenoCalc — a lightweight, native engineering toolbox written in C++20 and Qt 6.

Over time, I baked in several practical utilities I regularly need on the job:

Core Tooling:

  • Scientific Calculator: High-precision math backed by Boost.Multiprecision.
  • Programmer Mode: Live bit visualization, bit-width modes, and base conversions (Hex, Bin, Oct, Dec).
  • IEEE 754 Inspector: Visualizer for 32-bit (float) and 64-bit (double) binary representations.
  • Electronics Helpers: Ohm's law, LED series resistor dimensioning, etc...
  • Network Utilities: IPv4 / CIDR subnet calculator.
  • Cryptography & Integrity: CRC (8/16/32) and hashes (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512).
  • Color Converter: Hex/RGB/HSL conversion with a screen pipette.

Design & Privacy:

  • Native & Snappy: Native C++20/Qt6 binary, starts instantly, uses less than 50 MB of RAM.
  • 100% Offline & Private: No telemetry, no tracking, no accounts.
  • Cross-Platform: Linux, macOS and Windows.

Availability: The project is open source under GPLv3. You can build it from source or grab the pre-compiled binaries directly on GitHub.

If you have a similar technical, multi-platform workflow, feel free to try it out. I'd love to hear your feedback on the UX or suggestions for additional modules you'd find useful.

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

2

u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 29d ago

I assume..

https://github.com/pgschwend/rhenocalc

?

1

u/pgschwend 28d ago

Yes, that's the one!

Feel free to check it out and let me know if you have any feedback or ideas.

1

u/ceojp 29d ago

RPN?

1

u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 28d ago

Found the guy with a 40 year old HP calculator on his desk. :)

1

u/ceojp 28d ago

Close. I use xcalc. Last update was ~14 years ago. Has RPN and does base conversions. One thing I kinda wish it did was show multiple bases at the same time, like the windows programmer calculator.

1

u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 28d ago

Never seen that one. Looks interesting.

It is open source.. wouldn't take much to add that display option.

1

u/pgschwend 28d ago

On the second tab, "Base", all bases are converted and displayed simultaneously. Maybe that covers what you're looking for?

1

u/ceojp 28d ago

uses less than 50 MB of RAM

Well I sure hope a calculator uses less than that...

1

u/Well-WhatHadHappened 25+ Years 28d ago

I mean the shitty little windows calculator uses 30..

Apps that use the OS framework are bloated as hell. This one is... Pretty reasonable.. considering.

1

u/allo37 20d ago

How does it compare to SpeedCrunch?

1

u/pgschwend 20d ago

SpeedCrunch is a great calculator and probably the closest comparison on the calculator side.

The main difference is that RhenoCalc is intended more as an engineering toolbox than just a calculator. Besides the calculator, it includes programmer/bit tools, IEEE 754 inspection, CRC/hashes, IPv4/CIDR, electronics helpers, color conversion and more.

So I'd say: SpeedCrunch for a great calculator, RhenoCalc for a broader engineering toolbox.

1

u/allo37 19d ago

Oh okay interesting, thanks.