Sharp PC-1201
| Datasheet legend
Ab/c:
Fractions calculation
AC: Alternating current BaseN: Number base calculations Card: Magnetic card storage Cmem: Continuous memory Cond: Conditional execution Const: Scientific constants Cplx: Complex number arithmetic DC: Direct current Eqlib: Equation library Exp: Exponential/logarithmic functions Fin: Financial functions Grph: Graphing capability Hyp: Hyperbolic functions Ind: Indirect addressing Intg: Numerical integration Jump: Unconditional jump (GOTO) Lbl: Program labels LCD: Liquid Crystal Display LED: Light-Emitting Diode Li-ion: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery Lreg: Linear regression (2-variable statistics) mA: Milliamperes of current Mtrx: Matrix support NiCd: Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable battery NiMH: Nickel-metal-hydrite rechargeable battery Prnt: Printer RTC: Real-time clock Sdev: Standard deviation (1-variable statistics) Solv: Equation solver Subr: Subroutine call capability Symb: Symbolic computing Tape: Magnetic tape storage Trig: Trigonometric functions Units: Unit conversions VAC: Volts AC VDC: Volts DC |
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Sharp PC-1201
One of the rarest programmable machines in existence, the Sharp PC-1201 is Sharp's first entry into the programmable calculator market.
Although it is labelled a "POCKET COMPUTER", the PC-1201 is a classic keystroke programmable calculator. And, I am surprised to find, a very good one at that! The specimen in my hand, despite its advanced age, works perfectly, with a good quality keyboard, crisp display, and last but not least, flawlessly functioning continuous memory.
Continuous memory? Yes indeed! The PC-1201 turns out to be the only pre-LCD programmable not made by Texas Instruments or Hewlett Packard that has this feature. All 128 program steps and 12 memories are preserved when the calculator is turned off. Moreover, the machine's memory receives backup power from two button cells, ensuring that memory contents are not lost when the main batteries are discharged or removed.
All in all, this is a very nice calculator. (Just why is it that in the calculator market, everything seems to be downhill since the days of the early classic machines?) Its programming model is a fully merged keystroke model, with a well organized keycode display (for instance, the 3-key sequence F LBL 0 is displayed as F-13-00 in program memory.)
To demonstrate the programming model of the PC-1201, here's my favorite example, the Gamma function. The program below computes the natural logarithm of the Gamma function to 8 or more digits of precision:
000 F-13-00 LBL 0 001 55-00 x->M 0 002 01 1 003 55-01 x->M 1 004 04 4 005 55-83 x->M t 006 F-13-01 LBL 1 007 65-00 RM 0 008 54 × 009 65-01 RM 1 010 84 = 011 55-01 x->M 1 012 01 1 013 75-00 M+ 0 014 65-00 RM 0 015 F-85-01 x<t 1 016 54 × 017 33 ln 018 64 - 019 65-00 RM 0 020 64 - 021 65-01 RM 1 022 33 ln 023 74 + 024 42 ( 025 02 2 026 54 × 027 F-41 π 028 44 ÷ 029 65-00 RM 0 030 43 ) 031 F-42 √ 032 33 ln 033 74 + 034 42 ( 035 01 1 036 01 1 037 08 8 038 08 8 039 F-43 1/x 040 44 ÷ 041 65-00 RM 0 042 F-44 x2 043 64 - 044 01 1 045 06 6 046 08 8 047 00 0 048 F-43 1/x 049 44 ÷ 050 65-00 RM 0 051 F-44 x2 052 74 + 053 01 1 054 02 2 055 06 6 056 00 0 057 F-43 1/x 058 44 ÷ 059 65-00 RM 0 060 F-44 x2 061 64 - 062 03 3 063 06 6 064 00 0 065 F-43 1/x 066 44 ÷ 067 65-00 RM 0 068 F-44 x2 069 74 + 070 01 1 071 02 2 072 F-43 1/x 073 44 ÷ 074 65-00 RM 0 075 43 ) 076 84 = 077 85 S/E
