Sharp PC-1500

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Sharp PC-1500
Sharp PC-1500 IMG 4255.jpg
The Sharp PC-1500 with printer/plotter and cassette interface in travel case. On display at the Musée Bolo, EPFL, Lausanne.
GenerationFirst
Release date1981;42 years ago (1981)
Lifespan1981-1985 (4 years)
Discontinued1985;38 years ago (1985)
Successor Sharp PC-5000
Related Sharp PC-1211
Sharp PC-1251

The Sharp PC-1500 was a pocket computer produced by Sharp between 1981 and 1985. A rebadged version was also sold as the TRS-80 Pocket Computer PC-2.

Contents

The whole computer was designed around the LH5801, an 8-bit CPU similar to the Zilog Z80, but all laid-out in power-saving CMOS circuits. Equipped with 2 KB of on-board RAM, the programming language is BASIC. Later, German engineers provided an assembler for the machine. [1] Later even a C compiler followed. An external slot is available and accepts memory (from 4 KB to 32 KB) and ROM modules.

Eight versions of this pocket computer with 2 KB memory: [2]

Two versions with 8 KB memory:

Technical specifications

Accessories

                    Page 0 : POKE&5804,0 [enter]                     Page 1 : POKE&5804,1 [enter]


An advertisement for the Sharp PC-1500A from the Puget Sound ComputerUser. Advanced Systems & Computer Products - Sharp PC-1500A - May 1987 Puget Sound ComputerUser advert.jpg
An advertisement for the Sharp PC-1500A from the Puget Sound ComputerUser.

BASIC compatibility with early models

Some earlier model PC-1500s will show a value 1 less in the FOR...NEXT counter on exiting the loop compared to later PC-1500s and the PC-1600. [4]

For example:

10FORK=1TO1020NEXTK30PRINTK

K will be set to 11 on later model PC-1500s and PC-1600s, but will be 10 on early PC-1500s.

Consider this example:

10S=020FORK=1TO10STEP430S=S+140NEXTK50PRINTS

S will be set to 3 on later model PC-1500s and PC-1600s, but will be 4 on early PC-1500s.

Early model PC-1500s evaluate IF...THEN statements differently. The behaviour can be summarised thus:

ModelTrueFalse
PC-1600 / Later PC-1500≠00
Early PC-1500>0<0

An early model PC-1500 can be detected by using the command: PEEK&C5C0.

If the value returned is 6, it is an early model.

Example program in BASIC

1ARUN105REM"PC1500 VAT Program:"10INPUT"Price: ";P20PRINTP;"  ";P*V;"  ";P*V*M30GOTO1040END

The PC-1500 allows special abbreviations, and the syntax can also look as follows:

20PRINTP;"  ";PV;"  ";PVM

Usage of variables

P = Purchase Price V = VAT (%/100)     - To be input by hand before calculation begins, e.g.: V=1.14 (Enter) M = Markup (%/100)  - To be input by hand before calculation begins, e.g.: M=1.15 (Enter)

Display of the answers are as follows

Answer1;            Answer2;         Answer3 Purchase Price;     VAT Price;       Sales Price Value: P;           Value: P*V;      Value: P*V*M

Program description

Line 1The ARUN command executes every time the computer is switched on and jumps to line 10.
Line 5This is the REMARK statement (used to include remarks into the source code).
Line 10The INPUT command asks for input from the user and stores the values in the variable "P".
Line 20The PRINT command shows the calculated result as follows: 100   114   142.5. The abbreviated form is special to the PC-1500, as it can only make use of single letter variables and matrixes. This also saves valuable storage space!
Line 30The GOTO command lets the program jump back to line 10, to continue the program over
Line 40The END statement is to be placed on the last line of the code to terminate execution, however in this case it can be omitted, as it is not really necessary.

Significance

The design of initial prototypes of EMKE series of public transport cash registers were built around customized versions of the PC-1500 and its Hungarian clone PTA-4000. The series production models used almost exclusively in Hungarian regional and national bus services up to present day, are built around a version designed by EMKE and are heavily influenced by the PC-1500 design. [5]

Emulation

With the SHARP PC-1500A emulator and the PockEmul you can emulate a PC-1500A.

See also

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References

  1. "Assembler Archives - PC-1500.info". PC-1500.info. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  2. "All and more about Sharp PC-1500 and Tandy PC-2".
  3. "CE-152 : The clone by GENERAL ELECTRIC - PC-1500.info".
  4. Sharp PC-1600 Operation Manual, 1986, p.355.
  5. "Emke Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft".