--- title: Sharp PC-1245 categories: - Computers types: - Pocket origins: - Japan years: - '1983' cpus: - Sharp SC61860 CMOS 8-bit params: name: PC-1245 image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_system_s1.jpg company: /companies/sharp company_name: Sharp specs: - label: NAME value: PC-1245 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Sharp - label: TYPE value: Pocket - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: BASIC interpreter - label: KEYBOARD value: 52 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad - label: CPU value: Sharp SC61860 CMOS 8-bit - label: SPEED value: 576 KHz - label: RAM value: 2.2 KB - 1486 bytes available for BASIC programs - label: ROM value: 24 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: LCD display - 1 line x 16 char. 5x7 dot matrix - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: None - label: COLORS value: monochrome grey LCD - label: SOUND value: CPU controlled piezo buzzer, fixed frequency and duration via BASIC statement - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 135 (W) x 70 (D) x 9.5 (H) mm / 115 g with batteries - label: I/O PORTS value: Proprietary 11-pin expansion bus - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Memory safe guard - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 6 volts, 2 x CR 2032 lithium cells - label: PERIPHERALS value: |- CE-126P thermal printer\ CE-124 Tape recorder interface\ CE-125 Thermal printer and micro cassette recorder - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - emulators - links photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_system_s2.jpg - title: BOTH SIDES subtitle: '' text: |- LCD contrast button on the right side,\ 11-pin expansion connector on the left side. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_sides_s1.jpg - title: BACK COVER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_back_s1.jpg - title: WITH CE-125 INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_ce125_s1.jpg - title: 'CE-125 #2' subtitle: '' text: The AC adaptor jack is used to recharge the internal battery. The Audio In jack allows an external tape recorder to be used to read programs. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_ce125_s2.jpg - title: 'LOGIC CARD #1' subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** LCD contrast adjustment\ **(2)** CR 2032 cell connectors\ **(3)** 2 KB RAM chip\ **(4)** Buzzer leads\ **(5)** SC43536 display driver chipset\ **(6)** 11-pin expansion connector\ **(7)** SC61860 CPU\ **(8)** LH532920 ROM, holds the BASIC interpreter\ **(9)** Reset switch. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_pcircuit_s2.jpg - title: 'LOGIC CARD #2' subtitle: '' text: Keyboard and display side. Keyboard switches are covered with a rubber mask. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_pcircuit_s1.jpg - title: USER'S MANUALS subtitle: '' text: As usual with Sharp pocket manuals, the 1245 manual is very complete and detailed. image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1245_manuals_s1.jpg emulators: - title: POEMS url: http://sourceforge.jp/projects/poems/ platform: Unix / Linux text: PC-12xx, 14xx & 13xx emulator - title: PockEmul url: http://pockemul.free.fr/ platform: Multiplatform text: Emulates nearly all Sharp pocket computers! links: - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: '' related: - /museum/sharp-pc-1210-1211-1212 - /museum/sharp-pc-1250-pc-1251 - /museum/sharp-pc-1260-pc-1261-pc-1262 - /museum/sharp-pc-1401-pc-1402-pc-1421 - /museum/sharp-pc-1403-h - /museum/sharp-pc-1500-pc-1500a - /museum/sharp-pc-2500 oc_id: 1135 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608211319/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1135 date: '2023-06-08' --- Basically, the PC-1245 was a low-cost version of the [PC-1251](/museum/sharp-pc-1250-pc-1251/). The following features were affected: First, it had only 2.2 KB RAM instead of 4 KB, thus only 1486 bytes were available for programming. Second, the display provided only 16 characters instead of 24. Third, the RESERVE mode, which had allowed to assign BASIC commands or functions to 18 of the alphanumeric keys, had been eliminated. Instead, these keys were assigned BASIC shortcuts for easier program entering.\ As a cosmetical difference, the colour scheme of the keyboard had been reversed, that is the alphanumeric part was brown and the numeric keypad grey for the PC-1245. Internally, the electronics were more or less the same, except for an updated ROM chip and the eliminated RAM chip. The SC61860 microprocessor, the display driver chip SC43536, the LH532920 ROM and one HM6116 2k x 8 RAM chip were all mounted on a single PCB. The 146 bytes of additional RAM were located in the display driver chip. Needless to say, that the PC-1245 could use the same peripherals as the PC-1251: The CE-125 thermal printer and micro cassette recorder unit, the CE-126P thermal printer and the CE-124 tape recorder interface. Seiko sold a slightly modified versions of the PC-1245, named [MC-2200](/museum/seiko-mc-2200/) Thanks to **Roman von Wartburg** and his [site](http://retrocomputing.ch/) for information. About the missing RESERVE-Mode, **Joerg Lemmer** clarifies:\ There ist no Reserve-Position of the switch right to the display on the PC-1245, but you can assign programs to keys on the keyboard using the DEF-Key. Therefore you have to start a program like\ 10 "A": AREAD X: ...\ This program will then be available in run-mode using , whereas the AREAD-command uses the already displayed value as input and assigns it to variable X. By this it is possible to use the PC-1245 in RUN-mode as a normal calculator and then use the result for a BASIC-routine. That is the main reason for me to have this nice little thing still on my desk.\ I could write books about it and all the fun we (friends in school) had with this thing. We used it to cheat in tests, used undocumented commands to make music with it and even programmed some games.