--- title: Sharp PC-1500 / PC-1500A categories: - Computers types: - Pocket origins: - Japan years: - '1981' cpus: - LH 5801 8-bit CMOS params: name: PC-1500 / PC-1500A image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1500_system_1.jpg company: /companies/sharp company_name: Sharp specs: - label: NAME value: PC-1500 / PC-1500A - label: MANUFACTURER value: Sharp - label: TYPE value: Pocket - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: '1981' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Sharp BASIC interpreter - label: KEYBOARD value: 65 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad - label: CPU value: LH 5801 8-bit CMOS - label: SPEED value: 1.3 MHz - label: RAM value: 'PC-1500: 3.5 KB - PC-1500A: 8.5 kB' - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 1 line x 26 chars. (LCD screen) - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 7 x 156 pixels - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: SOUND value: One-channel Beeper, with frequency and duration controllable by BASIC statement - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 19.5 (W) x 8.6 (D) x 2.55 (H) cm / 375 g (with batteries) - label: I/O PORTS value: Proprietary 60 pin expansion bus, 40 pin slot for memory and program modules - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: None - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 4 x AA 1.5V batteries, 50 hours run time (0.13W) - 6V DC external AC adaptor EA-150 - label: PERIPHERALS value: 'CE-150 4-colour pen-plotter and cassette interface, various RAM modules (4 to 2x16 kBytes), various interfaces (RS-232, Centronics, video), Software modules: graphics, math, engineering etc.' - label: PRICE value: 'PC-1500: 335, PC-1500A: $200, 235' tabs: - photos - adverts - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 941 photos: - title: INSIDE THE PC-1500A subtitle: '' text: |- The right part is the top side (keyboard, display) of the PC-1500. **(1)** External AC adaptor plug\ **(2)** BASIC interpreter ROM chip\ **(3)** Four HM6116 RAM chips\ **(4)**These four chips manage the LCD display\ **(5)** In order to reduce the size of the computer, the logic board has been divided into two parts interconnected with two flat cables\ **(6)** Custom Sharp I/O chip, manages all the external peripherals\ **(7)** Proprietary 60 pin expansion connector\ **(8)** LH 5801 8-bit CMOS processor. Its internal design (registers, instructions) was close to the Z80\ **(9)** 4 x AA batteries housing image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1500_inside_1.jpg - title: RAM LAYOUT subtitle: '' text: |- The main difference between the PC-1500 and PC-1500A was the hardware RAM layout.\ The PC-1500 (right) used two TC5114 1K x 4-bit chips (yellow arrow) and one HM6116 2k x 8 bit chip (red arrow), while the PC-1500A used four HM6116 chips. Thanks to **Roman von Wartburg** image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1500_ramchips_1.jpg adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT (APRIL 1982) subtitle: '' text: '"the computing answer"' image: /media/museum/pubs/sharp_pc1500_french-pub_reponse-informatique.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: Sharp PC-1500 computer (TRS-80 PC-2) resource page url: http://www.pc1500.com/ text: Software archive, tools, documentations and links. A must see. docs: - title: SHARP PC-1500 - OWNER'S MANUAL url: http://www.pc1500.com/pc2manual.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sharp_pc1500_owner-manual.jpg text: |- [**SHARP PC-1500 - OWNER'S MANUAL**](http://www.pc1500.com/pc2manual.html)written by Sharp Corporation  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  size : 2.86 MB\  source : [www.pc1500.com](http://www.pc1500.com) - title: SHARP PC-1500 - TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL url: http://www.pc1500.com/technical_reference_manual.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sharp_pc1500_technical-reference-manual.jpg text: |- [**SHARP PC-1500 - TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL**](http://www.pc1500.com/technical_reference_manual.html)written by Sharp Corporation  compiled/archived by Tom Berry\  type of document : PDF\  size : 26.3 MB\  source : [www.pc1500.com](http://www.pc1500.com) - title: 'TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) : ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE MANUAL' url: http://www.pc1500.com/assemblylanguage.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sharp_pc1500_assembly-language-manual.jpg text: |- [**TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) : ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE MANUAL**](http://www.pc1500.com/assemblylanguage.html)written by Bruce Elliot / The TRS-80 microcomputer news magazine  compiled/archived by E. Mulder\  type of document : PDF\  size : 6.75 MB\  source : [www.pc1500.com](http://www.pc1500.com) - title: SHARP PC-1500 (AND TANDY TRS-80 PC2) - PRINTER / CASSETTE OWNER'S MANUAL url: http://www.pc1500.com/printermanual.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sharp_pc1500_cassette-printer-interface_manual.jpg text: |- [**SHARP PC-1500 (AND TANDY TRS-80 PC2) - PRINTER / CASSETTE OWNER'S MANUAL**](http://www.pc1500.com/printermanual.html)written by Sharp Corporation  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  size : 2,9 MB\  source : [www.pc1500.com](http://www.pc1500.com) - title: TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) - SERVICE MANUAL url: http://www.pc1500.com/servicemanual.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sharp_pc1500_service-manual.jpg text: |- [**TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) - SERVICE MANUAL**](http://www.pc1500.com/servicemanual.html)written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by E. Mulder\  type of document : PDF\  size : 9.9 MB\  source : [www.pc1500.com](http://www.pc1500.com) related: - /museum/sharp-pc-1210-1211-1212 - /museum/sharp-pc-1245 - /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-2500 oc_id: 965 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604073048/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=965 date: '2023-06-04' --- After the successful [PC-121x series](/museum/sharp-pc-1210-1211-1212/), the PC-1500 was the second pocket computer released by Sharp, and their first one based on an 8 bit microprocessor. It might be contended that the PC-1500 was THE milestone in pocket computers. It was very popular among computer hobbyists, and it was used by many companies who equipped their field staff with the machine. Why was this so? Actually, the technical specifications were not overwhelming: its display was only two characters longer than its predecessor's, but at least it featured "one line graphics", i.e. it was a "gap-less" display with 7 x 156 pixels. With 3.5 KB memory, the PC-1500 had not much more RAM available for BASIC (1850 bytes) than the PC-1211 (1424 steps). Moreover, it was quite bulky (25 mm thick, 375 g), supposedly mainly because it used 4 normal AA batteries as power supply. However, the latter fact might have been an advantage, as these batteries are cheap and easily replacable. Presumably, the most important advantage was the expandability of the system. Several RAM extensions (some even with battery back-up), program modules, a "docking station" with cassette interface and colour plotter with full graphics capabilites accessible with BASIC, an external board with programmable function buttons, various interfaces etc. were available. Moreover, the PC-1500 was also programmable in machine code. Apart from that, nothing comparable was available from other manufacturers at that time. Later strongest competitor Casio had their [FX-702P](/museum/casio-fx-702p/), and they were only about to release their [PB-100](/museum/casio-pb-100/) which had rather weak specifications. The PC-1500 was released in late 1981 in Japan and early 1982 in the rest of the world. It was built around the **LH 5801** 8-bit CMOS processor which ran at 1.3 MHz. The RAM consisted of three parts. The 1KB system RAM was made up by two TC5514 1k x 4bit chips, a legacy from the PC-121x series. This area was used for system memory and part of the fixed variables. User RAM was realised with a HM6116 2k x 8 bit chip, most of it available for BASIC (1850 Bytes). Additional 512 Bytes incorporated in the display driver chips were used for the rest of the fixed variables and the display buffer. The RAM could be expanded by RAM modules in different sizes, the largest of which was 16KB (actually, there was also a 32KB module, which had two switchable 16KB pages, i.e. only 16KB could be used at a time). There was also a widely known method to build a self-made RAM expansion up to 32KB. As with the PC-1211, there was a custom manufactured version of the PC-1500 built by Sharp for Tandy Radio Shack, called the [TRS-80 PC-2](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-pc-2/). Apart from a different keyboard layout, it was identical. Two years later, the slightly expanded model **PC-1500A** was released (in Japan and maybe some other countries labelled as **PC-1501**). It was equipped with four HM6116 RAM chips, which made 5946 Bytes available for BASIC, and an additional 1KB area for machine code only. Thanks to **Roman von Wartburg** and his [site](http://retrocomputing.ch/) for information and picture.