website/content/museum/sharp-pc-1245.md

---
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
  forum_thread: 1105
  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.