website/content/museum/sharp-pc-1500-pc-1500a.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Sharp PC-1500 / PC-1500A	Computers	Pocket	Japan	1981	LH 5801 8-bit CMOS	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts emulators links docs comments related oc_id source PC-1500 / PC-1500A /companies/sharp Sharp label value NAME PC-1500 / PC-1500A label value MANUFACTURER Sharp label value TYPE Pocket label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1981 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Sharp BASIC interpreter label value KEYBOARD 65 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad label value CPU LH 5801 8-bit CMOS label value SPEED 1.3 MHz label value RAM PC-1500: 3.5 KB - PC-1500A: 8.5 kB label value ROM 16 KB label value TEXT MODES 1 line x 26 chars. (LCD screen) label value GRAPHIC MODES 7 x 156 pixels label value COLORS Monochrome label value SOUND One-channel Beeper, with frequency and duration controllable by BASIC statement label value SIZE / WEIGHT 19.5 (W) x 8.6 (D) x 2.55 (H) cm / 375 g (with batteries) label value I/O PORTS Proprietary 60 pin expansion bus, 40 pin slot for memory and program modules label value BUILT IN MEDIA None label value POWER SUPPLY 4 x AA 1.5V batteries, 50 hours run time (0.13W) - 6V DC external AC adaptor EA-150 label value PERIPHERALS 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 value PRICE PC-1500: 335, PC-1500A: $200, 235 photos adverts emulators links docs title subtitle text image INSIDE THE PC-1500A 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 null title subtitle text image RAM LAYOUT 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** null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (APRIL 1982) "the computing answer" null title url platform text POEMS http://sourceforge.jp/projects/poems/ Unix / Linux PC-12xx, 14xx & 13xx emulator title url platform text PockEmul http://pockemul.free.fr/ Multiplatform Emulates nearly all Sharp pocket computers! title url text Sharp PC-1500 computer (TRS-80 PC-2) resource page http://www.pc1500.com/ Software archive, tools, documentations and links. A must see. title url cover text SHARP PC-1500 - OWNER'S MANUAL http://www.pc1500.com/pc2manual.html null [**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 url cover text SHARP PC-1500 - TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL http://www.pc1500.com/technical_reference_manual.html null [**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 url cover text TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) : ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE MANUAL http://www.pc1500.com/assemblylanguage.html null [**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 url cover text SHARP PC-1500 (AND TANDY TRS-80 PC2) - PRINTER / CASSETTE OWNER'S MANUAL http://www.pc1500.com/printermanual.html null [**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 url cover text TRS-80 PC-2 (AND SHARP PC-1500) - SERVICE MANUAL http://www.pc1500.com/servicemanual.html null [**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) author date text Bernhard Wiesweg (Germany) Saturday 25th February 2023 My Sharp PC-1500 has a serial port with 9600 baud author date text Simon Young (China) Thursday 3rd November 2022 My like my PC1500 author date text Simon Young (China) Thursday 3rd November 2022 I have two pc1500,I like it very much author date text Prodas (Germany) Sunday 6th March 2022 Hello Kimmo, the name is: Rasso von Schlichtegroll. a lot of information for PC-1500 you can find at www.pc-1500.info author date text Kimmo (Finland) Saturday 26th February 2022 I have PC1500 and I have a cassette of macroassembler rosso $ Schlitengroll ??? Does somebody remember, which the correct name. I would need that software, when I cannot read cassette correctly. I have I/O-unit. author date text Benoit (Belgium) (Belgique) Saturday 9th January 2021 The little pens for the printer can be revived with some patience. When dried up, remove carefully the plastic end, humidify (alcohol) and excercise the roller. It will eventually roll again. Then fill the little cartridge with inkjet ink (available cheap in bottles). I revived the 4 colors. author date text larry (france) Wednesday 25th November 2020 For the lucky ones, that own this marvel, and its tiny printer-plotter, here''s a supply source : http://www.lass-shop.de/epages/63686166.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath$/Shops/63686166/Products/$22US$20017.01$22 Pens really look like original ones. Did anyone test ? Another option is to refill an original pen using a syringe. More later, if someone''s interested. author date text larry Saturday 19th September 2020 As opposed to what someone says below (Franck B.), power consumption of the PC1500 is large, even on fresh Batteries. Years of daily use on the same set of AA cells is simply impossible. See the back of the 1500 : 0.13W consumed ! author date text Andreas (Germany) Saturday 28th February 2015 Hello Debby, as far as I know resetting is done by pressing the "All reset" on the bottom with something long and thin like a pen. author date text Debby (USA) Friday 23rd January 2015 Can anyone tell me how to reset a 1500a? Thank you~ author date text Geoffrey (Sydney, Australia) Tuesday 16th December 2014 Selling a PC-1500, may need a clean (doing that soon) but otherwise fine author date text Mark Murray (Queensland, AUSTRALIA) Wednesday 22nd October 2014 I am a Land Surveyor and have been using the Sharp PC1500A for field calculations since 1982. My last one has finally failed an I urgently need another with the 16K extended memory module if possible Please email me if you can help. author date text Graham (South Africa) Wednesday 10th September 2014 I have a 1500A for sale with original manuals. email me if you are interested. author date text Martin Sayers (United Kingdom) Saturday 30th November 2013 I have one of these - a 1500A\ for sale. It''s mint. with original manuals. email me if ure interested. martin author date text treddie (USA) Monday 4th November 2013 I was blown away by the Radio Shack PC-1 and even more so with the PC-2, both of which I bought as soon as they came out. It is still my favorite calculator 31 years later, and I still do small test proggies on it. This little beast is what I learned assembly on, back in the day of fixed memory maps. To this day, no one has made a better pocket keyboard. The keys were placed just right and at the perfect size to work quickly. And this family of QWERTY keyboards on pocket devices made them the easiest to store variables. Simply unbeatable. I bought a spare on eBay in case my original bites the dust. Don''t want to live without it 30 years from now! author date text Ugo Capeto Thursday 4th November 2010 oh yeah, the pc-1500 was boss back then with its graphic engine. was used in math classes to draw those nifty saddle functions in 3-d using the printer that goes along. Had the casio fx-702p and it really didn''t hold a candle to the pc-1500 (was not the same price either). author date text Frank Burgum (U.K.) Tuesday 28th October 2008 My Sharp PC-1500 with CE-155 8KB RAM module is still in almost daily use as a calculator. I can''t remember when I last replaced the batteries: a couple of years at least. I used to have the fancy docking station with mini 4-colour pen plotter, but the novelty wore off and the extensions were consigned to the loft. author date text marcos barale (buenos aires / republica argentina) Saturday 17th May 2008 quisiera saber como hacer para utilizar con la pc-1500 un impresor comun en lugar del ce-150 (plotter),ya que mi ce-150 se descompuso y yo utilizo varias pc-1500 para un trabajo que me resuelven perfectamente estas maquinas. author date text Marton Jakab (Hungary) Tuesday 5th October 2004 There's a clone of this machine made by Híradástechnika Corp. in Hungary based on the Sharp license. It was dubbed "PTA-4000" and has been relatively common (well, compared to Eastern bloc IT standards, that is) in during the '80s. It was sold in a kit with the KA-160 plotter/docking station and came with a 16kB RAM modul included. It's a fun machine. ;) /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 965 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604073048/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=965 2023-06-04

After the successful PC-121x series, 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, and they were only about to release their 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. 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 for information and picture.