Desk Electronic Calculators

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Canon Canola 1200

Canon Canola 1200

Canon Canola 1200

Note - The machine illustrated here has some buttons and switches missing.

Distinctive features: Uses TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) integrated circuits and'Nixie'-type display tubes.

Capabilities: 4-functions.

Display: 12 digit display using Nixie tubes.

Technology: The circuit board caries 48 Medium and Small-Scale Integrated Circuits (MSI and SSI), date coded to early 1970.

Size: 265 mm wide, 335 mm deep, 93 mm high (10.5" x 13.5" x 4"), 3.5 Kg (8 lbs.).

Introduced in 1969, cost £348GBP (about US$835).

Canon were pioneers in the use of Large-Scale Integrated-Circuits (LSI) in pocket calculators around this time with the Canon Pocketronic.  Large calculators like this with many integrated circuits were rapidly becoming obsolete.

Inside Canon Canola 1200

Removing the cover and keyboard reveals, from top to bottom:

Underneath Canon Canola 1200

Removing the previous circuit board and the display reveals another board carrying more TTL integrated circuits, mainly from Texas Instruments and Mitsubishi, giving a total of 48 integrated circuits in the machine.

It is noteworthy that this machine uses a number of Texas Instruments integrated circuits.  In the late 1960s and early 1970s Canon was heavily involved with Texas Instruments in the development of the electronics for hand-held calculators culminating in the Canon Pocketronic and its successors.

Vintage Calculators

Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2024.