Canon Pocketronic




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	Canon Pocketronic


	Calculator with the thermal tape cartridge removed and a new, sealed cartridge.


	The base of the calculator with covers opened showing the 13 rechargeable cells which are squeezed in.


	Beneath the keyboard showing the printing mechanism and electronics.


	Beneath the keyboard with the printer circuit board removed to reveal the 3 calculating integrated circuits.

Canon Pocketronic

Display is by printout on thermal paper tape.

Four-function.

Main integrated circuits - Texas Instruments TMC1730B, TMC1731A, & TMC1732A date coded weeks 18 and 19 of 1971.

15.6v (13x NiCd rechargeable cells).

100 mm x 208 mm x 48 mm (4" x 8.2" x 1.9").

Introduced in Japan in late 1970, and the USA in early 1971.

Made in Japan.

This was one of the first hand-held calculators.

Although it is hand holdable it is not really a pocket calculator due to its great length and thickness (208 mm / 8.2" by 48 mm / 1.9").

Requires three large-scale integrated circuits (LSI) for the calculating functions.

Texas Instruments started to investigate the design of a hand-held calculator in 1966 with the "Caltech" project. This calculator was the resulting commercial product, manufactured by Canon. Texas Instruments was awarded U.S. and Japanese patents for a "Miniature Electronic Calculator".

Like the Caltech the output is printed on thermal paper tape.

A year or two later Texas Instruments started producing its own range of calculators and sold calculator ICs to many other manufacturers.