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Canon Palmtronic LD-81

Date of introduction:  June 1975 Display technology:  Fluorescent
New price:   Display size:  8
Size:  5.1" x 2.9" x 0.8"
 130 x 73 x 20 mm3
 
Weight:  3.8 ounces, 108 grams Serial No:  250473
Batteries:  2*AA Date of manufacture:  year 1976
AC-Adapter:  AD-2 Origin of manufacture:  Japan
Precision:  8  Integrated circuits:  Hitachi HD36290
Memories:      
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

The Canon Palmtronic LD-81 followed the original LD-80 and introduced a completely new and colorful design. The color-coding of the keys – black for numbers, blue for functions and yellow for control – together with the silver keyboard plate and the dark housing gives a fresh and modern design. Compare it your own with the design style of the LE-84 or the odd LE-80R and LE-81 calculators.

The new Palmtronic design style was slightly refined with the smaller LD-8Ms and some LC-Display (Liquid Crystal) like the LC-8M. Even scientific calculators used this design style, don’t miss the F-6 and the later F-71.

LD-81_PCB.jpg (39334 Byte)The internal electronics of the LD-81 is based on a Hitachi HD36290 single-chip calculator circuit. Within some months Texas Instruments made their comeback and the calculator brain was changed with the second series of the LD-81 and kept for the similar looking twins LD-83 / LD-84.  

The similar Palmtronic LD-8M 2 added a memory to the basic functions using a slightly smaller key-spacing. 

Don't miss the identical Panther 8 introduced October, 1975 and the tiny Palmtronic 8 mini.

If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, December 12, 2002. No reprints without written permission.