DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Toshiba BC-8018
| Date of introduction: | 1977 | Display technology: | Fluorescent |
| New price: | Display size: | 8 | |
| Size: | 5.6" x 3.0" x 0.8" 142 x 75 x 20 mm3 |
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| Weight: | 3.9 ounces, 109 grams | Serial No: | 286659 |
| Batteries: | 2*AA | Date of manufacture: | mth 01 year 1977 |
| AC-Adapter: | BH-115 (110V) or BH-116 (220V) |
Origin of manufacture: | Japan |
| Precision: | 8 | Integrated circuits: | NEC uPD1802C |
| Memories: | Displays: | Itron FG95B6 | |
| Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
Toshiba
introduced this BC-8018 and its sibling BC-8111 in
1977 as successors of the BC-815 and
BC-8111, respectively in a smaller package.
Dismantling the featured Toshiba BC-8018 manufactured in
January 1977
in Japan reveals an internal design identical to the BC-8111 and centered around
a NEC uPD1802C instead the uPD1803C single-chip calculator circuit soldered on a
small, single-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by two AA-sized
batteries. The more obvious difference between the
calculators is the missing 4-key memory in the upper row of the keyboard.
The NEC uPD1802C chip was introduced in 1976 seems to be from a technology
point of view slightly ahead of the TMS1070 used with
other Toshiba calculators like the BC-1015 and
integrated already the "pull down" resistors needed to bias the anodes and grids
of the display with respect to the filament. Texas Instruments caught up with
the introduction of the TMS1040 Product
Family and the Toshiba BC-8111B calculator switched
its internals to a TMS1045 single-chip calculator circuit while the
BC-8018B (Version 1) uses a Sharp LI2017
chip before its final design BC-8018B (Version 2)
relied on the TMS1045, too.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, February 27, 2004. No reprints without written permission.