Canon Palmtronic LE-83

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Calculators: Handheld: Canon Palmtronic LE-83

		Size (approx):	73mm (max) x 153mm x 24mm (max) (w,h,d) Weight 140g excluding batteries
		Power:	6.0V DC, 4 x AA size batteries, 0.5W. Also accepts adapter (AD-1) through a top side socket on the left. Power switch is in line with the Canon logo. Extra sticker on back states; "This machine will accept all popular AA size penlight batteries except EVEREADY and SEARS alkaline batteries". What's all that about! Battery compartment has black ribbon-pull. Standard AA batteries give 10 hours continuous use, alkaline about 30 hours.
		Case:	Smooth two-piece black plastic case with bronze-coloured brushed metal keyboard surround. The top section has a black printed metallic sticker with the brand and model number that sits in its own recess. This section is actually the battery cover - they are inserted from the front. A red, linearly convex, plastic display filter gives extra magnification and is slightly tilted inwards at the bottom. Casio-like buttons with squishy long travel are very positive with a plastic sounding click on depression and release.
		Display:	8 digit bubble lens red LED with a discrete red LED on the far right used for negative indication.
		Features:	Basic four function with a switch for constant
		Age:	1973
		Manufacturer:	Canon Inc., made in Japan, serial number 516249. Extra sticker states EXPORT, inspected by Canon Tokyo.
		Comments:	Solid calculator but having the batteries at the top front make it odd to hold - balance is achieved by holding it about two thirds the way up. All digits cycle, even when you press the operator. Original case is black plastic with top flap - popper closed. Canon embossed on the front.

Components:	1 x cpu; Texas TMS0101NC C7343 (week 43 of 1973) 1 x 8-digit bubble lens LED, it has a ninth lens but no digit 3 x transistors 1 x smoothing choke 6 x capacitors 24 x resistors 3 x SIL resistor arrays 2 x diodes 1 x discrete LED
Boards:	Keyboard board is attached to the keyboard by four screws and hinges on an 18-way ribbon connector. Main board is Canon Inc, Made in Japan. Boards are not secured to case - just snap into place.
Construction:	Undo the lower screw only in the battery compartment. Squeeze the lower half and lift off the top. Whole keyboard and main cpu board assembly will then lift off.

Logic comments:	The clear (C) key is used to completely reset the calculator, there is no cancel entry
	Overflow on the input of a number is suppressed
	The constant function (switched on by using the "K" switch) is only applied to multiply and divide operators
	The negative sign is shown in the far right by a single "dot" LED
	A divide by zero or overflow error is shown by a static result. The number is displayed but is not recoverable.
	Watch out for the "K" function. When switched on try (9)(/)(9)(=)(-)(1)(=), instead of zero you get "0.111r" because you still have the divider constant in place.

The box on the left is approx. 92mm x 166mm x 40mm and printed in dark grey and green. It has a card stiffener which gives it a quality feel. There is a sticker put on to show that the "constant" key is next to the (C) button. Was this a later amendment to this model or just a mistake?

The left picture shows the one colour black manual approx. 80 x 148mm and is eight printed page (8pp). The front shows this is the English Edition and the back has reference numbers PUB. 1E3073A 0274B60, printed in Japan.

The far left picture shows the additional instruction sheet, the same size as the manual but printed in two colour, this time with added red. I believe that so many people were returning the calculator with a broken battery compartment lid that it must have been necessary to issue this special instruction sheet. This is despite there being a clear picture in the manual. No wonder this was not a generally adopted idea!