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Calculators: Handheld: Olympia CD44S
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Size (approx): |
80mm x 130mm x 25mm (w,h,d) Weight 124g excluding batteries. |
| Power: | 3.0V DC, 2 x AA size batteries. Accepts an adapter (0.4W recommended 4.5V 150mA) through socket on the top side in line with the ”O” in Olympia. Quoted alkaline battery life is 18 hours. | ||
| Case: | The two-piece smooth black and white plastic case has a raised rim around the display and keyboard. There is a matching black keyboard surround with raised letters for the on/off switch. The large neutral display filter is very slightly tilted and gives a bright display. A black printed metallic sticker sits in its own escutcheon with the Olympia name but no model number. The keys are short travel soft touch and work very well. | ||
| Display: | 8 digit blue VFD with a ninth digit for negative, memory and error indicators. | ||
| Features: | Standard four functions, percentages, change sign, register exchange and three function memory. | ||
| Age: | c1975 | ||
| Manufacturer: | Olympia Werke AG, Wilheimshaven, West Germany No serial number that I can find but there is evidence of a sticker on the inside of the battery compartment. | ||
| Comments: | Quite a nice solid calculator with an interesting design. It looks like a toned down version of the earlier CD80/CD85 (originally like the Panasonic JE-855U) calculators from 1973. This particular example is a French model that came from Spain and I do not believe it was available in the UK. The original case is soft black plastic which is open topped with half-moon cut-outs. It has Olympia embossed on the front. The logic is sound but the lack of error recovery is annoying. |
| Components: | 1 x cpu: NEC µPD278C H59686, 28 pin DIL 0.6" width 1 x single glass tube, flat faced 9 digit VFD display 2 x transistors 6 x diodes 3 x resistors 2 x resistor arrays 2 x unmarked white tube components? 6 x capacitors 1 x transformer module; TDK CT-900 Japan |
| Boards: | The keyboard assembly (62215 JE8202) sits lose on top of the main board and is connected to the main cpu board by a 15-way ribbon cable. The main CPU board (YLPRD0005800) is loose so the whole assembly can be lifted out. |
| Construction: | Remove the small screw from the top of the rear and the whole front lifts off easily. |
| Logic comments: | The Clear key (C) is used to clear an input number on the first press and to completely reset the calculator on the second |
| Overflow on the input of a number is suppressed, typing in a ninth digit is ignored | |
| There is automatic constant on all four functions | |
| The change sign can be used in mid number entry | |
| Memory storage is flagged by the far left (ninth) digit decimal point | |
| Negative numbers are flagged by a "-" sign in the far left (ninth) digit thereby allowing full eight digit negative numbers. | |
| Negative square roots are not allowed and show "C" in the far left (ninth) digit | |
| The "R" key is used for register exchange and swaps the first entered digit with the second; i.e. (5)(/)(1)(0)(R)(=) "2" or 10/5 instead. | |
| A divide by zero shows "C" in the fare left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable | |
| Overflow shows the result and "C" ("E" if negative) in the far left (ninth) digit and is not recoverable |
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The manual on the left
measures 74mm x 110mm and is the French language only. It is printed
two colour (black and green) throughout its 12 pages.
With a diagram, key listing and examples it is quite extensive though small enough to fit in the calculator's cover. Ref 1/72/061/20 printed in Japan. |
