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Calculators: Handheld: Prinztronic Powerman (aka SL-910)
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Size (approx): | 73mm x
140mm x 20mm (max) (w,h,d) (Actual: 74.1mm x 137.2mm x 22.5mm) Weight 92g excluding batteries |
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Power: |
9V DC, 1 x PP3 size battery, 0.2W. Accept an adaptor through a socket on the top edge, far right. This is specified on the rear of the calculator as 9V 100mA, whilst the manual states 9V 50mA . The on/off switch is located on the upper left of the keyboard area. | ||
| Case: | Main body is made from a two piece plastic construction: black and off-white (which may have been originally white). On the front is a recessed black plastic keyboard surround which allows a white screen escutcheon to show through. A cut-out area in the top section of this surround allows a metallic logo label to show through. An oversized red plastic display filter gives a bright display. The small keys are short travel with a prominent plastic-sounding click on press and return. | ||
| Display: | 8 digit red LED with bubble lens with a ninth digit for the minus sign | ||
| Features: | Standard four functions, two function memory and percentages, selected constant and display power save function. | ||
| Age: | 1975/6 | ||
| Manufacturer: | Not defined. Back panel only says made in Taiwan, serial number 382996 is on a sticker in the battery compartment. | ||
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Comments:
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Small calculator
with rattling keys. Appalling negative zero bugs let the logic down
and the
constant key takes some getting used to. Nearly the minimum of components. The original cover
is shaped, shiny black plastic with an open top and half-moon cut-outs
front and back.
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| Components: | 1 x cpu: National Semiconductor
MM 5738N 547 (week 47 of 1975) 24 pin DIL, 0.6" width black plastic 1 x display driver: National Semiconductor DS885N 511 (week 11 of 1975) 22 pin DIL 0.3" width black plastic 1 x nine digit bubble lens LED (with nine bubble lenses) A1198 538P |
| Boards: | The main board (SL-910-1) sits on four small plastic pegs above the keyboard assembly. The keyboard board is fixed to the front with plastic lugs and the two are joined together with 14 wires wrapped in plastic - like a ribbon cable. |
| Construction: | Remove the screw inside the battery cover and working from the top down gently separate the two case pieces. There are two large lugs on the bottom section that have to be carefully prized open. The back then hinges off the the left (from the rear). |
| Logic comments: | (C) is used to cancel the last number entered and a second press will clear the whole calculator, so it is a (C/CE) key |
| There is selected constant on all four functions by using the (K=) key. This can be quite confusing as there is a sort of secondary constant using the (=) key. For powers, say 3^4 key in (3)(X)(=)(K=(K=), for squaring just do (3)(X)(=) to give "9" another (=) will give 9 squared "81" | |
| Input overflow is suppressed, keying a ninth digit is ignored | |
| Negative numbers are shown with a "-" sign the immediate left hand digit and travels into the ninth digit thereby allowing full eight digit negative numbers | |
| Divide by zero shows "E00000000" and is (just) recoverable using (C) | |
| Overflow is shown by the result and "E" in the far left (ninth) digit decimal point alight and is recoverable using (C/CE) | |
| Memory storage is not indicated - you have to remember it. (MS) is memory store and (MR) is memory recall. To clear the memory, store zero. | |
| There is a battery save feature. After about 50 seconds the display is switched off except for the first (right) digit and a decimal point (wherever it may be). This is recovered by pressing (D). | |
| It suffers the negative zero bug: key in (1)(-)(2)(=) to give "-1" now (+)(1)(=) gives "-0" | |
| It suffers the "flip-flop" divide to negative zero bug: key in (0)(-)(1)(=) to give "-1" then (/)(1)(0)(=) to give "-0.1". If you repeat the sequence (/)(1)(0)(=) over and over again, you will get the occasional positive answer and eventually "-0". If you try using the (K=) feature, you will get only positive numbers! |
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The manual measures
70mm x 123mm and is printed in black except for the red highlights on the
front cover. The format is 6pp fold-in on quite a high quality
paper, though the courier font makes it look a bit basic.
Good simple examples and quite a bit about use of an adaptor.
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