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Calculators: Handheld: Sharp Elsimate EL-215A
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Size (approx): | 77mm x 130mm x 20mm (max) (w,h,d) Weight 126g excluding batteries |
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Power: |
3V DC, 2 x AA size batteries, 0.35W. Also accepts adaptor/charger (EA-17E, 3V with battery pack EA-18B, 2.4V) through a socket on the top side to the far left. The on/off switch is on the left hand side in line with the Sharp logo. | ||
| Case: | Slim two piece plastic case, the front being white smooth plastic and the back brown smooth plastic. Small brushed aluminium plate above the display is printed black and grey for the company name and model number. A green plastic display filter is flat and flush and gives a reasonable display - letting in a bit too much light. They keys are squishy but work well. The keyboard surround has embossed "memory" around the top smaller keys. | ||
| Display: | 8 digit green VFD with a ninth (right-most) digit used for minus, memory and error indictors | ||
| Features: | 4 function calculator with percentages, square root, change sign and four function memory | ||
| Age: | 1983 | ||
| Manufacturer: | Sharp Corporation. Made in Korea. Serial number 38018614 is on a sticker on the inside of the battery compartment. | ||
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Comments:
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Typical later compact Sharp that fits quite well in the hand especially with the on/off switch at perfect thumb position. White bodies on these type of models always fade badly in my experience. Odd right hand digit use for error flags and minus is common to Sharp. The logic is sound. At such a late date it is odd to see the high component count and the use of metal panels in the keyboard design. This must have been one of the last VFD calculators. The case is soft black plastic with open top and half-moon cut-outs to the sides. Embossed with Sharp on the front. Similar to the Sharp EL215. |
| Components: | 1 x cpu: Sharp LI2091 3A5 025
(1983? date code), 28 pin DIL, 0.6" width 1 x 9 digit VFD; single glass tube flat faced, Futaba 9-ST-20ZT 3A Made in Korea 1 x transistor 4 x diodes 5 x capacitors 3 x resistors 1 x transformer; Sumida 1585 |
| Boards: | The main cpu board (F1896) is fixed to the keyboard assembly by the three ribbon cable screws and is joined by a 16-way ribbon cable. The keyboard assembly is metal backed, very sturdy and fixed to the front with one screw. |
| Construction: | Remove the two screws from the back. Quite difficult to open without damage. The best way appears to be by levering out the two lugs on the top side and hinging from the bottom two lugs. |
| Logic comments: | The (CE) button is used to clear last entry of a number and the (C) to clear the whole calculator. |
| Overflow on number input is suppressed, typing in a nine digit number ignores the ninth digit | |
| An overflow shows the result and "C" ("E" if negative) in the far right (first) digit and is recoverable using (CE) | |
| The change sign function can be used in mid number entry | |
| Divide by zero shows "0.C" and is not recoverable | |
| There is automatic constant on all four functions | |
| Negative numbers are flagged by a "-" sign in the far right (first) digit thereby allowing full eight digit negative numbers. | |
| Negative square roots are not allowed give you "0.C" which is not recoverable. | |
| When memory store is in operation the far left (first) digit decimal point lights up |
