Category Archives: Blog

All the “Pocket Computer Newsletter” by Don Gregory

Thank you Don for the “Pocket Computer Newsletter” archives !

I subscribed to Pocket Computer Newsletter in 1982 and was able to get back
issues of 1981.
I was interested in Machine Language for the PC1500.
In 1982 PCN was the only information available.
The Sharp Technical Reference Manual was not yet out.
TRS80 Microcomputer News started revealing the mnemonic codes in March 1983.

The last issue of each year of PCN has an index.
For those that want to learn PC1500 ML, search the index for articles by
Norlin Rober.

Thanks to the hard work of Norlin Rober, PCN had the first info on ML
programming the PC 1500.
They called the command set Rober Mnemonics.

Norlin Rober provided the first PC1500 disassembler program in PCN 1982
Special Edition issue.
This was written in BASIC.

He later offered it written in ML, named LMD 2.0
(Loader/Monitor/Disassembler 2.0).
A must have program!

In 1983 PCN had a series of issues called “Machine Language Programming the
PC1500”.

Don Gregory.

Here are the archives by year : 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
And the 1982 special edition
And the Machine Language Programming

TE-1507 : Prototype updated

Hi, In my PC-1500 i had problems with the first TE-1507 version using Xicor memory.
It was impossible to write something in an unprotected X28HC256.
http://www.pc-1500.info/2015/07/30/te-1507-the-memory-module-for-developers/

The Team1560 needs were to have a big system RAM and a place to test system ROM extensions.
Done ! The TE-1507 is now working with 2 RAM ICs and the R/W protection is done by jumper.

Here are some pictures the prototype :

TE-1507_Proto_900_001

TE-1507_Proto_900_002TE-1507_Proto_900_004

TE-1507_Proto_900_006TE-1507_Proto_900_007

TE-1507_Proto_900_008TE-1507_Proto_900_009

This one, number 3, is reserved for…….. ? Stay tuned 😉

The release version should be available in one month.

Happy birthday !!! The second candle !!!

Hi all my readers !
Two years ago when i started this website i didn’t imagine to find all these informations about the Sharp PC-1500.
Did you imagine that this little pocket computer was distributed all over the world ?
Under other brands like Hiradastechnika or Nanfeng ?

It’s always a pleasure when a reader contact me and tells me it’s story with the PC-1500.
But it’s very rare ! Who wants to share his experience and knowledge ? Send me some articles with pictures and i will publish it !
Do you have some old program tapes ? Do you want to teach machine language programming in a set of articles ?
Your English language writing will sure be better than mine ! lol

300 000 visits since last year… incredible ! Thank you !
I know that my visitors are from lot of countries, some close to me in France like the Silicium.org forum, some from the other side of the planet like Neil in Australia or Waon in China, Toplica in Russia… Thank you for following the SHARP PC-1500’s story.

My next big task will be to contact Sharp in Japan and to ask for their help.
They may have lot of documents to share with us and shipping a parcel with rare informations, schematics, books, pictures, peripherals (like CE-165), is not an excessive cost ? They may have a museum, isn’t ? My website is the PC-1500 museum 😉
Please, Sharp company, read this page http://www.pc-1500.info/donors/
Some of you are already generous donors and i thank you again and again !!!

Who can answer this question : Which is the last serial number signification ?
My suggestion is something like the factory or the target country…

Ok, it’s time to close this second year with a Graal : the Blue PC-1500 in the rare Japan case !

PC-1500_GRAAL_001
PC-1500_GRAAL_002PC-1500_GRAAL_003
PC-1500_GRAAL_005PC-1500_GRAAL_004
PC-1500_GRAAL_007PC-1500_GRAAL_008
PC-1500_GRAAL_009

The Sharp CE-515P printers (Part II) : European/US version opening the box

The box don’t have the classic PC-1500 peripherals brown look.
It’s the for the next generation, the PC-1600, and have a nice blue color.
The parcel looks strong and the printer seems to be well protected.

Sharp_CE-515P_002 Sharp_CE-515P_001

The inside part is made of two blocs of polystyrene. The user manual is on the top.
Sharp_CE-515P_003

And on the top bloc we discover places for a paper roll and 3 pens sets. Nice idea !
Sharp_CE-515P_004
Sharp_CE-515P_005 Sharp_CE-515P_006

Removing the top bloc… and the big graphic color printer is here with it’s power adapter.
Sharp_CE-515P_008

Here are all items included in the box… but the transparent cover is not on the picture.
Sharp_CE-515P_009

Next time we will open the printer 🙂