DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
NSC Novus Electronics NS101A Data Checker (1st Design)
Date of introduction: | December 1981 | Display technology: | LCD |
New price: | $16.99 (SRP May 1982) | Display size: | 8 |
Size: | 2.8" x 6.0" x 0.30" 71 x 153 x 8 mm3 |
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Weight: | 2.8 ounces, 79 grams | Serial No: | |
Batteries: | 2*LR44 | Date of manufacture: | mth 12 year 1981 |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan | |
Precision: | 8 | Integrated circuits: | NEC uPD1831G |
Memories: | 1 | ||
Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner | |
Download manual: | (US, FR: 3.0 MByte) |
National Semiconductor entered the market of Checkbook Calculators with the NS103 Data Checker in May 1978. It features Account Manager functionality with three permanent (till you remove the batteries) Memories and started a very successful product line. We discovered as of now seven different family members:
• 1978: National Semiconductor NS103, 3 Memories • 1979: National Semiconductor NS107, 2+1 Memories, Credit card size • 1980: National Semiconductor NS103A, 3 Memories • 1981: NSC Novus Electronics NS103A, 3 Memories • 1981: This NSC Novus Electronics NS101A, 1 Memory • 1982: NSC Novus Electronics NS101A, 1 Memory, Gold • 1982: NSC Novus Electronics NS100A, 1 Memory, Credit card size |
Dismantling the featured NSC Novus Electronics NS101A Data Checker sporting just one memory and manufactured in December 1981 in Taiwan reveals a clean design centered around a NEC uPD1831G single-chip calculator circuit soldered on a single-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by two small LR44 batteries.
Please notice the changes of the
Brand Identity of the Data Checker product
line over time.
Inspecting the PCB of this
NS101A manufactured in December 1981 brought our attention to a small mark reading
103C,
most likely a reference to Type 103, and Revision C
of the design (schematics and layout).
Please find an overview of the
PCB-Marks we discovered
so far on Account Manager calculators.
Comparing
this NS101A sporting a 103C mark and a
NS101A
with a 103C-2 mark
manufactured a few month later, reveals some interesting differences in the PCB
technology:
PCB Mark |
Rev. |
Calculator Chip |
Lot Code |
PCB Technology |
103 | C | NEC uPD1831G | P14225 | single-sided, wire jumpers in 2 different length |
103 | C-2 | NEC uPD1831G | P17435 | single-sided, conductive print over PCB traces |
The Royal LCB 830 and LCB 835 twins went through the same changes in PCB technology.
Learn more about single-chip calculator circuits used in
Account
Manager Calculators.
Don't miss the Corvus CheckMaster
introduced by Mostek already in 1975. This rare product retains the balance of
your memory even when shut off but uses power-hungry electronics.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, March 2, 2020. No reprints without written permission.