DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM

Sharp Corporation’s Calculator Innovations

Collecting calculators you'll sooner or later recognize Japanese Sharp Corporation company. In the race started with the Cal-Tech project in the year 1965 and leading to the Canon Pocketronic calculator in the year 1970 they won some medals:

• 1969 Sharp introduced with the QT-8D the first calculator using LSI-IC's (Large-Scale-Integration Chips) manufactured by US company Rockwell Electronics
• 1969 Sharp introduced the first battery operated desktop calculator QT-8B
• 1970 First battery operated, handheld calculators: Busicom LE-120, Canon Pocketronic, Sanyo ICC-82D and Sharp EL-8.

The Sharp Corporation was founded in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa and takes its name from one of our founder's first inventions, the Ever Sharp propelling pencil, developed in 1915. Sharp introduced the world's first all-transistor desktop calculator in 1964. In the next 20 years they developed a lot of "firsts" in the calculator business, mainly together with its pioneering research into Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology.

Compet 10 (CS-10A)	World’s first all transistor-diode electronic desktop calculator	17.0" x 16.5" x 9.8"	55 lbs.	¥535,000	March 1964	530 transistors 2300 diodes
CS-031A	World’s first electronic calculator incorporating IC’s	18.9" x 15.7" x 8.7"	29 lbs.	¥350.000	1966	28 IC’s 553 transistors 1549 diodes
CS-16	World’s first calculator incorporating MOS IC‘s	13.0 x 11.5" x 5.0"	13 lbs.		March 1967	72 IC’s
Micro Compet QT-8D	World’s first electronic calculator incorporating LSI’s	9.8" x 5.4" x 2.8"	3.1 lbs.	¥99.800	October 1969	4 LSI’s 2 IC’s
EL-8	World’s first battery operated portable calculator	6.4" x 4.0" x 2.8"	20 oz.		November 1970	4 LSI’s 2 IC’s
EL-805	World’s first COS electronic calculator	4.6" x 3.1" x 0.8"	7.1 oz.	¥26.800	May 15, 1973	1 LSI 2 LCD drivers
EL-8020	World’s first calculator using Film Carrier System and yellow LCD	4.3" x 3.6" x 0.35"	2.3 oz.	¥7.500	1976	1 LSI Film Carrier System
EL-8026	First electronic calculator with solar cells	4.3" x 2.6" x 0.35"	2.3 oz.	¥24.800	1976	1 LSI Film Carrier System
EL-8130	World’s first touch key calculator	4.9" x 2.7" x 0.2"	2.3 oz.	¥8.500	1977	1 LSI
EL-825	Very early electronic calculator powered with solar cells	5.3" x 3.9" x 0.25"	3.3 oz.		1979	1 LSI Film Carrier System
EL-8152	World’s first 1.6mm-thin electronic calculator	3.8" x 2.1" x 0.06"	1.3 oz.	¥7.900	1979	1 LSI Film Carrier System
EL-900	World’s thinest electronic calculator	2.1" x 3.7" x 0.03"	0.4 oz.	¥7.800	1985	1 LSI Film Carrier System

If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.