Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all?

Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - Printable Version

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Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - jebem - 03-01-2015 12:42 PM

The Canon Card F-55S scientific statistical calculator is probably the most compact and smallest machine from their time (1979).

I got this one from a local auction site. It shows some wear but it works flawlessly.

To complete the set, I found the ultra compact user guide for sell in Spain in very good shape, so I've ordered it as well.
It is a 115 mini pages (111 x 70 mm) and contains instructions in four languages (English, German, French, Spanish and Italian).
Reference from the back cover: PUB.IM03-079D, 0580B10 PRINTED IN JAPAN.

Edit:
Available for download from Katie Wasserman site here.

This machine sports a full metal body on the outside, covering the inner plastic frame.
It uses a clever 4 by 4 function selector mechanism (used by other calculators of the same era) to reduce the number of keys in the keyboard, thus allowing to decrease the case size.

Based on a Toshiba T3934S SoC (partially visible in one of the photos), it consumes a nominal power of just 500uW (167uA) from a CR-2016 3V button cell.

For physical sizing comparison, here it is side by side with the HP-15C.

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - Thomas Klemm - 03-01-2015 01:24 PM

The LCD reminded me of my first calculator the TI-25:
[Image: TI-25.jpg]

Given that both use a Toshiba processor that is probably not a surprise. It appears that this LCD was commonly used at that time.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I always enjoy them.

Cheers
Thomas

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - jebem - 03-01-2015 02:27 PM

(03-01-2015 01:24 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote: The LCD reminded me of my first calculator the TI-25.
Given that both use a Toshiba processor that is probably not a surprise. It appears that this LCD was commonly used at that time.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I always enjoy them.

The TI-25 is a neat machine as well. I'm waiting to see one in my local sources (Portugal) to grab one for my collection.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge here on calculator algorithms and mathematics.
I keep reading and learning (and I have so much to learn in these areas).

One more photo of the Canon Card F-55S, showing the side profile:

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - rprosperi - 03-01-2015 04:40 PM

(03-01-2015 01:24 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote: The LCD reminded me of my first calculator the TI-25:

Given that both use a Toshiba processor that is probably not a surprise. It appears that this LCD was commonly used at that time.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I always enjoy them.

Cheers
Thomas

This is an interesting machine Thomas, I don't recall ever seeing this before. Is this also from 79? Relatively early for a low-ish end Calculator isn't it?

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - Thomas Klemm - 03-01-2015 05:32 PM

(03-01-2015 04:40 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Is this also from 79?

Introduction year 1978. It looks very much like the Toshiba SLC-8260.
Most of my colleagues had either the TI-30 or then the TI-45. In addition to their features the TI-25 offered x! and statistical functions.

Cheers
Thomas

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - rprosperi - 03-01-2015 05:58 PM

(03-01-2015 05:32 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:
(03-01-2015 04:40 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Is this also from 79?

Introduction year 1978. It looks very much like the Toshiba SLC-8260.
Most of my colleagues had either the TI-30 or then the TI-45. In addition to their features the TI-25 offered x! and statistical functions.

Cheers
Thomas

The comparison of the TI and Toshiba machines is very interesting, nothing I've seen or noticed before. Some of the models are obvious clones with dramatic changes like key coloring or moving the equals key to confuse us customers into thinking they are different models. Most likely, at that time, they were sold into different markets, TI to USA and Toshiba to ROW.

As the intro says the pictures speak for themselves.

Thanks for sharing that.

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - EdS2 - 03-02-2015 10:42 AM

Nice little machine! The second calculator I owned (probably in 1976) was a small scientific but not quite so small - a Commodore SR7949 - 50 functions or so, with double-shifted keys. About 12 digits of precision, but only 5 digits displayed by default - there's a key sequence for the second set of 5. It took a 9v battery and used them up quite quickly. This one doesn't work any more.

The manual can be seen at
http://www.wass.net/manuals/Commodore%20SR7949D.pdf

RE: Canon Card F-55S scientific calculator from 1979: The most compact of all? - Vtile - 12-29-2016 02:12 PM

Nice! That F-55s it is even smaller than F-54 (I don't know the date manufactured) while it looks like F-54 is slimmer. They keys on these are actually really good compared most of the non HPs in market today, the SwissMicros creditcard size series would be a killer with these keys.

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