Casio AL-1000




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	Casio AL-1000



	Casio AL-1000 Programmable calculator, about 1967. Display is 14 digits, Nixie tubes, or similar. 4 functions, square root, memory, programmable. Ten circuit boards, each 320x200 mm / 12.5x8". The logic and display boards hold a total of 284 individual transistors and 1500 diodes. The transistors are predominantly Toshiba 2SC371. Magnetic core memory is used. Size 380 x 440 x 238 mm (15" x 17.3" x 9.4"), 12.3Kg (27lbs). Made by Casio Computer Limited, Tokyo, Japan.


			Close up of the keyboard. The switches top left, labelled IV, III, II, and I, and the similarly labelled keys control the four memories of the machine. The white * key acts as a += key, and the grey * key acts as a -= key.


	With the cover and top of the card cage removed showing the 10 circuit boards, and the "Nixie" type display tubes.

The ten circuit boards are, from rear to front:

Core memory.
"Drive".
"Address".
"Adder".
"Sub".
"Main3".
"Main2".
"Main1".
?
Display.


	The memory board with the magnetic core module in the centre.

Close up fo the magnetic core module, showing the array of magnetic cores.

Click here to go to the page describing magnetic core memories.


	One of the sections of magnetic cores.


	The "Drive" board. The black items are 6-pin devices.


	Board "Main2" which carries 24 transistors (vertical row of black blobs on the left) and 304 diodes.


	The "Adder" board which carries 54 transistors and 207 diodes.


	Brent Hilpert has brilliantly reverse-engineered the Casio AL-1000, starting from a non-working example, and has published detailed information and a simulator at http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~hilpert/eec/misc/CasioAL1000Tech/index.html.

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	© Text & photographs copyright Nigel Tout 2000-2012 except where noted otherwise.