Matsushita JR series
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The Matsushita JR series was a line of microcomputers produced by Matsushita Electric Industrial (now Panasonic) during the 1980s. Based on the success of the Sharp MZ and NEC PC-8000 series, it was an attempt by Matsushita to enter the personal computer market.
The JR series included four computer models: the JR-100,[1] the JR-200,[2][3] the JR-300[4] and the JR-800.[5]
JR-100
[edit]The JR-100[6] was released on November 21, 1981, with a price of 54,800 yen.[7] Like the Hitachi Basic Master and Sharp MZ-80, it was a low-performance, low-priced personal computer offering basic semi-graphic character based graphics, a monochrome display, and minimal sound ability. The CPU was an 8-bit Panasonic MN1800A NMOS microprocessor[8] (compatible with the Motorola MC6802, a slightly improved version of the Motorola MC6800) running at a slow 0.89 MHz, and it came with 16 KB of RAM (expandable to 32 KB).[9]
Specifications:
- CPU: MN1800A (MC6802 compatible)
- Clock speed: 890 kHz
- RAM: 16-32 KB
- ROM: 8 KB
- Graphics: Monochrome; 32 × 24 text characters; 64 × 48 semi-graphic characters with 8 × 8 pixel matrix
- Sound: Internal speaker
- Connections: Monitor, Expansion, Tape (Frequency-shift keying encoding with 1200 Hz for space and 2400 Hz for mark; 600 baud)
- OS: JR-BASIC 1.0[10]
JR-200
[edit]The JR-200[2][3] is made of silver grey plastic, and has a black matte area around the chiclet keyboard area. It used the same MN1800A CPU as the previous model, but added a second processor, the 4-bit MN1544CJR,[11] which is used for I/O and contains 128 bytes of RAM plus four kilobytes of ROM.
The computer received favorable reviews on its launch. Creative Computing wrote "The Panasonic JR-200 is one of the nicest new computers to make the scene in some time."[12]
A version of the JR-200 called the Panasonic JR-200U was developed for the North American and European markets and was announced in January 1983.[13]
Specifications:
- CPU: MN1800A + MN1544
- Clock speed: 890 kHz
- RAM: 36 KB
- ROM: 16 KB
- Graphics: 8 colors (black, blue, red, magenta, green, cyan, yellow, white); 256 × 192; 32 × 24 text characters; 64 × 48 semi-graphic characters with 8 × 8 pixel matrix[11]
- Sound: 3 voices, 5 octaves, square wave. Generated by the MN1271 sound, I/O and timer chip.[14][11]
- Connections: Composite and RF video, expansion, tape (600/2400 baud), printer port, floppy drive, joystick
- OS: JR-BASIC 5.0
JR-300
[edit]The JR-300,[4] released in 1984, was completely redesigned in comparison with the earlier JR-100 and JR-200 models. The JR-300 had a Zilog Z80A CPU as well as a second MN1800A CPU to allow backwards compatibility with the JR-200.[15]
Specifications:
- CPU: MN1800A + Z80A
- Clock speed: 4 MHz
- RAM: 82 KB
- ROM: 40 KB
- Graphics: 8 colors; 320 × 200, 640 × 200, 640 × 400
- Sound: Yamaha 8910 (3 voices, 5 octaves)
- Connections: RGB, Composite and RF video, sound out, expansion, tape (600/2400 baud), printer port, floppy drive, joystick
- OS: JR-BASIC 5.0, Extended Basic
JR-800
[edit]A handheld model called JR-800 was launched in 1983 with a price of 128,000 yen,[16] but it was not compatible with the previous JR computers.[5] It was based around a Hitachi HD63A01V CPU[17] (MC6801 compatible) running at 4.9152 MHz, with 16 KB of RAM, and featured a 192 × 64 pixel LCD screen.[18]
Specifications:
- CPU: HD63A01V
- Clock speed: 4.9152 MHz
- RAM: 16 KB
- ROM: 16 KB
- Graphics: monochrome LCD, 32 × 8 characters; 192 × 64 pixels
- Connections: tape, RS-232, printer, sound
- OS: BASIC
Character set
[edit]The table below shows the semigraphics character set available on the Matsushita JR series, as shown on the operations manual.[19] Characters are rendered using modern equivalents, the exact hardware font it not simulated.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 9 | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | @ | P | ┌ | ◯ | ┘ | ||
| 1 | ! | 1 | A | Q | ♠ | ▁ | ▗ | ▏ |
| 2 | “ | 2 | B | R | ♥ | ▂ | ▞ | ▎ |
| 3 | # | 3 | C | S | ♦ | ▃ | ▙ | ▖ |
| 4 | $ | 4 | D | T | ♣ | ▄ | ▛ | ▌ |
| 5 | % | 5 | E | U | ⬣ | ▅ | ▎ | ▊ |
| 6 | & | 6 | F | V | ← | ▆ | ▜ | ▟ |
| 7 | ' | 7 | G | W | ↓ | ▇ | ▚ | ▟ |
| 8 | ( | 8 | H | X | ↑ | ├ | ▐ | ▘ |
| 9 | ) | 9 | I | Y | → | ┤ | ┼ | ▊ |
| A | * | : | J | Z | 🛉 | │ | ▒ | ▝ |
| B | + | ; | K | [ | ☺ | ─ | ┬ | ◟ |
| C | , | < | L | ¥ | ▓ | ◣ | ┴ | ● |
| D | - | = | M | ] | ┐ | ◝ | ░ | ◞ |
| E | . | > | N | ^ | █ | ╳ | ▀ | ◜ |
| F | / | ? | O | _ | ◢ | ╱ | └ | ╲ |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "MATSUSHITA National JR 100". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
- ^ a b "MATSUSHITA National JR 200". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
- ^ a b Service Manual Personal Computer JR-200U (PDF). Panasonic.
- ^ a b "MATSUSHITA National JR 300". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
- ^ a b Hawkings, William (November 1983). "Low-cost computers". Popular Science. p. 150.
- ^ マイコン1982年2月号
- ^ "JR-100". 計算機室. May 28, 2017.
- ^ PANASONIC INDL/ELEK {IC} 72. Panasonic. p. 270.
- ^ Operating Instructions - Personal Computer JR-100U. Panasonic.
- ^ "JR-100". 計算機室. May 28, 2017.
- ^ a b c Reunanen, Markku. "Discovering the Panasonic JR-200U". .Markku Reunanen.
- ^ Ahl, David (May 1983). "Panasonic JR-200". Creative Computing Magazine. Vol. 9, no. 5. p. 16.
- ^ "PANASONIC JR-200U". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ PANASONIC INDL/ELEK {IC} 72. Panasonic. p. 524.
- ^ "MATSUSHITA National JR 300". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "JR-800(ポケコン・ポケットコンピュータ)のことなら「自分でドットコム」(DIY)". www.jibunde.com.
- ^ "National JR-800 Documentation". PockEmul - A vintage Pocket Computers and Calculators emulator. August 2020.
- ^ "The National JR-800 computer". The pocket computer museum.
- ^ Operating Instructions Personal Computer JR-100U. Panasonic. pp. 8, 54.
External links
[edit]- The Pocket Computer Museum entry on the National JR-800 handheld computer
- BINARIUM museum entry on the Panasonic JR-100 (German language)
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