Casio PB-2000C

Serial number none
Accessories BASIC ROM card, OM-53B

Protective plastic cover

Manual: Bedienungsanleitung Personal Computer PB-2000C (German)

C-Interpreter Manual (German)
Condition Very good!
Repairs, Comments The C-keyboard overlay was not included so I had to make my own.
Acquired 3.11.2002
Pascal module. Picture courtesy of Pascal.
Unfortunately, I only got this picture but not the module itself!

Type, Precision, Input mode Scientific, 10 BCD digits, exponent ±99, Algebraic
Programmable Yes, natively with built-in C-interpreter or optional BASIC ROM-module.
Due to the C-interpreter the unit is quite slow and ranks below HP-42S, TI-74, HP-32SII, HP-28S and Sharp PC-E500.
Performance Index 9.2
Memory 64 kByte (32kB w/o RAM card), permanent memory
Display Black & white LCD, 4 lines * 32 characters or 32*192 pixel
CPU, chipset HD61700A. Apparently the same CPU is used in the Casio PB-1000.
Special features K&R C-interpreter. Note that undefined functions are assumed to return "int". If later the function is defined with another return type a redeclaration error occurs. In this case us a function prototype.
Reportedly, a Pascal ROM module was available from the Swedish company "Data-Larsson".
Original Pricing, Production 700 DM, Japan around 1984 (or 1990?)
Batteries 3x large button sized cell plus 1x small button sized cell for backup
Dimensions Length 8.2cm, Width 18.7cm, Height 1.7cm (without plastic cover)
Links Andreas Wichmann's (external) PB-1000 pages
Silrun Systems (includes manuals)
R/S-Key Calculators
Memory Map (PDF)
C-Interpreter Manual Index (PDF, German, 1 page)
Manuals
 Owner's Manual Personal Computer PB-2000C (PDF, English, 57 pages, undated)
PB-1000 Assembler Reference (PDF, German, 92 pages)
Introduction to the C programming language, Personal Computer PB-2000C (PDF, English, 189 pages)
Bedienungsanleitung Personal Computer PB-2000C (PDF, German, 111 pages)
Einführung in die Programmiersprache BASIC, PB-2000C BASIC ROM-Karte OM-53B (PDF, German, 176 pages)
Einführung in die Programmiersprache C, Personal Computer PB-2000C (PDF, German, 195 pages)
BASIC-Tastatur-Schablone und C-Tastatur-Schablone.
Comment A very interesting device! The only other C-programmable calculator I know of is the Casio fx-890P. 
Even though the unit is powerful there are some drawbacks:
  • C-variables cannot be "const".
  • C-vectors cannot be initialized (ie. int v[3]={1,2,3}; doesn't work).
  • The interpreter as well as the P-code pre-compiler is slow, see Performance Index.
  • The C-runtime lib doesn't seem to support sound output or time retrieval functions. It seems these things should be accessable by peeking into the memory or calling assembler routines but I cannot find any documents that describe these things.
  • 64 kB for the interpreter, the C-heap and the file system is not enough.
  • It is not possible to transfer results of the calculator ("CAL" mode) into a C-program or vice versa. The main() program doesn't take any arguments.
  • Even the samllest C-program is not readily executable but has to be pre-compiled. And because the P-code compiler is slow this always causes a nasty delay. Different from that BASIC programs run instantaneousely.
Pascal Meheut: It is interesting to know that one can install an MS-DOS compatible OS on a Z1 or 890P with enough memory. 64kb should be sufficient but 128 or 256 is better. It retains all its normal functionnalities but one can then run DOS, download and install .EXE and .COM files compiled on a PC in a real memory filesystem. And of course execute them.
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