Matsushita JR series

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

The JR-100[6] was released on November 21st, 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; 32x24 text characters; 64x48 semi-graphic characters with 8x8 pixel matrix
  • Sound: Internal speaker
  • Connections: Monitor, Expansion, Tape (Frequency-shift keying encoding with 1200Hz for space and 2400Hz for mark; 600 baud)
  • OS: JR-BASIC 1.0[10]

JR-200
Main article: Panasonic JR-200

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); 256x192; 32x24 text characters; 64x48 semi-graphic characters with 8x8 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 bauds), printer port, floppy drive, joystick
  • OS: JR-BASIC 5.0

JR-300

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; 640x200; 320x200; 640x400
  • Sound: Yamaha 8910 (3 voices, 5 octaves)
  • Connections: RGB, Composite and RF video, sound out, expansion, tape (600/2400 bauds), printer port, floppy drive, joystick
  • OS: JR-BASIC 5.0, Extended Basic

JR-800

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 192x64 pixel LCD screen.[18]

Specifications:

  • CPU: HD63A01V
  • Clock speed: 4.9152 MHz
  • RAM: 16 KB
  • ROM: 16 KB
  • Graphics: monochrome LCD, 32x8 characters; 192x64 pixels
  • Connections: tape, RS-232, printer, sound
  • OS: BASIC

Character set

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

References
  1. "MATSUSHITA National JR 100". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
  2. "MATSUSHITA National JR 200". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
  3. Service Manual Personal Computer JR-200U (PDF). Panasonic.
  4. "MATSUSHITA National JR 300". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
  5. Hawkings, William (November 1983). "Low-cost computers". Popular Science. p. 150.
  6. マイコン1982年2月号
  7. "JR-100". 計算機室. May 28, 2017.
  8. PANASONIC INDL/ELEK {IC} 72. Panasonic. p. 270.
  9. Operating Instructions - Personal Computer JR-100U. Panasonic.
  10. "JR-100". 計算機室. May 28, 2017.
  11. Reunanen, Markku. "Discovering the Panasonic JR-200U". .Markku Reunanen.
  12. Ahl, David (May 1983). "Panasonic JR-200". Creative Computing Magazine. Vol. 9, no. 5. p. 16.
  13. "PANASONIC JR-200U". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  14. PANASONIC INDL/ELEK {IC} 72. Panasonic. p. 524.
  15. "MATSUSHITA National JR 300". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  16. "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.
  17. "National JR-800 Documentation". PockEmul - A vintage Pocket Computers and Calculators emulator. August 2020.
  18. "The National JR-800 computer". The pocket computer museum.
  19. Operating Instructions Personal Computer JR-100U. Panasonic. pp. 8, 54.
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