Old Calculator Museum Advertising & Documentation Archive
SCM Marchant 1016PR Programmable Printing Calculator Data Sheet
Data Sheet for the SCM 1016PR Calculator Mid-1969.
The 1016PR was SCM's first in-house designed and built programmable
calculator, introduced sometime in the mid-part of 1969.
Prior to the introduction of the 1016PR, SCM sold a re-badged
version of the West-German
Diehl Combitron
programmable printing calculator as the
Marchant Cogito 566PR.
The 1016PR is a sixteen digit, fixed decimal (with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 digits
behind the decimal point), five function (including square root) printing
calculator with learn-mode programmability.
It is implemented using small-scale integrated circuit logic, with
magnetic core memory for storage of working registers and
program steps. The printing mechanism is a line-at-a-time
mechanism, printing at approximately one line per second. Printing
is accomblished by individual wheels containing the digits
and symbols which rotate into the proper position, and once
all of the print wheels are in position, the wheels are moved forward
to press the digits against the ribbon, which transfers the the
ink in the shape of the digits onto the paper. The 1016PR uses a
unique (and proprietary) ribbon arrangement, with the ribbon spools
containing an absorbant fabric that is saturated in ink, with a continuous
loop of fabric ribbon stretching between and around the spools that gets
soaked in the ink as it is in contact with the spools, and is advanced at
the end of each print cycle. The same printing mechanism was using in
the earlier SCM Cogito 616 and Cogito 516 printing calculators.
The machine has six accumulator-style memory registers, and up to 100
steps of program storage space. Programming features include conditional
test and branch instructions. The calculator can be connected to an optional
magnetic tape cartridge drive (called IOTA, which stands for Input-
Output Tape Accessory) that allows programs
to be stored or loaded to tape. The use of magnetic core memory
for program step storage allows the calculator to be powered off
while still retaining the stored program due to the non-volatile
nature of magnetic core storage.
The 1016PR was initially priced at $2,795 at introduction, and was
reduced in price to $2,495 by early 1971, and $2,395 by early '72.
In the first quarter of 1970, an updated version of the Cogito 1016PR
was introduced, known as the Cogito 1016PR-AS, with "AS" standing
for "Additional Storage". The AS version was identical to the earlier
model in terms of appearance and function, but the size of the Magnetic
Core Memory storage was increased, providing an additional 100 steps of
program storage space, for a total of 200 steps. The Cogito 1016PR-AS was
introduced at $2,695, with the sales price dropping to $2,495 by
late 1972.
