Hi,

when my PC-1260 (I own two of them) are left some time without batteries, after restarting, they seem to be in a kind of Japanese mode. Instead of normal characters, they display Japanese characters. It is not possible to enter commands or BASIC programs. I found no way (command or key combination) of putting it back into normal mode, except using the all reset button. I haven't tested it, but possibly the PC-1262 behaves the same way.

Does anybody know more about this Japanese mode? Or how to enter or leave it? Is it an undocumented feature or ist it only mentioned in Japanese handbooks? Or is there a Japanese version of the PC-1260 (like the PC-1360K) which uses the same ROM but another keyboard?

Fritz

Hello Fritz

The informations below are for PC-1261 and 1262, but they should also apply for PC-1260.

The only hardware difference between a japanese and international PC-1262 is the presence or lack of a small diode just right of the lower battery contact. Simply remove the diode and you will have a japanese pocket. It is then no longer possible to type lower case letters, and the former SML key toggle between Japanese and International characters.

Accidentaly or with an appropriate POKE, you can activate the japanese keyboard on an international PC-1262, but the SML key will not be available to come back to international:

POKE 12349,9 activate the japanese keyboard

POKE 12349,1 revert to international

Unfortunately, once in japanese mode, you cannot type P.O.K.E. !

So you have to use this small program before :

10 " " POKE 12349,10+NOT PEEK 12349: END

DEF SPACE will safely toggle between international and japanese.

It is imperative you use the space key as label for this program, as it is the only one not changed by the mode.

All the best

Pierre

Hello Pierre,

thank you for your answer!

I tried your small program first on my PC-1262 and then on the PC-1260, and it works fine. I suppose, now I have to start learning Japanese! ;-)

Fritz

Hi Pierre

Unfortunately I have the same problem but only 1 PC-1262. How can I fix this problem? I do not remove any diodes and there was/is no diode byside the lower battery contacts.

I must say I have no batteries inside the PC-1262, because I have the CE-125 and a Power Supply connectetd. It was working perfectly and one day I had japanease signs!!!

Daniel

Hi Pierre

Unfortunately I have the same problem but only 1 PC-1262. How can I fix this problem? I do not remove any diodes and there was/is no diode byside the lower battery contacts.

I must say I have no batteries inside the PC-1262, because I have the CE-125 and a Power Supply connectetd. It was working perfectly and one day I had japanease signs!!!

Daniel

2004/07/18

Hi peoples

I have the same problem with "Japanese Mode" on my PC-1261. I think it must be possible to get a kombination of keys for change this mode in other language. Who know or has a contact directly with sharp for support to solve this problem. Normally is this a part of the general documentation from sharp.
Ralf

@Daniel

As I said, I had the problem after removing and replacing the batteries. But the same problem occurs of course, when removing the batteries and using only power from a CE-125. When this happens, you can't reach the reset button, so you really have a problem!

I think, you'll either have to use batteries (they almost last for ever when using external power) or you can use a CE-126P as a power supply, where you still can reach the reset button of the PC-1262 when it is connected.

Apart from this, I would in any case use batteries, so that the computer doesn't lose it's memory contents.

Fritz

Hello Daniel,

I agree with Fritz.
The only way to restore an international PC-1261/62 locked in japanese mode is to make a reset. You could also let him some time without power, but it happens in this case that it sometimes powers on in japanese.
Once you have successfully restored in, I advice you should type the small program described above. In this case, if you put accidentally your Sharp in japanese, you could restore it with DEF SPACE.

All the best

Pierre

I totally agree with Pierre. Use the program mentioned above. Maybe you could write it in the line 65279 and in line 65278 END so:

65278 END
65279 " " POKE 12349,10+NOT PEEK 12349: END

Now you can have this program in the memory all the time. You can CSAVE it on a short cassette tape and merge it every time you CLOAD a new program. Line 65278 prevents any program that is in the memory from reaching line 65279.

I used to have (well I still have this cassette) a short cassette tape (with 3 programs on each side: Merge Two Lines, Line Address Reading Program, Delete Lines, Renumber, Label Reading Program, Character Finding Program). They have very high line numbers and have labels. So they use GOTO label instead of GOTO line_number (especially is this important with the Renumber program because this program itself will get its lines renumbered). In this way I CLOAD a program from a cassette (a game, an application etc.) and MERGE a program from this 'UTILITY' cassette. (this cassette was designed for my PC-1350).

Bye,
Saso

Hi all,

I had a PC-1260 and have a PC-1262.

I aways use "POKE 8252,150" and then you can toggle comfortably with the lower-case function between English and Japanese.

After turning him off and on, this function disappears. So you don't need the backdoor in with the program code.

Best Regards
Matthias

Are you saying that if I have a pc-1261 in Japanese mode after a battery change that all I have to do is hit the reset button on the back ?

Hello,

Yes. :-)

Best regards

Hi, Thank you so much for a quick reply....Joe

Hello all,


> Are you saying that if I have a pc-1261 in Japanese mode after a battery
> change that all I have to do is hit the reset button on the back ?

I have the same problem with several PC-1262 Pocket Computers (Japanese mode, several signs like SML etc. on). Unfortunately a simple reset did not help.

I've tried multiple resets, total resets and holding the reset key(s) while inserting the batteries, and furthermore several combinations of hitting and releasing the keys.

After a dozen attempts it works but I have not yet found reliable proceeding to get rid of this problem.


Best regards

Andreas

PS: I've recogized reset problem with the series PC-126x and the PC-1600, only. All other Sharps do not get weird after inserting batteries.

Hello,

When I need to do a reset, I use to pull the reset button AND press the ON/BREAK key simultaneously during 10 seconds. It should work.

Best regards

Hi,
I have had the same problem with a PC-1260 with a CE-125 (I use the external power and my unit does not have batteries inside). I could reset the calculator by inserting it in the CE-125 only on the connector side, pulling gently the other side and reaching the reset button with a small wire. BE CAREFUL not to damage the connector!

Best regards