Data Devices Brock 880/1
Distinctive features: Uses 6-chip chipset from Electronic Arrays, has first generation 'Pandicon' display. Data Devices was a British manufacturer which made a couple of models of electronic calculators for a short period in the early 1970's.
Display: 8 digits Mullard (Philips) ZM1206 'Pandicon'. The first generation of the Pandicon which is used here is effectively 8 'Nixie' type assemblies in a single tube. This was a short-lived technology.
The calculator accepts and calculates with 16 digits and displays either the 8 most-significant digits or 8 least-significant digits using the '<->' key as needed.
Capabilities: 4 function, square root, square, memory.
Technology: Electronic Arrays S-100 chip-set (distributed by Philips in Europe) consisting of (date codes in brackets) FDY 110-5001 (7047), FDY 120-5013 (7101), FDY 150-5005 (7101), FDY 310B-7014 (7135), FDY 320B-7002 (7135), FDY 360B-7006 (7144).
Power supply: 230V AC.
Size: 197 mm x 295 mm x 90 mm (7.75" x 11.6" x 3.5").
Made in Great Britain.
The latest date code on a chip is week 44 of 1971, so the calculator must have been manufactured at some time after this.
Close up of the 6 chips of the Electronic Arrays S-100 chip-set used in this machine. These are all 24-pin devices except the FDY 320B-7002 (third from right) which is a 28-pin device.
Close up of the Mullard (a British subsidiary of Philips) ZM1206 'Pandicon' tube. This tube contains 8 'Nixie' type assemblies in a single tube.
The rear of the ZM1206 'Pandicon' showing the connections to sockets attached to both ends of the tube.
The GENIE 247 calculator in this section also uses a first-generation 'Pandicon' display.
A report in 1974 mentions that Data Devices launched calculators in about 1972 but failed to get them off the ground[1].
The only Data Devices calculators known are the Brock 880/1 calculator, illustrated here, and the Brock 140/2 with 12-digit? display.
If you have further information we would be very pleased if you would please get in touch.
References:
Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2025.
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