Nec introduced the PC-8201A in 1983. This is not a NEC design though. Kyocera brought this computer on the market in Japan as the Kyotronic 85. They sold the license to produce the computer in the USA and Canada to Tandy, and Tandy sold the computers as the Tandy TRS-80 Model 100.

The PC-8201A is equipped with a NEC 80C85A processor, standard 16KByte of RAM, upgradable to 64KByte of RAM in two 32KByte banks, and the ability to add a ROM chip. The machine was portable, and could function on 4 AA batteries for several hours. To save on power the screen is not back-lit so the machine had to be used in a well lit room. A neat feature of this computer is that it has an internal rechargable battery that kept the contents of RAM intact while the user swapped out the main AA batteries.

Connector ports:

• RS 232 (DSUB 25 pin)
• SIO1 & SIO2 connectors
• 8 pin duPont BERG modular jack
• CMT socket (3MByte/minue max)
• 8 pin DIN for cassette
• Standard centronics printer port
• 9 pin DIN barcode reader port
• System slot for RAM cartridges

The Intel 8085 microprocessor is produced by Intel in 1976. It is software-binary compatible with the Intel 8080, with two instructions added to support the newly added interrupt and serial I/O features.

The CPU requires less support circuitry, allowing foa a simpler and less expensive production process. The "5" in the 8085 signifies the single +5 volt power supply that is needed to power the CPU. In comparison the 8080 needed +5V, -5V and +12V in order to run.

The 8085 uses a multiplexed address/data bus (AD0 through AD7). Intel introduced several support chips with this address latch built in, such as the 8155 RAM chip, and I/O chips. This architecture reduced the number of traces between the 8085 and supporting memory and I/O chips.

The Zilog Z80 eclipsed both the 8080 and the 8085 in capabilities and added instructions. But thanks to the built-in serial I/O and five prioritized interrupts, the Intel 8085 played a large role as a controller in many products.