The development of the Philips EE electronic experiment kit series

1963: The EE 10 series is replaced by EE 20

Some of the differences are described on EE 10 series page.

1967: The EE 20 series is replaced by EE 1000

Not yet described.

1969–70: The EE 1000 series is revised

Described on the EE 1000 series page.

1974: EE 1000 series replaced by EE 2000

In 1974, the EE 2000 series succeeded the EE 1000 series. This change was considerably smaller than the one between EE 1000 and its predecessor, the EE 20 series. All EE 1000 kits except the already discontinued EE 1010 and 11 have a very similar counterpart in the EE 2000 series, only with 1000 added to the number:

EE 2003 has an updated construction board and control panel and an increased number of constructions, but the electronic components are unchanged or replaced with compatible newer types. The conversion kit EE 9050 upgraded EE 1003 to the equivalent of EE 2003.
A few components from EE 1004, 05 and 06 lack in EE 2004, 05 and 06, but again the number of constructions are increased. Some of these components are merely made redundant because the expansions no longer are independent (EE 2005 requires EE 2004). Accordingly, EE 2000 lack the same few components from EE 1000.
EE 2007 and 08 are identical to EE 1007 and 08, with the exception of EE 2008 having the new type of construction board.
EE 2050 differs a bit more from its predecessor. It uses the same construction board and control panel as EE 2003, and with its two expansions it becomes fully equivalent to its big brother, and can be further expanded by EE 2004–05–06 or EE 2007–08.
The EE 2052 expansion is made dependent on EE 2051.
EE 2040 is the same kit as EE 1040, but the packaging is updated.
The expansion EE 2041 is added, which together with EE 2040 is fully equivalent to EE 2050, and can be further expanded accordingly.
The manuals are reorganised so that EE 2003, 50, 51, 52 and 41 are covered by a single manual which also contains most of the material from Technische Erläuterungen. Another book with very similar design covers EE 2004, 05 and 06; these two together are included in EE 2000. EE 2040 use a manual more or less identical to EE 1040, only with a new cover. EE 2007 and 08 use the EE 1007/08 manual unchanged, only with a small addendum describing how to use the new construction board.

1974–1983: The EE 2000 series changes and develops

The EE 2000 series went through several minor revisions throughout its lifetime; the following are ones that either have some significance or easily cause counfusion:

Only very early kits had a perforated protective plastic sleeve for the construction diagrams.
The loudspeakers changed from metal cased to plastic cased.
The construction boards and control panel changed from light blue to black.
A tinted transparent plastic cover (part no. 349.2523) for the construction area were added to EE 2003.
The unique boxes for some expansion kits were replaced by generic boxes without a printed kit number, having a sticker with the number pasted on instead – EE 2004/5/6 kits of this type thus had the colour palette of the EE 2050/1/2 kits.
The colour photo of a construction on the boxes was replaced by the head and hand logo, and the colour palette of EE 2003/04/05/06 was changed to that of EE 2050/51/52 (EE 2000 got a hinged double box of a kind otherwise similar to the other kits instead of the original dark blue plastic suitcase).
The coils in EE 2005 were replaced by a more modern type (part nos. 349.2096, -97, -98 and -99), and a few constructions were updated accordingly. A 16 page leaflet describes the changes to the constructions.
The EE 2004/05/06 manual is updated to incorporate the changes to EE 2005.
The 150 Ohm loudspeaker (part no. 349.1013) were replaced by a 15 Ohm one (part no. 349.2515), with a conversion transformer (part no. 349.2542) to place in front of it. A 16 page leaflet describes the changes to the constructions.
The transformer in EE 2004 was replaced by a smaller type (part no. 349.2543) which unlike the original one allows the plastic cover to be used. Some constructions were updated accordingly; a loose-leaf collection of replacement text and diagrams describes the changes. Even though the part number shows that this change either postdates (or more likely is simultaneous with) the one above, the construction diagrams assume the older 150 Ohm loudspeaker.

Some changes may have been more or less simultaneous, otherwise they occurred in the above order. Note that catalogs often reuse old pictures and may thus not properly reflect all changes up to its date.

Also, the exact shape of many components varied through time (foil, ceramic and double variable capacitors, the LDR, the potentiometer, the choke coil – even the colour of the hole-puncher: I have seen black, light grey, red, yellow, green and blue!).

1976: The EE 2001 subseries supplement EE 2000

The EE 2001 series introduces several entirely new concepts to the series, such as integrated circuits, infrared and ultrasound, as well as significantly extending the coverage of electronic measurement and digital logic.

1981: The EE 3000 series coexists with EE 2000

The EE 3000 series is very similar to the contemporary version of EE 2000; mainly with some kits dropped, some combined into one and two replaced by a less expensive but quite ingenious substitute. For some reason, most EE 2000 series kits stayed in production as long as EE 3000.

1983–84: The ABC or 6000 series replace everything else

In contrast to the gradual development from EE 1000 via EE 2000 to EE 3000, the introduction of the ABC series is the greatest change since 1967. Still, the structure of the series is very similar to the combined EE 3000 and EE 2000, with themes from EE 2001 spread across various kits.

The A and A→B kits correspond to EE 2040 and 41, B and B→C to EE 3050 and 51, C and C→D to EE 3003 and 04, D to EE 2000 and finally E and E→F to EE 2007 and 08 (though E is a standalone kit not requiring any other base kit). There is one major mismatch though: C→D expansion is both smaller than and thematically different from EE 3004 (which is a combination of the earlier EE 2004, 05 and 06 kits). Instead, the FM/Stereo Lab expansion corresponds roughly to EE 2005 and 06.

Reminiscent of the quad op-amp in EE 2013 is the single op-amp included in the B kit and another one in D. The IR components from EE 2017 corresponds to those in the C kit, while an ammeter similar to the one from EE 2014 appears in the D kit. Digital gates and 7-segment LED display from EE 2015 appears in a new form in the Digital Lab expansion kit. The only successor-less kit is EE 2016 with its ultrasound components.

1990: The Modul series coexists with ABC

A short-lived radical departure from all its ancestors; outlived by its predecessor.

Ca. 2002: The end

In 2001 Schuco made a web page on electronic kits, listing only the A-D kits and the intermediate expansions. In 2002 the link to this page disappeared, and in 2003 the page itself. I have been informed that when asked about the availability of the kits, Schuco replied that they are no longer in production.

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Tor Gjerde <i@old.no>