DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments BA-20 Profit Manager (1991)
Date of introduction: | July 1991 | Display technology: | LCD |
New price: | Display size: | 10 | |
Size: | 4.7" x 5.0" x
0.80" 120 x 128 x 20 mm3 |
||
Weight: | 3.9 ounces, 110 grams | Serial No: | |
Batteries: | LR41 (30µA) | Date of manufacture: | mth 08 year 1997 |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Malaysia (I) | |
Precision: | 10 | Integrated circuits: | Inventa LI3163 |
Memories: | 1 | ||
Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
Compared
with the original design of the BA-20 Profit Manager introduced in 1986 this later model lacks
the switch to select between battery and solar cells operation.
Dismantling this BA-20 Profit Manager manufactured in August 1997 by Inventec Corporation in Malaysia
reveals a clean design centered around an Inventa LI3163 single-chip calculator
circuit soldered on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by
four solar cells. The small LR54 (LR1130) backup battery from the first design
disappeared apparently with the switch. We couldn't locate any differences with
a BA-20 manufactured in July 1990 by Compal
Electronics in Taiwan and later BA-20 assembled starting 1998 in China.
Please notice the clock module used with
the TI-1798 and BA-20 Profit Manager next to the calculator display is powered by its own
small LR41 battery. Later designs like the stylish EUROPA
10 powered the clock module directly from the calculator electronics and
omitted the extra battery.
Inspecting
the PCB of this BA-20 Profit Manager calculator brought our attention to a small mark reading
IOBA20-02B, we spotted similar PCB-Marks already with the
TI-1796 and TI-1798. We started compiling a list of the
PCB-Marks on calculators manufactured by OEMs for Texas Instruments.
The third generation of the BA-20 Profit Manager introduced in
2000 omitted the integrated clock.
In Europe a very similar calculator was sold as TI-620.
Don't miss the rare TI-10 Profit
Guide combining similar functions in a much smaller housing.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 25, 2001. No reprints without written permission.