DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments BA-20 Profit Manager
| Date of introduction: | 1986 | 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 + LR54 (30µA) | Date of manufacture: | mth 06 year 1986 |
| AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan (I) | |
| Precision: | 10 | Integrated circuits: | Sharp LI3163 |
| Memories: | 1 | ||
| Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner | |
| Download leaflet: | 
(US: 1.1 MByte) |
Texas
Instruments Instruments introduced in the United States of America in 1985/1986 a family of three
very similar calculators:
| • TI-1796: Basic desktop
calculator with 10 digits display capability and "Dual Power" feature • TI-1798: TI-1796 with added clock module • BA-20 Profit Manager: TI-1798 with 6 added keys for COST, SELL, MARGIN calculations |
Dismantling this
BA-20 Profit Manager manufactured in June 1986 by Inventec Corporation
in Taiwan reveals a clean design centered around a Sharp LI3163 single-chip calculator
circuit soldered on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by
four solar cells and a small LR54 (LR1130) backup battery.
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
IOBA20-01C, 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.
This first generation BA-20 Profit Manager introduced in 1986 makes
like its stable mates TI-1796 and TI-1798 use of a
small sliding switch to
select between the power sources. The second generation of the BA-20
Profit Manager replaced the switch by omitting the backup battery.
In Europe a very similar calculator was sold as TI-620.
Don't miss the BA-45 Micro Business Manager, TI-10 Profit Guide and the rare TI-5310 Business Manager.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 25, 2001. No reprints without written permission.