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Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CAS+ (Production Validation Tests 1.1)

Date of introduction:  (never) Display technology:  LCD dot matrix
 16-level greyscale
New price:   Display size:  240 * 320 pixels 
Size:  7.9" x 3.9" x 0.85"
 200 x 100 x 22 mm3
   
Weight:  8.8 ounces, 250 grams Serial No:  PVT1.1 02768
Batteries:  4*AAA Date of manufacture:  mth 10 year 2006
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  China (S)
Precision:  14 Integrated circuits:  CPU: TI-OMAP NP31AZZG
 SDRAM: HYB18L256160
 Flash: SST 39VF400A, ST NAND256W3A
 Display: Novatek NT7702H, 2*xxx
Memories:      
Program steps:  20M Bytes, 16M Bytes Flash ROM Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner 

We noticed rumors in the graphing calculator community about an upcoming product from Texas Instruments around June 2006 and it was obvious that they not refer to the PET project. It took about 6 month and the first images of the TI-Nspire CAS+ appeared in different forums on the Internet. These prototypes of the later TI-Nspire CAS were used in different field tests all over the world and some of them found their way to eBay auctions.

TI-NspireCASP_Label2.jpg (60912 Byte)We acquired the featured TI-Nspire "PVT 1.1, serial number 02768" on an eBay auction stating: 
"TI-NSPIRE CAS+ Calculator. These are BRAND NEW, never turned on. Still have factory sticker on the front of the screen!!"

A great find for the Datamath Calculator Museum, probably disappointing for the regular customer!

At first glance looks this TI-Nspire CAS+ very similar to the final device, but we observe some differences with the TI-Nspire CAS introduced in July 2007:

The cursor control makes use of inner and outer keys|
Some function keys have different positions

We know (as of September 1, 2018) nine versions of the Phoenix 1 / TI-Nspire CAS+ / TI-Nspire CAS (Product 1):

Name Milestone Serial No Date of manufacture
Phoenix 1 Engineering Validation Tests 1 P1-EVT1-B-0118 February 2006
TI-Nspire CAS+ Engineering Validation Tests 2 P1-EVT2-0135 April 2006
TI-nspire CAS+ 'New Zealand'   May 2006 (?)
TI-Nspire CAS+ Design Validation Tests 1 P1-DVT1 000150 June 2006
TI-Nspire CAS+ Production Validation Tests 1 P1-PVT1 000180 August 2006
TI-Nspire CAS+ Production Validation Tests 1.1 PVT1.1 02768 October 2006
REVISION 2
TI-XXXXXXXXXXX Design Validation Tests 1.2 P1R2-DVT1.2-682 January 2007
TI-Nspire CAS Design Validation Tests 2.0 P1R2-DVT2.0-3069 February 2007
TI-Nspire CAS Mass Production 2016002483 April 2007

Learn more about the Five Engineering Stages and understand how the Phoenix failed!.

If you compare the TI-Nspire CAS manufactured in April 2006 with the featured prototype you'll notice some differences, too:

The color scheme is completely different
Some function keys have different positions

We assume that Texas Instruments manufactured more than 1000 samples of the TI-Nspire  CAS+ for evaluation purposes. Field tests were reported from Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand. As a result of these extensive tests we learned 2 major changes in the design and concept of the calculator till its official introduction in July 2007 (Europe) and September 2007 (USA):

The TI-Nspire with its snap-in TI-84 Plus Keypad was added to the TI-Nspire CAS
The internal architecture was optimized with respect to manufacturing costs
    and power consumption

 

Architecture: Dismantling this late TI-Nspire CAS+ prototype reveals an internal design somewhere between the PLT-SHH1 prototype based on the sophisticated POMAP1509E and the ZEVIO architecture of the final TI-Nspire CAS. Learn more about the Hardware Architecture of TI’s Graphing Calculators.

TI-NspireCASP_OMAP.jpg (29558 Byte)Processor: The OMAP™ processor of the TI-Nspire CAS+ prototype is labeled TI-OMAP NP31AZZG. We assume that this tiny chip is actually a System-on-Chip based on the OMAP5912 architecture from Texas Instruments hosting a ARM9 32-bit RISC processor clocked at 78 MHz and a TMS320C55xx Digital Signal Processor core. 


TI-NspireCASP_Memory.jpg (138567 Byte)Memory: The TI-Nspire CAS+ preproduction unit makes use of three different memory chips:

NOR Flash-ROM
NAND Flash-ROM
SDRAM

The disassembled TI-Nspire CAS+ preproduction unit (Manufactured October 2006) features one SST 39VF400A NOR Flash-ROM, manufactured by Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. with a 256kx16 bits organization and one ST NAND256W3A NAND Flash-ROM with 32M Bytes capacity.

The program and data memory of the disassembled TI-Nspire CAS+ consists of one Qimonda HYB18L256160 SDRAM chip with 16Mx16 bits capacity.

Please notice that all three memory chips are almost identical with the parts located in the released TI-Nspire CAS with the April 2007 manufacturing date. The only difference is the supply voltage, it was lowered from 3.3 volts to 1.8 volts.

TI-NspireCASP_LCD.jpg (196664 Byte)Display: The TI-Nspire CAS+ uses a high-contrast display with a resolution of 240 * 320 pixels, a huge improvement over the TI-89 Titanium with 100 * 160 pixels or the Voyage 200 with 128 * 240 pixels. The large 16-level grey-scale display includes a novel split screen capability with up to 4 views.

The driver circuit of the LC-Display is compromised of 2 column driver and one row driver manufactured by Novatek, Taiwan. We located a NT7702H row driver as bare chip mounted on a flexible piece of circuit board attached between the display and a PCB and two unknown column drivers. 

ROM-Versions:

TI-Nspire CAS+ (Production Validation Tests PVT1.1 04711, Date code S-0906)

1.0.529 (August 15, 2006)  
Boot1 Code Version: t.b.d.
Boot2 Code Version: t.b.d.

TI-Nspire CAS+ (Production Validation Tests PVT1.1 02768, Date code S-1006)

TI-NspireCASP_OS.jpg (89291 Byte)1.0.554 (August 28, 2006)     
Boot1 Code Version: 1.0.526
Boot2 Code Version: 1.0.526

You can check the ROM version of your TI-Nspire CAS+ using the following key sequence and reading the number on your screen:

[HOME] [8] [4]

Information provided by Xavier Andréani.

TI-Nspire Computer Link Software for Windows

1.0.59


Exam acceptance:

Since the TI-Nspire CAS+ lacks a QWERTY keyboard it is permitted (as of September 27, 2007) for use on SAT, PSAT and AP exams. Calculators with computer algebra system (CAS) functionality are not allowed on ACT exams.

TI-Nspire CAS prototypes

Prior to the Nspire CAS's final release, a number of prototype models were developed for evaluation by educational establishments around the world. These units came in numerous color schemes and were all denoted "Nspire CAS+". Some of these prototype CAS+ units were leaked and put up for sale on sites like eBay. As they do not contain final firmware and are not upgradable, TI advises against their purchase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-Nspire



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If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, October 23, 2007. No reprints without written permission.