DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments TI-73 ViewScreen™ (Engineering Sample)
| Date of introduction: | 1998 | Display technology: | LCD dot matrix |
| New price: | $150.00 (SRP 2008) | Display size: | 8 * 16 characters |
| Size: | 7.2" x 3.2" x
0.95" 182 x 81 x 24 mm3 |
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| Weight: | 6.6 ounces, 186 grams | Serial No: | |
| Batteries: | 4*AAA + CR1620 (35mA) | Date of manufacture: | mth 01 year 1998 |
| AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan (I) | |
| Precision: | 14 | Integrated circuits: | CPU: Zilog Z84C0008 ASIC: TI REF 9815455 Flash: AM29F400 RAM: SRM2B256 |
| Memories: | |||
| Program steps: | 25k Bytes, 218k Bytes Flash ROM | Courtesy of: | Xavier Andréani |
This
TI-73 ViewScreen Calculator (VSC) Prototype carries on the backside a label
"Engineering Sample" but is otherwise identical with the
TI-73 VSC.
Four ViewScreen panels were available in 2008:
| • Panel 1:
TI-73 VSC, TI-73 Explorer VSC,
TI-80
VSC,
TI-82 VSC, TI-83 VSC, TI-83 Plus VSC, TI-83 Plus Silver Edition VSC, TI-84 Plus VSC, TI-84 Plus Silver Edition VSC • Panel 2: TI-89 VSC, TI-89 Titanium VSC, TI-92, TI-92 Plus, Voyage 200 • Panel 3: TI-85 VSC (2nd design), TI-86 VSC • Panel 4: TI-Nspire, TI-Nspire CAS, TI-Nspire Touchpad, TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad |
As an alternative the TI-Presenter video adapter connects to a TV or other projection device with a video input port.
From
a technical point of view the TI-73 VSC is almost identical with the students
TI-73. The main difference you notice is a bulgier bottom shell of the
calculator housing to accommodate the ViewScreen electronics and connector.
Dismantling
the TI-73 VSC reveals a small printed circuit board (PCB) with two driver chips
connected with a flexible cable to the display PCB of the calculator.
Disassembling
this TI-73 VSC Engineering Sample manufactured in January 1998 by
Inventec Corporation in Taiwan reveals the original design of the TI-73
using 5 main
Integrated Circuits:
| • Zilog Z84C00 microprocessor • TI REF 9815455 ASIC • 512k Bytes Flash ROM • 32k Bytes RAM • Toshiba T6A04: Single-chip 64*120 pixel display driver |
Please notice the additional 5-pin Integrated Circuit mounted with double-tape on the ASIC package and connected with various "blue wires" tot the circuity.
ROM-Versions:
1.60 (December 16, 2001)
You can check the ROM version of your TI-73
VSC using the following key sequence and reading the number on your screen:
