DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments TI-86 ViewScreen™
| Date of introduction: | 1997 | Display technology: | LCD dot matrix |
| New price: | ($140.00 in 2001) | Display size: | 8 * 21 characters |
| Size: | 7.2" x 3.2" x
0.95" 182 x 81 x 24 mm3 |
||
| Weight: | 6.6 ounces, 186 grams | Serial No: | |
| Batteries: | 4*AAA + CR1620 | Date of manufacture: | |
| AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan (I) | |
| Precision: | 14 | Integrated circuits: | CPU: Toshiba T6A43 ROM: AT29C020 (Flash) RAM: TC551001 Display: T6A40, |
| Memories: | |||
| Program steps: | 96k Bytes | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
The
TI-86 ViewScreen Calculator (VSC) is the teacher version of the standard TI-86.
It connects with a special port to a ViewScreen panel via a cable.
Placing
the panel on the overhead projector enlarges the image of the handheld screen so
that each student can follow along.
The display of the TI-86 VSC sports 64 * 128 dots compared
with the 64 * 96 dots of e.g. the TI-83. As a
consequence introduced Texas Instruments different ViewScreen panels.
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-86 VSC is almost identical with the students
TI-86. The first difference you notice is a slightly changed bottom shell of the
calculator housing to accommodate the ViewScreen connector.
Dismantling
the TI-86 VSC reveals a total of three printed circuit boards (PCBs).
The main PCB is identical with the TI-86 and makes use of the Z80 compatible CPU
Toshiba T6A43, known already from the TI-85 surrounded by a SRAM for
user program/data and a ATMEL AT29C020
Flash ROM for the Operating System. Learn more about the Hardware Architecture of TI’s Graphing Calculators.
Even
the display board of the TI-86 VSC is identical with the TI-86 but sports an
additional connector for the third PCB. If you compare the PCB with the student
TI-86 you'll notice that the layout of the PCB is identical, only the connector
itself is either assembled or not in place.
A
third PCB is connected with a short piece of flat-cable to the display board.
This PCB basically buffers the signals of the LC-Display and feeds them to the
external ViewScreen connector.
A
deeper exploration of the display board shows the unbelievable high density of
electrical connections between the Toshiba T6A23 display driver and the
graphics screen.
A serial port of the calculators allows the connection to the
Calculator-Based Laboratory system CBL, its successor CBL
2, the Calculator-Based Ranger CBR and its successor CBR
2.
Don't miss the colorful slide cases developed for the TI-83 Plus, they fit on the TI-86 ViewScreen, too.
ROM-Versions:
0.2026
