DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
|
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.
Three ViewScreen panels were available in 2003:
 | Panel 1: TI-73 Explorer VSC, TI-80 VSC,
TI-82 VSC, TI-83 VSC, TI-83 Plus VSC, TI-83 Plus Silver Edition VSC |
| Panel 2: TI-89 VSC, TI-92, TI-92 Plus, Voyage 200 |
| Panel 3: TI-85 VSC, TI-86 VSC |
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 S-RAM for
user program/data and a Flash-ROM for the Operating System.
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 T6A04A display controller and the
graphics screen.
ROM-Versions:
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
