DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments TI-92 Plus
Date of introduction: | April 22, 1999 | Display technology: | LCD dot matrix |
New price: | ($179.99 in 2003) | Display size: | 12 lines by 40 char 128 * 240 pixels |
Size: | 4.8" x 8.2" x 1.25" 121 x 208 x 32 mm3 |
||
Weight: | 15.3 ounces, 433 grams | Serial No: | V0702516 |
Batteries: | 4*AA + CR2032 (35mA) | Date of manufacture: | mth 10 year 1999 (A) |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan (I) | |
Precision: | 14 | Integrated circuits: | CPU: MC68SEC000 ASIC: TI REF 200C040 Flash: LH28F160 RAM: 2*SRM20V100 Display: 3*T6B07, 2*T6B08 |
Memories: | |||
Program steps: | 188k Bytes, 702k Bytes Flash ROM | Courtesy of: | Viktor T.Toth |
This TI-92 Plus introduced together with the pocket-sized TI-89 was the third upgrade of the original TI-92.
In a first step TI introduced with the TI-92 E module a language selectable Operating System and an additional 128k User memory.
In a second step the TI-92 Plus module replaced the pre-programmed Operating System with downloadable software.
With the TI-92 Plus engineers of Texas Instruments squeezed
the former modules onto the main printed circuit board (PCB) of the calculator
and made the former Expansion Port obsolete.
The printed circuit board
(PCB) of the TI-92 Plus looks similar to the original TI-92 PCB but we notice
some changes:
Function | TI-92 | TI-92 Plus | Comment |
CPU | SC414181 | MC68SEC000 + ASIC 200C040 |
Application Specific CPU replaced by Standard CPU and ASIC. |
ROM | LH5388 | LH28F160 | 1Mx8 bits ROM replaced by 1Mx16 bits Flash ROM |
RAM | TC551001 | 2*SRM20V100 | 128kx8 bits RAM doubled to 256kx8 bits |
Column Driver | 3*T6A39 | 3*T6B07 | Replacement of obsolete parts |
ROW Driver | 2*T6A40 | 2*T6B08 | Replacement of obsolete parts |
Expansion Port | available | not available |
The main components of the TI-92 Plus manufactured in October 1999:
CPU
(Central Processing Unit): The
Motorola MC68SEC000
(successor of the MC68EC000) - the original M68000 16/32-bit microprocessor introduced in 1979 - optimized
for embedded applications is supported by the TI REF 200C040 and replaces the customized SC414181
solution if the TI-92. Learn more about the Hardware Architecture of TI’s Graphing Calculators.
ROM (Read Only Memory): The ROM contains the operating
system of the calculator. The first products on the market used
mask-programmable ROM, the program was stored already during the production
of the Integrated Circuit. Later calculators changed to Flash ROM, a
technology allowing the programming of the software during the final production
stage of the calculator. With the TI-83 Plus and all later graphing calculators
from Texas Instruments even the user was able to reprogram the operating system.
The
Flash ROM chip LH28F160
of this TI-92 Plus was manufactured by Sharp, Japan. The capacity of the memory is
1Mx16 bits, or the equivalent of 2M Bytes.
RAM
(Random Access Memory): The RAM is used as data memory and is used to store both
variables, user programs and intermediate results. This TI-92 Plus makes use of two
Static RAM chips SRM20V100
manufactured by EPSON, Japan. The capacity of the memory chips is
128k Bytes, each.
DISPLAY:
The TI-92 Plus uses - in opposite to the handheld
graphing calculators from this era - display drivers in conventional packages.
We noticed in this TI-92 Plus three T6B07 column drivers and two T6B08 row
drivers manufactured by Toshiba,
Japan.
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. Texas
Instruments announced
June 2002 an optional full-sized QWERTY Keyboard
for a more convenient entry of notes into the handhelds but it even matched the
TI-92 Plus.
In addition to the handheld Graphing calculators features the TI-92 Plus a direct connection port to either a ViewScreen panel or the TI-Presenter.
Within three years the TI-92 Plus was replaced with the Voyage
200 integrating identical hardware (beside the doubled Flash-ROM capacity)
into a much smaller housing. This gave the original TI-92 a short lifetime of about 6
years but its genes will last much longer.
Hardware-Versions:
The original hardware of the TI-92 Plus is referred to as
hardware version 2 and contains a 12 MHz processor. A regular TI-92 upgraded
with the TI-92 Plus module is referred to as hardware version 1 and will not
allow all applications, e.g. the clock functionality. You can check the HW version of your
TI-92 Plus using
the following key sequence and reading the number on your screen:
[F1] [A]
ROM-Versions:
1.00
(May 21, 1998)
1.01 (August 5, 1998)
1.05
2.01 (October 12, 1999)
2.03 (December 8, 1999)
2.04 (June 2000)
2.05 (May 11, 2000)
2.06
2.07
2.08 (July 29, 2002, recalled and re-released February 20, 2003)
2.09 (March 27, 2003, actual in February 2008)
Advanced Mathematics Software v2.09
You can check the ROM version of your TI-92 Plus using the following key
sequence and reading the number on your screen:
[F1] [A]
Information provided by ticalc.org
and Xavier Andréani.
Exam acceptance:
Since the TI-92 Series and Voyage 200
feature a QWERTY keyboard they are not allowed on ACT,
SAT, PSAT
and AP exams.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.