DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments TI-30XB MultiView™
Date of introduction: | May 9, 2007 Available: July 2007 |
Display technology: | LCD dot matrix |
New price: | €15.99 | Display size: | 4 * 16 characters (5 * 19 for menus) |
Size: | 6.8" x 3.2" x 0.6" 172 x 83 x 15 mm³ |
||
Weight: | 4.2 ounces, 120 grams | Serial No: | |
Batteries: | CR2032 | Date of manufacture: | mth 06 year 2007 |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | China (K) | |
Precision: | 13 | Integrated circuits: | |
Memories: | 7 | ||
Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
Texas
Instruments announced in May 2007 with the TI-30XS MultiView the
improved version of
its long lasting TI-30X IIS introduced already in
1999 and slightly redesigned in 2004. In some European countries, e.g. Germany,
Switzerland, and United Kingdom, with the TI-30XB MultiView a battery only
powered replacement of the original TI-30X IIB hit
in July 2007 the store shelves. This wonderful green/blue/white housing was
reserved for the French market.
Instead of the previous 2-line display, the TI-30XB MultiView
features a dot
matrix display with 31 * 96 addressable pixels allowing the calculator to
display equations as they would be printed in a text book.
In addition to this so called "MathPrint" mode the calculator sports a TI-30X IIB compatible "Classic" mode.
Compared with the original TI-30X IIB, the quasi-standard for pupils, we notice more bang (typical street price EUR 17.95 in July 1997) for less bucks:
•
Classic (compatible with TI-30X IIB) and MathPrint Mode • EOS with 8 pending operations and 23 levels of parentheses • 7 memory variables x, y, z, t, a, b, c • Data editor and list formulas: 3 lists, each up to 42 items • Function table • Toggle key fractions and decimals • Equation entries up to 80 digits |
Dismantling the TI-30XB MultiView reveals a pretty common
construction with two printed circuit boards (PCBs). The main PCB hides the
single-chip calculating circuit under a small protection blob of black epoxy and
drives the graphing display with a heat sealed fine-pitch connector. The
keyboard makes use of a much simpler second PCB and a heat sealed connector,
too. The prominent SR21B designation on the main PCB proves that this
calculator was manufacturered by Kinpo Electronics,
Inc., a famous company located in Taiwan and doing
calculator production for well established companies like Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, Casio,
Canon and Citizen.
Stokes Publishing Company, Inc. based in Sunnyvale, California sold a companion
for the teacher, view the wonderful TI-30XS
MultiView Overhead Calculator.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, October 21, 2007. No reprints without written permission.