DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments CA-800 Cassette Interface
Date of introduction: | Never (Announced: May 26, 1982 Cancelled: September 10, 1982) |
Display technology: | |
New price: | MSRP: $60.00 | Display size: | |
Size: | 6.5" x 3.2" x
1.3" 165 x 82 x 33 mm3 |
Printer technology: | |
Weight: | 7.4 ounces, 210 grams | Serial No: | 1235289 |
Batteries: | 1*C | Date of manufacture: | wk 56 (sic) year 1981 |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | USA (ATA) | |
Precision: | Integrated circuits: | TP0455/CD4511 or TP0456/CD4561, SN77203, LM393 | |
Memories: | |||
Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
The CA-800 Cassette Interface allows to use most cassette audio recorders to save programs or data files on tape. It connects to the TI-88 Programmable through a 2-pin Peripheral I/O connector. A second Peripheral I/O connector on the back of the CA-800 allows to connect another device like the PC-800 Printer to the TI-88. The CA-800 is highly reliable because its redundant recording feature whereby information is stored twice no the tape.
The Operating System of the TI-88 supports four different types of tape recordings or tape files:
• Main memory file records all of calculator memory on tape • Program files from a minimum of eight program steps to all of program memory • Data files from a minimum of one data memory to all of data memory • Numbered Constant Memory Module (CRAM) records all contents of the module on tape |
Dismantling this CA-800 manufactured most likely in April 1982
(Date code indicates week 56 of year 1981) by Texas Instruments in their Abilene, TX facility,
reveals a rather complex design using a microcomputer of the
TP0456 series and a
SN77203 Voltage Controller chip together with some analog circuitry to connect
to a tape recorder. The SN77203 is known from the
TI-88 Schematics Diagram, it converts
a single-cell battery (1.2 Volts - 1.5 Volts) to two independent power supplies,
one adjustable for the LC-Display through a Serial I/O pin and one fixed for the
main electronics. Due to the lower power consumption of its electronics is the
battery life of the CA-800 projected to be 75 hour.
The TP0456 microcontroller sports Custom
Design software
CD4561, indicating that the original design was based on a
TP0455 microcontroller with CD4511 software. Don't miss the
CA-800 from an early DVT (Design Validation Test)
Build featuring a translucent housing.
Color-coded plugs of the CA-800 to cassette audio recorder:
• Black wire to remote jack • Red wire to microphone jack • Grey wire to earphone jack |
Don't connect a CA-800 Cassette Interface or a PC-800 Printer to TI-88 calculators without the Diode-Modification!
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, October 14, 2019. No reprints without written permission.