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Texas Instruments TI-30 SLR

Date of introduction:  1982 Display technology:  LCD
New price:  $18.95 Display size:  8 (5 + 2)
Size:  5.4" x 2.7" x 0.4"    
Weight:  3.0 ounces Serial No:  229052
Batteries:  n.a. Date of manufacture:  mth 12 year 1982
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  Japan
Precision:  9 Integrated circuits:  Toshiba T6825
Memories:  1    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner
    Download manuals:   (US: 6.7M Bytes)
  (EU: 14.0M Bytes)

With the TI-30 SLR Texas Instruments entered 1982 the market of scientific LCD-calculators powered by solar cells. This calculator was developed and produced in Japan. The electronics of the TI-30 SLR is based on a Toshiba calculator chip with only 9 digits of calculating precision instead of the 11 digits of typical US designs. If you are interested in the calculating accuracy of scientific calculators don't miss the Calculator forensics

Compare this Japanese design with the slanted TI-55-II, a typical US design of the same year. 

A big advantage of the Toshiba design was the smooth and flawless keyboard.

If we trace back the routes of Toshiba calculator chips within the TI-line, we evaluate:

Type Model Introduction First Toshiba IC
Basic TI-1750 (1st) year 1977 T3532, year 1976
Basic SLR TI-1766 year 1981 T6789, year 1981
Scientific TI-25 year 1978 T3636, year 1977
Scientific SLR TI-30 SLR year 1982 T6824, year 1982
Financial none   T6787, year 1982
Financial SLR BA-SOLAR year 1986 T7917, year 1986


It took only a short time between the introduction of a Toshiba calculator chip and the corresponding Texas Instruments calculators. For the financial calculators TI used between the years 1978 and 1986 always their own chips, the missing link could be found with the Canon Financial calculator.

The TI-30 SLR was a very successful calculator and after a redesign it gave the base of products like TI-35 SLR or even the Galaxy series. You'll find the second version of the TI-30 SLR here.

At the same time with the TI-1766 a basic solar-powered calculator was introduced.

Toshiba? Compare this calculator with the Toshiba SLC-8410.

The TI-30 SLR was mentioned in TI's press release dated August 15, 2002 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of its invention of the electronic calculator.

The TI-30 SLR is featured in the Texas Instruments Incorporated leaflet CL-199M dated 1983.

 

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If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.