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Texas Instruments TI-53

Date of introduction:  August 1978 Display technology:  LCD
New price:  DM 115.00 Display size:  8 (5 + 2)
Size:  5.3" x 2.9" x 0.35"
 134 x 74 x 9 mm3
   
Weight:  2.9 ounces, 82 grams Serial No:  2970248
Batteries:  2*LR44 Date of manufacture:  wk 19 year 1982
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  Italy
Precision:  11 Integrated circuits:  TP0323
Memories:  1    
Program steps:  32 Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner
    Download manual:   (UK: 4.4M Bytes)

The TI-53 is not really a programmable calculator, it uses a small memory to hold up to 32 key-codes. Due to the low-power CMOS technology of its close relative TI-50 this memory won't lose its information if you turn the calculator off. Nevertheless this calculator could be called a classic, it was on the production line till the year 1985.

TI-53_PCB.jpg (129545 Byte)Simply by comparing the designation of the integrated circuits of the calculators you'll get the first members of the slimline family:

TP0320    (CD3201) TI Investment Analyst 
TP0320    (CD3202) TI-30-II 
TP0321    TI-50
TP0322    TI-Business Analyst-II
TP0323    TI-53
TP0324    TI-35
TP0326    TI-38 and TI-20

This calculator was later available in the slanted housing of the TI-55-III. View it here.

In 1984 the era of the slimline calculators was over and Texas Instruments introduced a family of three calculators manufactured in Taiwan:

TI-30 III   
TI-35 II
BA II

Don't miss the rare Business Card, probably the missing calculator using one of the TP032x chips.

We discovered recently with the Sharp EL-503 a scientific calculator with the TP0327 single-chip calculator circuit, closing the missing link between the TP0326 located in the TI-38 and the TP0328 known from the Jeppesen Sanderson avstar.

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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.