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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM

Texas Instruments TI-59

Date of introduction:	May 24, 1977	Display technology:	LED-stick
New price:	$299.95, £249.95 $180.00 (October, 1981)	Display size:	10 + 2
Size:	6.4" x 3.2" x 1.5" 162 x 81 x 37 mm³
Weight:	8.5 ounces, 240 grams	Serial No:	2422430
Batteries:	BP1A	Date of manufacture:	wk 29 year 1980
AC-Adapter:	AC9131 or DC9105	Origin of manufacture:	Netherland
Precision:	13	Integrated circuits:	TMC0501E, TMC0582, TMC0583, TMC0571, TMC0594, 4*TMC0598
Memories:	0-100
Program steps:	960-160	Courtesy of:	Joerg Woerner

Introduced together with the TI-58 these calculators introduced a novelity, the Solid State Software Modules™ with up to 5000 program steps. On the backside of the TI-58/59 you'll notice a small lid with a place for a module. The Master Library with 25 different programs was included, a lot of other modules were available.

Compared with the SR-52 the memory space was raised by a factor of four, sporting up to 100 memories or 960 program steps. A new flexible aproach allowed the conversion of 1 memory to 8 program steps, base configuration was 60 memories and 480 program steps. Read more about your first steps of programming this calculator here.

A similar calculator was sold with the huge desktop-model SR-60A. Don't miss the odd TI-5230.

The TI-59 Programmable calculator marked the end of a calculator evolution started with the SR-50 three years ago. The SR-50 defined already a calculator architecture using an Arithmetic chip (TMC0501) with up to 8 additional Scanning Read Only Memories of 1k*13 words each. The programmable calculators added RAM circuits, a card reader and printer interface and even an external program module.

Click on the thumbnail at the right to open a high-resolution picture in a new window.
The picture at the right gives you a block diagram of the TI-59 calculator. © Sipke de Wal
This pictures gives you a very detailled diagram of the calculating brain of a TI-59 calculator. © Sipke de Wal

If you are interested in the calculating accuracy of scientific calculators don't miss the Calculator forensics.

The TI-59 used a card reader for magnetic strips, unfortunately they were neither compatible to the SR-52 nor was it reliable.

Both TI-58 and TI-59 carried the connector to the printing cradle, these calculators work on the PC-100A, PC-100B and PC-100C revision.

The calculator was available till the year 1983.

Don't miss the TI-1750 introduced only few weeks before the TI-59, the first LCD-calculator sold by Texas Instruments.

The TI-59 was mentioned in TI's press release dated August 15, 2002 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of its invention of the electronic calculator.

Emulating a TI-58/59

If you don't own a TI-58/59 calculator - emulate it !

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