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Jeppesen Sanderson avstar by Texas Instruments

Date of introduction:  1980 Display technology:  LCD
New price:   Display size:  8
Size:  5.3" x 2.9" x 0.35"
 134 x 74 x 9 mm3
   
Weight:  2.9 ounces, 82 grams Serial No:  0905391
Batteries:  2*LR43 Date of manufacture:  wk 22 year 1980
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  USA
Precision:  11 Integrated circuits:  TP0328
Memories:  1    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner
    Download manual:   (US: 8.6 MByte)

This Jeppesen Sanderson avstar gives you an example of using existing products like the TI-35 for other purposes.

We know similar approaches from the insurance business (view the TI-58 manufactured for Lloyd), but this one uses a specialized integrated circuit to perform different computations and conversions:

Alt/AS: Calibrated, True Airspeed, Pressure, Density Altitude
WIND: Wind Speed, Direction, Course and Heading 
TSD: Time-Speed-Distance, Distance and fuel consumption
CMP: Computes in the above modes the different values
CNV: Convert between US and SI-units
T: Time calculations

An identical product was sold under the labels of Beechcraft, Cessna, Hughes Helicopters and Piper.

The housing of the avstar was later changed, view the enhanced avstar here and read more details about functions. Between these changes an enhanced product was sold as prostar

Later Flight computers sold by Jeppesen Sanderson like the Techstar based on a non-TI design.

If we trace back in the history of electronic flight computers we discover: The Commodore N60, the Heathkit OCW-1401 and the navtronic 16 resp. 1701t models. All were introduced in the year 1978, two years before this Jeppesen Sanderson avstar appeared.

Compare this flight computer with the advanced USMC HARRIER calculator.



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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.