DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM

Texas Instruments BA-III Executive Business Analyst

Date of introduction:	1986	Display technology:	LCD
New price:		Display size:	10 (7 + 2)
Size:	5.8" x 2.8" x 0.85" 147 x 72 x 22 mm³
Weight:	3.0 ounces, 84 grams	Serial No:
Batteries:	2*LR44	Date of manufacture:	wk 48 year 1990
AC-Adapter:		Origin of manufacture:	Italy
Precision:	12	Integrated circuits:	TP0458B/CD4812
Memories:	1
Program steps:		Courtesy of:	Joerg Woerner
		Download manual:	(US: 5.2M Bytes)

This rare BA-III is an unusual calculator within the second generation slanted family. We are used to find a direct counterpart with scientific functions for each calculator. Here we fail!

The first slanted calculator appeared with the TI-55-II already in the year 1981. It uses a different architecture compared with the earlier slimline calculators, e.g. two calculator chips of the TP0456 (CD4556) family. This allowed the usage of a 8+2 display compared with the 5+2 display and 45 keys instead the 40 keys found with the slimline calculators.

The second generation slanted calculators starting with the TI-55 III differed from the first generation mainly in the keyboard design. Nevertheless the old-fashioned electronics based on the TP0320 (CD3202) from the slimline calculators could be found in the slanted housing, too. Don't miss the TI-53.

This BA-III uses a display with 10 digit resolution, in engineering mode it changes to 7+2 digits. We know this behavior from the TI-60.

If we dig deeper into the calculator we located the calculator-chip, a TP0458B (CD4812) chip. This gives us a good picture of the BA-III: A calculator similar to the earlier BA-II with some enhancements in both functions and display capability in the second generation slanted housing.

Don't miss the prototype of a BA-III that never materialized and the later BA II PLUS.

The BA-III is featured in the Texas Instruments France SA leaflets ECD044F and ECD488F dated 1987 resp. 1988.

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