DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Texas Instruments TI-15 Explorer
| Date of introduction: | October 7, 1999 Available: Feb. 2000 |
Display technology: | LCD |
| New price: | $14.99 (SRP 2008) $19.95 (SRP 2020) |
Display size: | 11 +11 characters |
| Size: | 6.8" x 3.2" x 0.50" 172 x 82 x 13 mm3 |
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| Weight: | 4.1 ounces, 117 grams | Serial No: | |
| Batteries: | CR2025 (60µA) | Date of manufacture: | mth 12 year 2004 (I) |
| AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | China (N) | |
| Precision: | 13 | Integrated circuits: | |
| Memories: | 1 | ||
| Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
Texas
Instruments introduced with the TI-15 Explorer Elementary Calculator in 1999 a
product to encourage students in the third through sixth grades to develop their problem-solving skills and begin connecting mathematical concepts. It combines the
fraction capabilities of the
Math Explorer with a 2-line display for problem
solving, place value and more.
In 2002 the features of the MathMate were combined with the 2-line display of the TI-15 Explorer, don't miss the TI-10 targeting grades K-2. In 2006 production of both the TI-15 Explorer and its sibling TI-10 was shifted from Nam Tai Electronics an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for Texas Instruments to Kinpo Electronics, another major OEM in China.
Dismantling
this TI-15 Explorer manufactured in December 2004 by Nam Tai Electronics in China reveals a
clean design centered around an unknown single-chip calculator circuit mounted
in Chip-on-Board (COB) technology on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB)
and powered by 4 solar cells and a CR2025 backup battery. Please notice that the
TI-15 Explorer manufactured by Kinpo is using a larger CR2032 battery. A second PCB is used for the keyboard and connected with a short flat flexible cable (FFC
to the Main-PCB. While Nam Tai is using for the keyboard a single-sided phenolic
resin PCB, chose Kinpo a more expensive solution based on a double-sided epoxy
resin, but could manage to integrate the battery holder, too. We discovered
already with the TI-30X
IIS completely different designs among the OEMs.
The TI-73 Explorer added even a graphics screen to the Explorer line of calculators.
Stokes Publishing Company, Inc. based in Sunnyvale, California sold a companion for the teacher, view the wonderful TI-15 Overhead Calculator.
Math Explorer ™ and
MathMate ™ are trademarks
of Texas Instruments.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.