Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40
Encyclopedia
The Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40 or CC-40 is a battery-operated portable computer that was manufactured and released by Texas Instruments
in March 1983. Priced at US$249, it weighs 600 grams (22 ounces) and can be powered by four AA batteries
or an AC adapter
. It was intended as a portable business computer, and uses TI's TMS70C20 CPU, an 8-bit microprocessor
that ran at 2.5 MHz.
The CC-40 has 6 kilobytes of on board Random Access Memory
(expandable to 18 KB), 34 KB of Read Only Memory
, and a 31-character LCD display. It is capable of operating for 200 hours off one set of batteries, and memory is not erased by powering the unit off, so an unpowered unit can retain data for several months. However, no disk or tape drive was released with the unit, and a digital "wafertape" unit depicted on the computer's box was never released, reportedly because it proved too unreliable. The inability to store data permanently hurt the CC-40's sales. The CC-40 does have ports for connecting a printer and a modem
. Expansion was to be through a "HexBus" interface, arguably prototypical to USB, providing Hot swapping
plug-and-play
functionality. The HexBus interface was also available for the TI-99/4A and was built into the prototype-only TI-99/8.
An improved model was in development which provided a cassette port but the project was canceled when Texas Instruments canceled the 99/4A and left the home computer field. However, this was later revived as the TI-74 BASICALC
.
Software was only available on cartridge, or by typing simple programs into its built-in BASIC
interpreter. The BASIC interpreter is similar but not identical to the TI-99/4A.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
in March 1983. Priced at US$249, it weighs 600 grams (22 ounces) and can be powered by four AA batteries
AA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
or an AC adapter
AC adapter
The AC adapter, AC/DC adapter or AC/DC converter is a type of external power supply, often enclosed in what looks like an over-sized AC plug. Other names include plug pack, plug-in adapter, adapter block, domestic mains adapter, line power adapter, or power adapter...
. It was intended as a portable business computer, and uses TI's TMS70C20 CPU, an 8-bit microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
that ran at 2.5 MHz.
The CC-40 has 6 kilobytes of on board Random Access Memory
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
(expandable to 18 KB), 34 KB of Read Only Memory
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
, and a 31-character LCD display. It is capable of operating for 200 hours off one set of batteries, and memory is not erased by powering the unit off, so an unpowered unit can retain data for several months. However, no disk or tape drive was released with the unit, and a digital "wafertape" unit depicted on the computer's box was never released, reportedly because it proved too unreliable. The inability to store data permanently hurt the CC-40's sales. The CC-40 does have ports for connecting a printer and a modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
. Expansion was to be through a "HexBus" interface, arguably prototypical to USB, providing Hot swapping
Hot swapping
Hot swapping and hot plugging are terms used to describe the functions of replacing computer system components without shutting down the system...
plug-and-play
Plug-and-play
In computing, plug and play is a term used to describe the characteristic of a computer bus, or device specification, which facilitates the discovery of a hardware component in a system, without the need for physical device configuration, or user intervention in resolving resource conflicts.Plug...
functionality. The HexBus interface was also available for the TI-99/4A and was built into the prototype-only TI-99/8.
An improved model was in development which provided a cassette port but the project was canceled when Texas Instruments canceled the 99/4A and left the home computer field. However, this was later revived as the TI-74 BASICALC
TI-74
The Texas Instruments TI-74 Basicalc is a type of programmable calculator, which was released in 1985 to replace the Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40. One variant, the TI-74S, has a blank faceplate instead of secondary functions to allow for customization . Both models accepted customized...
.
Software was only available on cartridge, or by typing simple programs into its built-in BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
interpreter. The BASIC interpreter is similar but not identical to the TI-99/4A.