Back to the future - of 1985! I got a very vintage talking scale at the thrift shop and I'm anxious to see what's inside... What do I find? Mystery ~ If you've got some info please share in the comments - chip set: M34137N2, TMS5110ANL, CM62074, CD40114BE.
Hank Lives - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRer1lH3Ryo
Texas Instruments LPC Speech Chips - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMS5110
Speech chips at Datamath Calculator Museum - http://www.datamath.org/Speech_IC.htm
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17 thoughts on “1985 talking scale teardown”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TJ PJ says:

    I have this scale. It speaks English, however when the batteries get low it switches to German. I can’t work out why

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Shed Rage says:

    <3

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars iloveminecraft2009 says:

    I would be that person to weigh my cat🤣

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Benjamin Webb says:

    Pericles, when it starts talking, HAHAHA. I had an doll do that. The batteries where all corroded. It kept going for days. I had to get in the crawlspace and stop it.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ken More says:

    For a cool and interesting thing to do with it, use it as a talking scale lol. I can't think of anything better to do with it, but the fact that it tells you your weight gain or loss is awesome IMO!

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars David Williams says:

    Could you call TI and ask them about the chips

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars David Williams says:

    LOL…

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars David Williams says:

    I hope you wore gloves.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mic k says:

    Always love me a good franlab teardown

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars CARL iCON says:

    was there an calibration adjustment on this device? it would have been interesting to see how accurate it was using that optical sensor system. Seems like TI came up with a way to use a standard off-the-shelf mechanical bathroom scale (not typically accurate or consistent) & just add the sensor/speech/memory electronics to it instead of reinventing the whole scale mechanism.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Daniel Daniels says:

    They should make talking scales that go “oof” when you step on them if you’re over 250 lbs.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Marcelo Gd says:

    That's the dumb cousin of KITT from Knight Rider! ;-))))

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gary Hawkins says:

    Does taking things apart make you smarter?
    Marilyn vos Savant has the highest recorded IQ test. Her parents used to leave her home alone so she would grab her dad's tools and take apart the toaster, washing machine etc.

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Grenville Phillips says:

    Hilarious!

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars douro20 says:

    It would be better if it used a load cell instead of a mechanical balance with an encoder wheel. Mine tends to read slightly high above 100 pounds.

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars wayne a Caron says:

    does it say "one at a time please"? ha-ha

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars wayne a Caron says:

    WOW!! they still followed the 'KISS' rule of engineering!!! poppy's workshop says HI

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