TI-84/3+ Calc programming question

[Idontwantspam]

I don't think there's any other relevant place to put this, so I'll post it here.

I have a question about programming in the TI-84+ and TI-83+ calculators by Texas Instruments. If you've ever used one, you'll probably know they have a built-in basic programming language. Does anyone know if there is a way to make a program pause for a specified amount of time? I know about the pause function, but that pauses the calculator indefinitely until you press the Enter key. Is there a way to make it pause for, say, 5 seconds? Any help would be appreciated. Also, if anyone has any useful programs they wrote for the TI-83+/TI-84+ calcs, please share.

Thanks all.

By the way: If you use a TI83 or TI84, you should download MirageOS if you haven't already. It's really useful.

[ripken204]

well you could just make a loop do something pointless and time it until its ~5sec and the loop to go for however many times you think it will need for that 5sec.

[Idontwantspam]

Hmmm... I guess. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to resort to making it do something like loop 20 times and hope all calcs go the same speed...

I'll see if I can figure anything else out. Are you a calculator programmer?

[ripken204]

im not a calculator programmer, but i am a programmer(java, c++, php, html, etc)

i have done alot of basic programs for my ti83, but as i said, they are basic.

[gamehead200]

I've been writing programs for the TI-83+ to help me through all of my courses for some time now, but have never needed to pause a screen for a certain time, nor do I know how to do it. Can I ask what you're trying to do?

Also, MirageOS is useful, but if you press the wrong keys in the wrong order, you risk clearing the RAM and losing all of your programs (unless you have archived them).

[Idontwantspam]

Well, I figured it out - sort of. By having the program loop, but the time varies depending on available RAM and other factors.

...
0->A
Lbl X
If A!=50
Then
A+1->A
Goto X
Else
If A=50
Then
Goto Z
End
Lbl Z
...

This basically makes it pause until it has added 1 50 times, which will take about 1-2 seconds, though I have not timed it.

As for MirageOS... I learned the hard way it can screw things up. That's why I back up all my RAM, Archive and Apps about once every two weeks, and after any major changes to programs, and I archive all programs when they aren't in use.

I'll keep searching for better ways to do this.

Thanks all.

[Zxian]

@Idontwantspam - Just a word of warning. If you're trying to make this program work on both TI-83's and TI-84's, then your solution will give very different times for each. The clock speed of the 84 is far higher than that of the original 83, and the 83+ IIRC. I've got a TI-89, which is also of the same generation as the 83, but it's still FAR faster than it.

The TI-83 is a highly outdated calculator, only used because our education systems force us to.

[Martin L]

The TI-83 is a highly outdated calculator, only used because our education systems force us to.

to pass you exams? now we know the real you hahaha j/k man

ontopic.. i didnt do much programming for them, but if i needed something i did get it from the manual.

[gamehead200]

I've got a TI-89, which is also of the same generation as the 83, but it's still FAR faster than it.

I'd have to disagree on this point. I use a TI-83+ Silver Edition and TI-89 on a daily basis. The TI-83+ SE can usually calculate an integral way faster than my TI-89. I depend on it for graphing and such as well. When it comes to having to solve for a certain variable, then I'll use my TI-89. Have you ever used a TI-92, Zxian?

[Zxian]

Yea yea... the Silver Edition, but that's the same system with a faster CPU. It's still an outdated calculator in terms of usability.

I was talking about the original systems, in which the TI-83 has a 6MHz processor, while the TI-89 is 10 or 12 MHz (depending on the revision). The TI-83 SE has a 15MHz processor, hence the speed boost you get when doing your numeric integration... but it still can't do symbolic integration or simplification of equations.

[gamehead200]

Yea yea... the Silver Edition, but that's the same system with a faster CPU. It's still an outdated calculator in terms of usability.

I was talking about the original systems, in which the TI-83 has a 6MHz processor, while the TI-89 is 10 or 12 MHz (depending on the revision). The TI-83 SE has a 15MHz processor, hence the speed boost you get when doing your numeric integration... but it still can't do symbolic integration or simplification of equations.

I rely on the TI-89 for stuff like that!

[ripken204]

I've got a TI-89, which is also of the same generation as the 83, but it's still FAR faster than it.

I'd have to disagree on this point. I use a TI-83+ Silver Edition and TI-89 on a daily basis. The TI-83+ SE can usually calculate an integral way faster than my TI-89. I depend on it for graphing and such as well. When it comes to having to solve for a certain variable, then I'll use my TI-89. Have you ever used a TI-92, Zxian?

integrals!

my calc teacher only let us use our calc on 1 test this year, and thats because we had to calculate some trig stuff with very weird angles...

but she is allowing the class to use it on the final exam, she even told the class to go ahead and plug in all the formulas/rules.

but im exempt from that exam, i rock at calc

[gamehead200]

I've got a TI-89, which is also of the same generation as the 83, but it's still FAR faster than it.

I'd have to disagree on this point. I use a TI-83+ Silver Edition and TI-89 on a daily basis. The TI-83+ SE can usually calculate an integral way faster than my TI-89. I depend on it for graphing and such as well. When it comes to having to solve for a certain variable, then I'll use my TI-89. Have you ever used a TI-92, Zxian?

integrals!

my calc teacher only let us use our calc on 1 test this year, and thats because we had to calculate some trig stuff with very weird angles...

but she is allowing the class to use it on the final exam, she even told the class to go ahead and plug in all the formulas/rules.

but im exempt from that exam, i rock at calc

Cal isn't that hard, however, we need to use our calculators to calculate more complex integrals numerically (not symbolically). Tell me... How would you find the integral of this over the domain of (0,2) without a calculator (reminding you that I have only taken AB Cal [Cal 1]):

(sec x)(sin x)^2(ln x^2)

As far as angles are concerned, if you know your unit circle, you should be set. Any teacher that puts ridiculous angles on a Cal 1 test is just making it harder for him/herself to mark.

[Idontwantspam]

I found this info in the guidebook about timers and such, but I can't seem to make it work at all. Does anyone know how to use these?

checkTmr(starttime)

Returns the number of seconds since you used startTmr to start the timer. The starttime is the value displayed by startTmr.

startTmr

Starts the clock timer. Store or note the displayed value,and use it as the argument for checkTmr( ) to check the elapsed time.

I've only ever used 83's, 83+'s and 84+'s. The TI-83 is really, really crappy. The TI-83+ is a little bit better. The 83+SE is OK, but the lack of USB support is a major down side. The 84+ is great as far as I'm concerned. I think the 84+ SE is supposed to have more memory, but I think the processor is the same. My school used to have only 83s and 83+s, but this year they finally got some new 84+s. Unfortunately, those are only for in-class work; the ones we can check out are all the old crummy ones. That's why I have my own now.

Still working on this... I'll report back if I find anything out.