computer science

TI-82

TI-82 is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TI-82 rather than just read about it. In short: The TI-82 is a graphing calculator made by Texas Instruments. The TI-82 was designed in 1993 as an upgraded version of and replacement for the TI-81.

Key takeaways

TI-82 belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TI-82 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TI-82 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The TI-82 is a graphing calculator made by Texas Instruments. The TI-82 was designed in 1993 as an upgraded version of and replacement for the TI-81. It was the direct predecessor of the TI-83. It shares with the TI-85 a 6 MHz Zilog Z80 microprocessor. Like the TI-81, the TI-82 features a 96×64 pixel display, and the core feature set of the TI-81 with many new features.

Features The TI-82 is powered by a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, as used in the TI-73 and TI-81 to TI-86 graphing calculators. This was an improvement over the TI-81's 2 MHz Z80 processor. In addition, the available RAM was increased more than tenfold – from 2400 bytes to 28734 bytes (slightly more than the TI-85). Some of the more notable improvements of the TI-82 over the TI-81 include the following: the addition of a link port to enable programs and other data to be transferred between two calculators or between a calculator and a computer; the addition of two new graphing types – polar and sequence, the addition of a new type of data – the list, the expansion of the size limit of matrices to 50×50, and the (unintentional) addition of the ability to program the calculator in assembly language. The last of these provided a significant boost in interest in the programmability of the calculator, as the use of assembly language (as opposed to Texas Instruments' own TI-BASIC) enabled significantly more performance and flexibility with the programs able to be used on the calculator. Carried over from the TI-81 is the TI-82's power source – four AAA batteries and one CR1616 or CR1620 lithium backup battery (to ensure programs stored in RAM persist when the AAA batteries are being changed).

Design changes The TI-82 was redesigned twice, first in 1999 and again in 2001. The 1999 redesign introduced a design very similar to the TI-73, TI-83 Plus, and the TI-89. It introduced a more contoured body and eliminated the sloped screen that has been common on TI graphing calculators since the TI-81. The 2001 redesign (nicknamed the TI-82 "Parcus") introduced a slightly different shape to the calculator, eliminated the glossy screen border, and reduced cost by streamlining the printed circuit board to four units.

TI-82 STATS An enhanced version of the TI-82, the TI-82 STATS, was first released in 2004 in Europe. There are several improvements, most notably the statistical features as the name would suggest. In addition, it featured numerical differentiation and integration, together with complex numbers, financial functions and other improvements. In specification terms, it is virtually identical to the TI-83.

Technical specifications CPU Zilog Z80 CPU, 6 MHz RAM 32 KB, 28734 bytes user-accessible OTP-ROM 128 KB non-upgradable Display Text: 8 Rows × 16 characters Graphics: 96×64 pixels, monochrome I/O Serial link port Power 4 AAA batteries plus 1 CR1616/CR1620 lithium battery for backup Integrated programming languages TI-BASIC, Assembly (via an undocumented feature)

See also Comparison of Texas Instruments graphing calculators

References

External links

Texas Instruments press release 1993-03-30 ticalc.org – The largest archive of TI programs available.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TI-82

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TI-82 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TI-82 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TI-82 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TI-82

In research: TI-82 appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TI-82 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TI-82 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 1993, Graphing calculators, Texas Instruments programmable calculators, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TI-82 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TI-82 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TI-82 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TI-82 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TI-82 in simple terms?

The TI-82 is a graphing calculator made by Texas Instruments. The TI-82 was designed in 1993 as an upgraded version of and replacement for the TI-81.

Why does TI-82 matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TI-82?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TI-82.