computer science

TI-92 series

TI-92 series 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-92 series rather than just read about it. In short: The TI-92 series are a line of graphing calculators produced by Texas Instruments. They include: the TI-92 (1995), the TI-92 II (1996), the TI-92 Plus (1998) and the Voyage 200 (2002).

Key takeaways

TI-92 series 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-92 series to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TI-92 series from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The TI-92 series are a line of graphing calculators produced by Texas Instruments. They include: the TI-92 (1995), the TI-92 II (1996), the TI-92 Plus (1998) and the Voyage 200 (2002). The design of these calculators includes a QWERTY keyboard. Because of this keyboard, they are given the status of a "computer" rather than a "calculator" by American testing facilities and cannot be used on tests such as the AP Exams while the TI-89 models can be used.

TI-92 The TI-92 was originally released in 1995, and was the first symbolic calculator made by Texas Instruments. It came with a computer algebra system (CAS) based on Derive, geometry based on Cabri II, and was one of the first calculators to offer 3D graphing. The TI-92 was not allowed on most standardized tests due mostly to its QWERTY keyboard. Its larger size was also rather cumbersome compared to other graphing calculators. In response to these concerns, Texas Instruments introduced the TI-89 which is functionally similar to the original TI-92, but featured Flash ROM and 188 KB RAM, and a smaller design without the QWERTY keyboard. The TI-92 was then replaced by the TI-92 Plus, which was essentially a TI-89 with the larger QWERTY keyboard design of the TI-92. Eventually, TI released the Voyage 200, which is a smaller, lighter version of the TI-92 Plus with more Flash ROM. The TI-92 is no longer sold through TI or its dealers, and is very hard to come by in stores.

TI-92 II The TI-92 II was released in 1996, and was the first successor to the TI-92. The TI-92 II was available both as a stand-alone product, and as a user-installable II module which could be added to original TI-92 units to gain most of the feature improvements. The TI-92 II module was introduced early in 1996 and added the choice of 5 user languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) and almost doubled the User memory to 128k. Along with the TI-92, the TI-92 II was replaced by the TI-92 Plus in 1999, which offered even more Flash ROM and RAM.

TI-92 Plus

The TI-92 Plus (or TI-92+) was released in 1998, slightly after the creation of the almost-identical (in terms of software) TI-89, while physically looking exactly like its predecessor, the TI-92 (which lacked flash memory). Besides increased memory over its predecessor, the TI-92 Plus also featured a sharper "black" screen, which had first appeared on the TI-89 and which eases viewing. The TI-92 Plus was available both as a stand-alone product, and as a user-installable Plus module which could be added to original TI-92 and TI-92 II units to gain most of the feature improvements, most notably Flash Memory. A stand-alone TI-92 Plus calculator was functionally similar to the HW2 TI-89, while a module-upgraded TI-92 was functionally similar to the HW1 TI-89. Both versions could run the same releases of operating system software. As of 2002, the TI-92 Plus was succeeded by the Voyage 200 and is no longer sold through TI or its dealers. The TI-92 Plus is now available in an online emulator, featuring a list of frequently used commands.

Voyage 200

Voyage 200 (also V200 and Voyage 200 PLT) was released in 2002, being the replacement for the TI-92 Plus, with its only hardware upgrade over that calculator being an increase in the amount of flash memory available (2.7 megabytes for the Voyage 200 vs. 702 kilobytes for the TI-92 Plus). It also features a somewhat smaller and more rounded case design. Like its predecessor, Voyage 200 is an advanced calculator that supports plotting multiple functions on the same graph, parametric, polar, 3D, and differential equation graphing as well as sequence representations. Its symbolic calculation system is based on a trimmed version of the calculation software Derive. In addition to its algebra and calculus capabilities, the Voyage 200 is packaged with list, spreadsheet, and data processing applications and can perform curve fitting to a number of standard functions and other statistical analysis operations. The calculator can also run most programs written for the TI-89 and TI-92 as well as programs specifically written for it. A large number of applications, ranging from games to interactive periodic tables can be found online. The V200 is easily mistaken for a PDA or a small computer because of its large enclosure and its full QWERTY keyboard — a feature which disqualifies the calculator for use in many tests and examinations, including the American ACT and SAT. The TI-89 Titanium offers exactly the same functionality in a smaller format. All calculators with computer algebra systems are illegal on both the SAT test and the ACT test.

Features

Technical specifications

See also Comparison of Texas Instruments graphing calculators

References

External links Official documentation: features of the Voyage 200.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TI-92 series

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TI-92 series 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-92 series 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-92 series 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-92 series

In research: TI-92 series 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-92 series 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-92 series is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 68k-based mobile devices, Computer-related introductions in 1995, Computer-related introductions in 1998, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TI-92 series 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-92 series in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TI-92 series 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-92 series out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TI-92 series in simple terms?

The TI-92 series are a line of graphing calculators produced by Texas Instruments. They include: the TI-92 (1995), the TI-92 II (1996), the TI-92 Plus (1998) and the Voyage 200 (2002).

Why does TI-92 series 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-92 series?

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-92 series.