If you have a question or an answer (or both) which could help a newbie, please post in here! NO NEW TOPICS ABOUT NEWBIE QUESTIONS
Here we go.
1. Q: I am new to the calc world. How do I get a game on my calc?
Phew. I am in luck that there is a whole tutorial for this on ticalc! Here you go:
It's also a good idea to read the included readme. In the most cases (especially all Maxcoderz games) there is a instruction included how to get the game on the calculator!ticalc.org wrote:INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the most popular aspect of TI's graphing calculators is their easy programmability. The Internet is teeming with calculator programs and games that can be transferred to your calculator from your computer, but first you need a special cable and the proper software. Read on for step-by-step help with everything you need.
GETTING THE RIGHT CABLE
TI's graphing calculators come with short cables to link one calculator to another, but you must obtain a separate cable to connect your calculator to your computer. You can buy such a cable from Texas Instruments. You have two options, TI-Graph Link or TI Connect. Of if you'd like to save money and have the expertise, you can build your own homemade cable.
TI-Graph Link
For most users, the best choice is the TI-Graph Link, Texas Instruments' first official link cable. You will be able to use TI's supported software and be guaranteed that you will be able to transfer data to current and future TI calculators from your PC or Macintosh. For more information on this cable and a list of vendors who can ship you a TI-Graph Link, see Texas Instruments' TI-Graph Link page. TI also sells a "cable only" version of the Graph Link which is cheaper but includes instructions on downloading the required software from the Internet (instead of disks and manuals) and lacks adaptors for Macintosh and 9-pin PC serial ports.
TI Connect
TI Connect was supposed to be the successor of TI's original TI-Graph Link, and in many ways it is. It has a much faster transfer rate than TI-Graph, however it does not support the 82, 85, or the 86 for the Windows version. It is the first USB cable produced by TI. The TI Connectivity Kit comes with cable and computer software, both of which work with your computer, TI handheld, data collection technology and TI-InterActive! The software includes a Data Editor, Screen Capture, OS Downloader, Group Explorer, and the Device Explorer. Most calculators that TI sells today come with this cable and the software you need for all these features. TI Connect is by far a superior cable to TI-Graph Link, but TI Connect has often been disregarded because it is not supported by many emulator software which was developed before TI Connect had been.
Homemade Cables
The more adventurous (and thrifty) may prefer to build a link cable from parts or buy a pre-built homemade cable. Most of these cables are not compatible with the TI-Graph Link and require third-party software, but can suit the needs of most users. Unfortunately, there is no third-party Macintosh link software at this time; Mac users will need to buy an official TI-Graph Link or construct a Graph Link-compatible link cable. Please see the Link Cables area in our Hardware section for help making your own cable.
GETTING THE RIGHT SOFTWARE
While TI's linking software will support a TI-Graph Link under Windows or Macintosh with any TI graphing calculator, homemade link cables require homemade software for transferring data with your calculator. (The serial link is reported to work with TI's software in "black cable" mode, however.) Some of this third-party software supports multiple link cables and calculators, while others are designed specifically for one cable or calculator. Before choosing a homemade link, you should make sure appropriate linking software exists with support for your operating system and calculator.
No matter what cable you choose, we highly recommend you download TI's official Graph Link software for your calculator. Even if you can't use it to transfer data (for example, if you get a parallel cable), it's still useful for ungrouping calculator data files (more on that later) and viewing or editing BASIC programs on your computer.
To get a overview of all programs, go here:
http://www.ticalc.org/basics/linking/software.html
DOWNLOAD PROGRAMS
Once you have your cable and linking software correctly installed, you're ready to start building your collection of calculator programs. A good place to start is our File Archives section.
.ZIP Files
Most files you will download from our site end in ".ZIP". These files actually contain several individual files packaged together for easier downloading. You cannot send ZIP files directly to your calculator; you must first "unzip" them to get the files they contain, and then send those files to your calculator. If you don't already have an unzipper, try WinZip or ZipGenius (for Windows users) or StuffIt Expander (for MacOS users).
Inside ZIP files you'll find the following types of files, which are the actual calculator programs and data files.
Group Files
Typical filenames: file.73g, file.82g, file.83g, file.85g, file.86g, file.89g, file.92g, file.9xg, file.v2g
Group files are similar to ZIP files, but they contain only calculator data files (such as programs and formulas). Unlike ZIP files, group files can be sent to the calculator without being "ungrouped" first. If you want to get at the contents, however (one reason might be to open the program file and read the code), the easiest way to do this is using the TI-Graph Link software for Windows or MacOS. Once you have extracted your group file from the ZIP file you downloaded, open the TI-Graph Link software and choose Ungroup from the File menu. Find the group file on your system and the software will extract any program files and other data from inside.
Calculator Data Files
Typical filenames: file.89i, file.89p, file.89s, file.89z, etc.
(instead of '89' you will also see '73', '82', '83', '85', '86', and '92', corresponding to files for each calculator)
Once you've downloaded a file and unzipped it (if necessary), you'll have one or more of these files, which you will send to your calculator. Use your favorite linking software to transfer all of the necessary files to your calculator, then read below for help running your new programs.
BASIC Programs
Typical filenames: file.73p, file.82p, file.83p, file.85p, file.86p, file.89p, file.92p, file.9xp, file.v2p
Many of the programs in our archives are written in the calculator's built-in, BASIC-like language. After these programs are sent to your calculator, running them is as easy as accessing them from the PRGM menu or typing the program's name in the home screen.
Assembly Programs
Typical filenames: file.82p, file.83p, file.85s, file.86p, file.89z, file.92p, file.9xz, file.v2z
If you downloaded a program from an "asm" folder in our file archives, you downloaded what's called an assembly program. Unlike BASIC programs, which can be typed directly into the calculator, assembly programs are normally written on a computer and are more difficult to program, but run much faster on the calculator.
If you downloaded assembly programs for your TI-83, TI-83 Plus, TI-86, TI-89, TI-92 Plus, or Voyage 200, you probably will not have to do anything special to run these programs (follow the BASIC instructions above). These calculators have built-in assembly ability; that is, the calculator was made with running assembly programs in mind.
If you are trying to run an assembly program for your TI-82, TI-85, or TI-92, you will need an assembly "shell" first. Since these calculators weren't intended to support assembly programs, it's only possible by using a loophole which allows you to run the shell program, which in turn presents a menu to allow you to run other assembly programs on your calculator. Determine which shell your program requires, then download and send it to your calculator first before you can use other assembly programs.
Don't ask questions if you didn't read the readme and the tutorial above!!!