TI-89.org: The Ultimate TI-89 FAQ & Manual

The TI-89 FAQ

This FAQ should detail many of the frequently asked TI-89 questions and related issues that are posted on our TI-89 Forum. If you have another question not answered here or that you want more detail about, simply start a new thread in the support section of our TI-89 Forum.

If you're looking for a TI-89 manual, you can view the PDF here.

1.0: Getting programs to your calculator

Q1.1: Could you give me an overview on how to transfer files from my computer to my calculator?

A1.1: First, of course, you must download them to your computer by clicking on them, and then you must unzip them (see Q1.3). Next, you must open the link software. If you are using the TI-Graph Link software, you can click Link: Send, select the files you wish to send to your calculator, and then click to send them. Or, if you are using TI Connect, click on Device Explorer and then drag and drop the files in the folder you want them to go to. For more information about sending them to your calculator, see section 2 of the TI-89 FAQ, and for more information about using them on your calculator, see section 3.

Q1.2: What hardware do I need to transfer programs to my calculator?

A1.2: In addition to owning a TI-89, in order to transfer assembly programs to your calculator you will first need to have a TI-Graph Link that connects your calculator to your computer. You can use the Black Link, which works on PC's and *nix systems through a serial port and costs $20, the Gray Link that is like the Black Link but works on Apples as well, for $55, or the USB Link, which works on PC's and Apples through a USB port, for $55. I recommend the Black Link if you use a PC or *nix machine, because it is the cheapest and just as functional as the others, but Macintosh users might consider the USB Link or Gray Link.

You can find a list of vendors from the Open Directory Project here, or buy one directly from TI. You could also make one yourself, but this is much more complicated. Once you have a link, you can connect it to your calculator through a Unit to Unit link (which should come with your calculator) and then transfer programs, using the TI-Graph Link or TI Connect software (see section 2).

Q1.3: How do I get the TI-89 programs out of their .zip files?

A1.3: In order to unzip them, you must use a zip utility. A popular zip utility for Windows is WinZip. After you download it, run it in order to install it, and then right click a zip file and click one of the "extract" features to unzip it. If you are not running Windows, you can find several other zip utilities at Download.com, and their respective help files should contain information about their use.

Q1.4: These zip files have a lot of files inside of them; which should I send to my calculator?

A1.4: For most of the files that are up for download on my site, this is easily apparent. When you open the TI-Graph Link software, go to Link: Send, and go to the directory with the files that you want to send, it will list all of the files that you can send to your calculator. These will be the files with .89* file extensions.

Zip files for assembly programs will often library files for the program, a shell, files for HW2 calculators (see section 6.1 for information about different HW calculators), and sometimes alternate copies of the programs in French. Which files to send is usually straightforward, but if you are confused about which to send or if there seem to be multiple copies of the same program, check the documentation for the program (often in a file named readme.txt). Aside from the main program file, you will always need its libraries and a shell that's not necessarily the included shell (shells included with programs are often outdated).

If there is a HW2 folder and you have a HW2 calculator, send those files instead of the normal one. Do not in any case send multiple copies of the same program file, however, as the TI-89 can only have one program with a certain name on the calculator and if you do, only one will get sent (in this case, it will ask you whether or not you wish to skip sending a program).

Q1.5: I don't have a Graph Link; can you send me a program in plain text?

A1.5: Assembly programs, such as those in our Games Archive, cannot be written directly on the calculator without what is called an "On-Calc Compiler", because they are written in machine code (and an On-Calc Compiler must be sent to the calculator). These files have .89z extensions. For BASIC programs, however, such as those in the Our Programs section, are written in plaintext. If you have the TI-Graph Link software, you can simply open one of these files by clicking File: Open and then by choosing the file you wish to open. These programs might have a .89p or a .89f file extension.

If the file you wish to open has a .89g file extension, it is a group file, containing several TI-89 files, and you can open it by going on the menu to Tools: Ungroup Files. You may then indicate where you would like to extract the files to and open them from there. In order to copy the programs to your calculator, then, you can push the APPS button, then push 7, and then choose option 1. Enter the name of the file and you can then copy it. This is not recommended, however, as it can be very time consuming. Also, please note that these instructions for the TI-Graph Link software refer to the Windows version; I am not sure about them for other systems but the commands should be similar.

2.0: TI-Graph Link software (Windows version)

Q2.1: From where can I download the TI-Graph Link software?

A2.1: You can find TI's supported Graph Link software in Windows, Macintosh, and DOS versions at its website at http://education.ti.com/product/accessory/link/down/download.html. For *nix systems, you can use TiLP (formerly GtkTiLink), found at http://tilp.sourceforge.net/. After you have TI-Graph Link software set up, you can use it to send or receive programs as well as back up your calculator's data on your computer.

Q2.2: How do I send programs to my calculator with the Windows TI-Graph Link software?

A2.2: On the menu at the top of the screen, click Link and then Send. Then, go to the directory the programs are in, and either double click on the programs individually, or click once on each and click Add. Then, click OK.

Q2.3: What should I do about a link transmission error?

A2.3: Link transmission errors mean either that the options in the TI-Graph Link software are incorrect or that the cables are not connected securely. Find out which port your link is plugged into, and make sure that under the Link menu it has the correct port listed (i.e. if the link is in port 1, check to make sure that Com Port 1 is selected). Next, check to make sure that under Link: Cable Type, the correct link is selected. If both of these options are correct, the problem is probably in the link connection. Try unplugging the link and plugging it back in again, very securely.

If it still doesn't work, one last try might be to try receiving programs, even if you aren't going to. Occasionally when I get a link transmission error trying to send a file, the link worked correctly when I tried to receive a program and then I could send again (probably due to a bug in TI's software). It can be very frustrating when you get this error, because you might have to unplug the link and plug it back in several times before it works correctly.

Q2.4: When I transfer several programs, why does the TI-Graph Link software sometimes ask to skip a program?

A2.4: This is due to your sending two files from your computer which have the same filenames on the TI-89. This can often occur if you click to add all files and then to send, as some zip files with programs contain two copies of the same program. This is often because there are separate versions for different HW types or for different languages.

3.0: Using programs on your TI-89

Q3.1: How do I list the programs on my calculator?

A3.1: Push the 2nd key and then the - key (Var-Link) to list them. This will also say what file type the files are. Also, if you have DoorsOS you can list the files by pushing Shift + ON. Under its options, you can choose which file types to display and options about how to display them.

Q3.2: How do I run a program that I sent to my calculator?

A3.2: When listing files with Var-Link, PRGM stands for program, FUNC for function, and ASM for assembly program. These three types are the only executable file types and can normally be run by typing filename() at the prompt. Occasionally, programs will require that text be entered into the parenthesis but these programs should have information about this text in their respective readme files.

Q3.3: When I go to Var-Link and push enter on a program and try to run it, I get a syntax error. What did I do wrong?

A3.3: As said in section 3.2, programs are run by typing filename() at the Home screen. The parentheses are part of the proper syntax and are due to some programs and functions taking values between the parenthesis as input. If you go to Var-Link and push enter on a program, it will only type it as filename( at the Home screen. You must complete the parenthesis in order to run it.

Q3.4: Do the programs on the "Our Programs" page need a shell to run?

A3.4: No, because they were written in TI-89 BASIC. The programs that need shells to run are most of those written in 68k Assembly and occasionally in C. Note that some programs written in 68k Assembly and others written in C don't need shells; these programs are called "nostub" programs. Section 4.0 contains more information about the various TI-89 programming languages.

4.0: Programming Languages

Q4.1: What language are these programs written in?

A4.1: The programs on the "Our Programs" page were all written in TI-89 BASIC, and each program on the "Games Archive page" was written in either 68k Assembly or C.

Q4.2: What are the differences in programming between TI-89 BASIC, 68k Assembly, and C using TI-GCC?

A4.2: TI-89 BASIC is written on the TI-89 and is similar to BASIC for DOS. It is easy to learn and fast to program and will never crash your calculator. It can be written right on your calculator and can utilize the built in functions and routines of the TI-89. One problem, however, is that it is much slower than 68k Assembly and C using TI-GCC. I consider TI-89 BASIC to be the best language for writing math programs on the TI-89. It can also be good for text-based games or games with simple graphics, but games with complicated graphics or games that require a lot of processor power shouldn't be written in it.

68k Assembly, on the other hand, is written in machine code and compiled on one's computer and then sent to the calculator through a TI-Graph Link. It can be used on the TI-89, the TI-92, or the TI-92+, as these calculators all contain 68k Motorola processors. It is hard to learn from scratch, in large part due to the lack of documentation on the Internet, but if you already know some type of Assembly, 68k Assembly isn't as difficult to learn. Programs written with it take much longer to write than BASIC programs, as you have to write several lines of code in assembly for many commands that could be written in one line with TI-89 BASIC. They execute much faster, however, and many of the best TI-89 games are written in Assembly. They usually use shells in order to execute, as these shells include libraries which include commonly used routines such as grayscale so that people do not need to write these routines every time. A small number of them are nostub, meaning that they do not require shells to run. One other notable fact about Assembly programs is that they can be very buggy and easy to crash. This makes it a bad language for writing math programs in, because when Assembly programs crash, you will have to reset your calculator and lose all your data (unless you have AMS 2.0x, in which case you can recover archived programs). This is also why I do not recommend using an On-Calc compiler for 68k Assembly.

For people who wish to write advanced games but don't know anything about Assembly, writing them in C and compiling them with TI-GCC is a good option. A lot of people already know the language C, and it is simpler to write in than Assembly. For a while, not many people wrote programs in C for the TI-89, but recently more and more good programs have been written in it. One good thing about C is that stable programs are easier to write in it. C programs are sometimes a bit bulkier than Assembly programs, but it is still a very good language. Also notable is the fact that a larger percentage of released programs written in C seem to be nostub and not require any shells or libraries. I recommend this if you are new to writing programs for the TI-89, and think it is comparable to Assembly in almost every way, (although people who already know Assembly might dispute that).

Q4.3: Where can I get some programming information?

A4.3: The TI-89 manual contains all of the information that you will need to program TI-89 BASIC, and if you have specific questions, you can post them on the TI-89 Forum and someone will probably reply to them. For TI-89 68k Assembly programming, Techno-Plaza, has some introductory lessons, and if you know some assembly already, Jimmy Mardell's 68k Guide is a really good reference. For programming C, there are many references and if you go to your local bookstore, there should be some good tutorial books for it on the shelf. You should also be able to find some on the web through search engines. Also, the programming group TICT has some C programming demos, and TI-GCC is the best C compiler for the TI-89 at the moment. Texas Instruments also provides a TI-89/TI-92 Plus SDK for developing Flash APPS in C or Assembly, but it is currently in early beta (as of Spring 2002) and not many people are using it.

5.0: Assembly Program Issues

Q5.1: Why does my calculator freeze when I run assembly programs?

A5.1: Assembly programs are often buggier than BASIC programs, because they are much more complex to write and because TI hasn't fully documented Assembly on the TI-89 (although this is improving with their 68k SDK). Because they use more direct machine code, they may sometimes accidentally write data to the wrong place on your calculator, causing them to crash. Even some of the best assembly programs crash for this reason. They can be somewhat reliable, however, so if you sometimes backup your calculator on your computer you will usually be ok.

Also, one other reason for this is the differences between HW and AMS versions. Almost all TI-89 programs should work on HW1 with AMS 1.00, and most with HW2 and AMS 1.05, but with the newer software and hardware versions there can be problems. I have tested the programs in my archive with HW1 and AMS 1.00 and am currently testing them on AMS 2.05, but I don't have a HW2 calculator and so some of them might crash more often on these. For programs with which I have seen varying performance on HW2 calculators (through other people's calculators), I have noted this in their descriptions. Luckily, the calculator will never crash through BASIC programs.

Q5.2: Why doesn't the grayscale work?

A5.2: Most grayscale problems on the TI-89 with assembly programs are due to changes in the HW2 calculator. Different library files have been written because of this, though, and if you have a HW2 calculator you can send the files in the hw2 folder of the DoorsOS zip file instead of the corresponding files in the main directory. The screen might flicker a bit but at least the programs will be in grayscale. More information about fixing problems with HW2 calculators is available in Section 6.0.

Q5.3: How do I reset my calculator after the programs freeze?

A5.3: Push the buttons LEFT-RIGHT-SHIFT-ON at the same time, and this will probably reset your calculator if you're using DoorsOS. If you're not using DoorsOS or if this doesn't work, a manual method of resetting your calculator that always works (except for problems with the Flash ROM that could potentially be caused by programs that write to the Flash ROM such as HW2Patch, MaxMem, and TIBReceiver) is to take out a battery and while putting it back in, hold the (-) and ) buttons. It will then reset and you can adjust the contrast again.

Q5.4: Why does my calculator reset every time I change my batteries?

A5.4: This shouldn't normally happen because there exists a lithium backup battery in the TI-89 that prevents it from resetting when replacing batteries. When it dies, though, it doesn't work anymore and must be replaced. This causes the calculator to reset when removing the other batteries. In order to replace it, remove the normal battery cover. You will see above the four AA batteries a little panel that reads "BACK UP BATTERY." Remove the panel with a screwdriver and replace the lithium backup battery.

6.0: Different AMS and HW versions

Q6.1: What do AMS and HW stand for?

A6.1: AMS stands for Advanced Mathematics Software, and it refers to the software on the TI-89 and the TI-92 Plus. HW stands for Hardware, and it is significant because of Hardware Version changes that TI made to newer TI-89's after first releasing the TI-89; the newer calculators were produced starting in July 1999. These are both important things in reference to assembly programs, as they affect compatibility. As a general rule for TI-89 software, the newer the software or hardware, the more problems you will likely experience when using assembly programs (although programmers lately have been accounting for this and problems will decrease with time).

Q6.2: How do I find out which AMS and HW versions I have?

A6.2: Push F1 and then A. If you have a HW1 calculator, the first line of the information will be "TI-89," and on a HW2 calculator, the first line will be "TI-89 Hardware Version 2.00." The AMS version will be listed a few lines from the top.

Q6.3: Which is the best AMS version for my calculator?

A6.3: The newest AMS versions are always up for download along with the other FLASH applications at http://education.ti.com/product/tech/89/apps/apps.html, and these allow you to use FLASH applications but can sometimes hurt your ability to use assembly programs such as the games I have up for download on my Program Archive page. For game compatibility, the earlier AMS versions are the best, but AMS 2.0x has a great new feature that prevents you from losing archived programs upon a calculator crash.

If you do with to use an older version though, the oldest are AMS 1.00 for HW1 calculators and AMS 1.05 for HW2 calculators (due to HW2 changes, AMS 1.00 is incompatible with it; you can send it with TIBReceiver, up for download on the Games Archive page, but I discourage this because of problems it will cause). I also might note that for HW2 calculators with AMS versions from 2.01 to 2.05, HW2Patch, makes them act more like HW1 calculators. Changing your FLASH ROM version to a version other than those from TI is risky and potentially damaging to your calculator, though, and programs such as HW2Patch are provided AS IS, WITH NO WARRANTY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

Q6.4: Where can I download different AMS versions?

A6.4: In my experience, TI will always email you an AMS version that you ask for when asking kindly (I've heard from others who claimed that TI wouldn't send them an AMS and my guess is that they didn't ask kindly). You can email them at ti-cares@ti.com, and be sure to mention the AMS version and that it's for a TI-89. TI also provides the newest AMS version on its website. Please note that while you can download these for free, it is illegal to distribute them to other people unless TI grants you permission to. They have actively pursed action against sites that do distribute them.

7.0: Hardware

Q7.1: How much memory does the TI-89 have?

A7.1: HW1 versions of the TI-89 have 188k of RAM and 384k of memory that can be used for archiving programs, making for 572k of memory total (unless you use AMS 2.0x, which will increase the amount of archive memory available). In addition to the normal RAM, HW2 TI-89's with AMS 2.03 or higher have 702k of memory that can be used for archived programs.

This difference is due to changes in the HW version, but MaxMem (available on the Games Archive page) for HW1 TI-89's increase the archive memory to equal that of HW2 calculators. I again stress the fact that MaxMem changes your Flash ROM and could potentially damage your calculator permanently, and that it is provided AS IS, WITH NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. I also note that HW1 TI-89's with AMS 1.0x can still use the 702k Flash ROM memory like the HW2 TI-89's, but the difference between that and the 384k memory can only be used for Flash Applications.

Q7.2: How large is the TI-89's screen?

A7.2: The TI-89's screen is 160x100 pixels.

Q7.3: What type of processor does the TI-89 have?

A7.3: The TI-89, like the TI-92 and TI-92 Plus, uses a 68k Motorola processor. On HW1 TI-89's, the processors are 10 MHz, and on HW2 TI-89's they are 12 MHz. You can also double the speed of the TI-89 by overclocking it. Information about this is located at the TI-89 Acceleration Pages. Note that this is a risky process that could potentially damage your calculator. I also imagine that it would prevent Assembly programs from working at normal speed, that it would void the warranty, and that it would drain batteries faster than normal.

8.0: Miscellaneous

Q8.1: Where can I find an online TI-89 manual?

A8.1: The TI-89 and TI-92 Plus Guidebook is located on TI's website in over a dozen languages in PDF format at http://education.ti.com/product/tech/89/guide/guides.html. You can also purchase a TI-89 Guidebook at TI's online store.

Q8.2: Where can I email Texas Instruments?

A8.2: Their email address is ti-cares@ti.com.

Q8.3: Which key is the shift key?

A8.3: The shift key is the up-arrow key that has a white border around it. It is to the immediate right of the yellow 2nd key.

Q8.4: How can I use archive memory space?

A8.4: In VAR-LINK, you can select any programs that you wish to archive by pushing F4 on each and push F1: 8 to archive them or F1: 9 to archive them. If you have DoorsOS Explorer on your calculator, you can open it by pushing Shift-ON, select any programs that you wish to archive by pushing X on each, and archive them by pushing F1 and selecting the last option on the list. Archiving them can save space and allow you to put more programs on your calculator, but running archived assembly programs on AMS 1.0x can crash your calculator. On AMS 2.0x, when the calculator crashes, archived programs are not lost.

Q8.5: How do I make 3-D graphs?

A8.5: First, you must set the mode to 3D, by pushing MODE and changing the first line, which reads "Graph," to 3D. Push enter to save the change, and go to the Y= area (accessed by pushing Diamond then F1). Enter the graph in terms of z and then graph (Diamond then F3). One neat looking 3D graph is z=((y^3)*x-(x^3)*y)/390.

Q8.6: Why don't you have more programs on your "Games Archive" page?

A8.6: There are countless assembly programs for the TI-89 on the Internet, but a lot of them crash and many aren't that interesting. For these reasons, I'm very selective when choosing which to post on my site. Also keep in mind the fact that most people wouldn't even be able to try all of the programs I posted if I had 100's or 1000's in the archives. There are also already several online archives of programs, such as that at ticalc.org, which have large numbers of programs but aren't very good at indicating which ones are stable and fun to play. However, I haven't seen a TI-89 site other than mine, as of yet, that has a smal but significant number of only the best programs, with descriptions.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Have another question? Looking for more detail on an existing question? Post it in the Support section of the TI-89.org Forum and an answer should soon appear. Please make sure that your question is not already listed, though, or it might not be responded to. Detail is appreciated. If your question has to do with games not working correctly, please list your AMS and HW versions, which shell you are attempting to use, and which, if any, FLASH programs are currently on your calculator.