Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a TI-86?
  2. What is this site's involvement with the TI-86?
  3. What is ASM?
  4. How do I put a program on my TI-86?
  5. How do I check what rom version I have?
  6. How do I put 82ASM programs on my TI-86 with ASE?
  7. Why did you put that banner there?
  8. What do you test with?
  9. What did you use to draw that cool FAQ image?
  10. How do I dump the rom off my TI-86?
  11. Where can I find a better FAQ?

Anything I didn't cover? Send an email to faq@more486.ticalc.org.



1. What is a TI-86?

A TI-86 is a Texas Instruments graphing calculator. More info about it can be found at http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/86.htm.


2. What is this site's involvement with the TI-86?

This site attempts to inform and help the visitor get more from his/her TI-86. New things are constantly being added as well as the frequently updated listings of compatible programs with various shells. Most TI-86 users already know about TI-86 ASM programs which this site ignores because there are enough 86 program websites.


3. What is ASM?

ASM is short for "Assembly," a machine level language. More info about Assembly can be found at Assembly Coder Zenith's. TI-86 Assembly information can be found at http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/86assembly.htm.


4. How do I put a program on my TI-86?

You need a link cable that allows your TI-86 to connect with your PC through a serial or parallel port. You can buy a TI Graph Link cable, build a parallel/serial cable, or buy a homemade parallel/serial cable. More information about calculator linking can be found at http://linkcables.ticalc.org.


5. How do I check what rom version I have?

Get to the mainscreen and hit: [2nd] [MODE] [ALPHA] [S]. It will display:

Enter self test?
(rom version)

Press any key except for [ENTER], or it will erase your memory.


6. How do I put 82ASM programs on my TI-86 with ASE?

First you need the three files: devbac83.com, prgm86.exe and conv.bat which are included in the ase.zip. 
To convert .82p into .86p, type at DOS prompt:

   conv program    (without .82p extension)

The files devbac83.com prgm86.exe and conv.bat are needed,
And they should be placed in the same directory.
This would convert MineSeeker:

   conv mineseek
I will be converting .82p files into .86p to save you time if demand calls. Bare in mind that most 82ASM programs that are under 12kb are available in 86ASM.


7. Why did you put that banner there?

I borrowed a GraphLink cable from a friend and tried it out on my P90, which had a com port mouse and modem. After struggling for a week trying nearly all possiblities (with the exception of ripping out my hardware), I gave up and returned the GraphLink cable, which he in-turn returned to Staples. After doing a little research, I discovered that not only could you build your own cable, but that it would be way cheaper.

Anyway, I've been using a homemade parallel port link cable for more than a year, and I've rebuilt it about 3 times. First one I ever built broke after 6 months, repaired it, and most recently redesigned the whole cable with a soft cable and socket. My new computer with a PS/2 mouse freed up a com port. And with the recent installation of Assembly Studio 86 which added an option to right click calculator files on the PC and send them to the calculator surprised me, though I don't have a GraphLink cable to try this out.

Also, I've wanted to try my TI-86 on a shell account and a BBS, which required RTerm 0.4, a TI GraphLink cable, a null-modem adapter and a 9600 external modem. All I need is the GraphLink cable, which costs about $30+.

And last but not least, I've become highly interested in the Expander II, which costs $45 by Bruce Christensen.

All this stuff costs money; money which I don't have.

Before you leave, please click a banner. It would help me out a lot, as well as help this site provide updates more often and more content related to the TI-86 previously not possible without a GraphLink/ExpanderII.


8. What do you test with?

I have a TI-86 with rom 1.2. I also have rom 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 dumped on my PC. I use TI86Emu and Emu86. I borrowed a turbo'd TI-85 with rom 10.0, with 10.0 dumped on my PC; have yet to pick up an emulator. I have rom 1.0700 of a TI-83; have yet to pick up an emulator. I have a TI-82 with rom 19.0, with 19.0 dumped on my PC.

I use these rom images solely for testing discrepencies between TI-86's of various rom versions as well as discrepencies between a program emulated on the TI-86 and on its programmed environment (TI-85/82).

Please do not ask me to send you the rom images because simply put, I won't.


9. What did you use to draw that cool FAQ image?

Xara 3D 3.03. Download the shareware here. (896kb).


10. How do I dump the rom off my TI-86?

First you need a linkcable. Depending if you have a TI GraphLink, Serial Link or Parallel Port Cable, you will need various programs designed for each link. You will need Rom Dumper v2.2 regardless of which link you have.

If you have a GraphLink cable, download Rom Dumper v2.2.

Extract romdump.exe from romdump2.zip to a folder, like c:\romdump\. Load rom86.86p on your TI-86 and go to a MS-DOS Prompt window and get to c:\romdump\. Once you're in that directory, type: romdump ti86.rom 262144 1. Replace 1 with the com port (either: 2, 3, or 4) your graphlink cable is attached to and working on. You should see a screen that says: 
ROM dumper v2.2
by Randy Gluvna
randman@home.com
----------------

Saving to ti86.rom
File size: 262144

Bytes received: 0
Percent: 0%
CPS: 0
Then on your TI-86, type asm(rom86, hit [ENTER], hit [ENTER] again and watch the numbers fly.

If you have a Parallel Port cable, download Rom Dumper v2.2 and Dumpxp v2.1.

from the readme.txt - slightly modified
  1. Put rom86.86p on your calc.
  2. Hookup your parallel port link on LPT1 (0x378) and your calc.
  3. Run an MS-DOS Prompt window, get to the directory where dumpxp is extracted and type: dumpxp ti86.rom
  4. The screen will say "Waiting..."
  5. Run rom86 on your calc
  6. When it says "Done!" - you now have a ROM dump off your calc named ti86.rom


If you have a Serial Link cable, download Rom Dumper v2.2 and Get Rom8x v.11.

from the readme.txt - slightly modified w/ incorporations from parallel port readme.txt
  1. Put rom86.86p on your calc.
  2. Hookup the serial port cable on a free com port (the one you typically use).
  3. Run an MS-DOS Prompt window, get to the directory where getrom8x.exe is extracted and type: getrom8x -p1 or -p2 (depending on com1 or com2) -86 -ti86.rom
  4. Run rom86 on your calc.


It takes about 2-3 minutes to dump a 256kb TI-86 rom file through parallel port, and 4-6 minutes through a graphlink/serial link cable.


11. Where can I find a better FAQ?

What? This one's not good enough? Okay okay. Ray Kremer keeps one of the best FAQ's for TI calculators in general. It's at http://tifaq.calc.org. Assembly Coder Zenith's 86 Central has a pretty good ASM FAQ, available at http://ti86.acz.org/coding/a86faq.htm.




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