TI-85 - Definition and Overview

The TI-85 is a graphing calculator made by Texas Instruments. Designed in 1992 as TI's second graphing calculator (the first was the TI-81), it has since been replaced by the TI-86.

The '85 was significantly more powerful than the TI-81, as it was designed as a calculator primarily for use in engineering and calculus courses. The TI-85 was the first graphing calculator that allowed for user programs written in Z80 assembly language. This was accomplished by hacking a backup of the calculator's firmware on a personal computer and transferring it back to the calculator via a graph-link cable. Programs written in assembly would be stored as string expressions and accessed via the custom menu. Games such as Tetris and Boulder Dash are available, as are versions of the periodic table. The use of these programs was limited by the scarce RAM memory available on the TI-85. Probably in response to the widespread use of assembly programs, TI officially introduced assembly access in later models, such as the TI-83 and TI-86, along with expanded memory.

External link

• Features of the TI-85 (http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/85/features/features.html)

Example Usage of TI-85