Do Not Update the Firmware of the TI-83 or TI-84 Calculator
It’s strange to think of using a calculator in 2020 when almost everyone has a smartphone or laptop within their reach, but Texas Instruments calculators are still a popular (and often necessary) resource for students. The latest calculators are even capable of installing and running simple applications, making them a great learning tool for coders and hardware designers. (I even modified my TI calculator to run respectable copies of Doom and Super Mario back in college.)
Unfortunately, Texas Instrument is removing support for the C assembly language in a new firmware update to combat fraud. This means that many homebrew programs will either disappear entirely or have to be converted to a much slower version of Python – if at all possible.
The update affects the TI-84 Plus CE, TI-83 Plus CE-T and TI-83 Premium CE calculators. Texas Instruments says it is making the change to prevent students from installing third-party software that circumvents the “exam mode” restriction on certain TI devices. The exam mode is designed to restrict certain functions so that students can do their job without the help of additional functions – mostly cheating.
So what’s the deal? Well, these simple devices are actually capable of running surprisingly complex programs, and while C isn’t the only programming language supported by Texas Instrument calculators, it is the fastest. In addition to cheating software, C is used to develop many educational “applications” that are used by both teachers and students. These functions will be removed after installing new firmware, and there is no way to go back to the previous version. The new firmware will also be standard on newly purchased calculators, so you will soon be forced to use a limited set of functions even if you buy a new one.
However, the firmware of the TI-83 and TI-84 calculators must be manually downloaded to your computer and updated via USB, so users who want to use the older version can do this by simply not installing the new firmware – but this is your only option. …