Texas Instruments TI-83-Plus User Manual

Chapter 2: TI-83 Plus Specific Information 57
TI-83 Plus Developer Guide Third Release May 28, 2002
Naming Convention
The following abbreviations are used when dealing with the Floating Point Stack.
FPS = Floating Point Stack
FPST = Floating Point Stack Top. This is the last nine bytes of the FPS.
FPS1 = Floating Point Stack minus 1 entry. This is the second to last nine bytes of the
FPS. Each previous nine bytes would continue this scheme FPS2,
FPS3 ... FPSn.
For example, assume the FPS is empty, (FPS) = (FPSBASE) and OP1 = floating-point
value 1, and OP2 = floating-point value 2.
B_CALL PushRealO1 ; pushed 9 bytes of OP1 -> FPST
;
B_CALL PushRealO2 ; OP2 -> FPST, FPST -> FPS1
RAM would look similar to this depending on fpBase value.
Address
(fpBase)-----> 9C00 80h 10h 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 (1.00000000) FPS1
9C09 80h 20h 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 (2.00000000) FPST
(FPS)---------> 9C12
General Use Rules
The following are some general use rules when manipulating the FPS.
• The FPS can be used by applications at anytime.
• The only time that the FPS cannot be allocated or deallocated to is during a system
edit input session.
• Any allocations (pushes) to the FPS are the responsibility of the routine that made
the allocation. Some system routines will take arguments that have been put onto
the FPS and will remove them.
• Not cleaning the FPS properly could cause system lockups during application
execution or after the application is exited.
• If the system’s error context is invoked, (e.g., ERR:DOMAIN), the FPS will be reset.
• If an attempt is made to allocate space on the FPS with insufficient free RAM
available, a system error is generated.
These system errors can be avoided in the same manner as creating variables are, with
the use of an error handler invoked before the allocation is attempted. See the section
on Error Handlers later in Chapter 2.

Texas Instruments TI-83-Plus Specifications

General

Display Type	LCD
Display Resolution	96 x 64 pixels
Power Source	4 AAA batteries
Programming Language	TI-BASIC, Z80 Assembly
Backup Power	CR1616 or CR1620 lithium battery
RAM	24 KB
Processor	Zilog Z80
Weight	7.4 oz (210 g) with batteries
Dimensions	7.3 x 3.5 x 0.9 inches

Summary

Introduction

Conventions Used in this Guide

Defines conventions for program text, syntax, and optional parameters in guide examples.

Purpose of this Guide

Explains the types of programs that can be created and the guide's focus on Flash ROM apps and RAM assembly programs.

TI-83 Plus Specific Information

ARCHITECTURE

Describes the TI-83 Plus architecture composed of several layers: Hardware, Drivers, Tools, and Programming.

HARDWARE LAYER

Covers the Zilog Z80 CPU, RAM, and Flash ROM components of the TI-83 Plus unit.

Z80 RAM Structure

Explains the 32K RAM partitioning into areas like System RAM, User RAM, and Floating Point Stack.

Flash ROM Structure

Details the 512K Flash ROM composition, divided into 32 pages of 16K each.

System Routines

Explains accessing TI-83 Plus system routines using Z80 RST instruction and macro-instructions.

Variable Naming Conventions

Outlines rules for naming variables, including predefined and user-defined names and their formats.

System Variables Area

Describes preallocated system RAM variables essential for built-in functionality.

DRIVERS LAYER

Covers keyboard input, display access, and link port communication functionalities.

Display

Details accessing the TI-83 Plus display via system routines or directly writing to the display driver.

Graphing and Drawing — What’s the difference?

Differentiates between pixel-based drawing routines and graph routines tied to WINDOW settings.

TOOLS AND UTILITIES LAYER

Covers essential development tools like error handlers, utility routines, and debugging features.

Error Handlers

Explains setting up error exception handlers using AppOnErr and AppOffErr macros to capture system errors.

Temporary Variables

Discusses temporary variables used for intermediate results and their management.

Entering and Exiting an Application Properly

Details how applications interact with the TI-83 Plus application loader and state monitor.

Application Development Process

PROGRAMMING LAYER

Covers the final layer of TI-83 Plus architecture, focusing on TI BASIC, ASM, and Applications.

Applications

Defines applications as Flash ROM programs, their PC creation, signing requirements, and larger scale.

DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

Introduces the simulator for general development, setup, and sample application creation.

Using the Simulator System — Requirements for Getting Started

Lists requirements for TI-83 Plus application development using Zilog Developer Studio and TI Simulator/Debugger.

Debugging the Application

Demonstrates setting breakpoints, modifying RAM, and using the Memory Map view for debugging.

Downloading the Application

Explains using TI GRAPH LINK or TI Connect to download applications to calculators.

Development Tools

DEVELOPMENT ARCHITECTURE

Outlines the TI development architecture based on the TI simulator/debugger and Zilog Developer Studio.

TI SOFTWARE SIMULATOR AND DEBUGGER

Describes the TI-83 Plus simulator for debugging applications, detailing menu options and operations.

Breakpoints

Explains setting and removing breakpoints via the manual setup dialog box in the debugger.

CPU View Window

Displays processor information such as index registers, stack pointer, and flags.

Flash View Window

Displays entire Flash memory contents, allowing address viewing and toggling between physical/logical modes.

RAM View Window

Displays entire RAM contents, allowing address viewing and toggling between physical/logical modes.

Key Press Recording and Playback

Allows recording and playing back key presses, with setup options for files and rates.

Support in Writing Applications

Lists resources for help in writing TI-83 Plus applications, including guides and tutorials.

Glossary

TI-83 Plus “Large” Character Fonts

TI83 Plus “Small” Character Fonts