TI-Nspire CAS

The TI-Nspire product line is a series of graphing calculator

Graphing calculator

A graphing calculator typically refers to a class of handheld calculators that are capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing numerous other tasks with variables...

s developed by Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...

. This line currently includes the TI-Nspire, TI-Nspire CAS, TI-Nspire CX and TI-Nspire CX CAS. There is also software available for Windows and Mac OS X

Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...

that act in simlar ways to the calculators and allow the user to create compatible files. In 2010, Texas Instruments updated the calculators to the Touchpad versions which come with the Nspire or Nspire CAS computer software and support optional rechargeable batteries. In 2011, TI announced two new models of the TI-Nspire series: Nspire CX and Nspire CX CAS. The main new features are the color screen, rechargeable battery and thinner design.

Handhelds

The TI-Nspire series is completely different from the previous versions of the Texas Instruments's calculators. Because TI wanted the calculator to feel more familiar for new users, the TI-Nspire uses a user interface that is more similar to PCs than regular calculators. It also handles documents in a similar way to PCs. The TI-Nspire was the first to be released in two models; a numeric and CAS

Computer algebra system

A computer algebra system is a software program that facilitates symbolic mathematics. The core functionality of a CAS is manipulation of mathematical expressions in symbolic form.-Symbolic manipulations:...

version. The numeric is slightly similar in features to the TI-84, except with a bigger and higher resolution screen and a full keyboard. The higher resolution screen makes it possible to draw graphs that are more detailed. The feature that the numeric lacks is the ability to solve algebraic equations such as indefinite integrals and derivatives. To fill in the gap of needing an algebraic calculator, Texas Instruments introduced the second model with the name TI-Nspire CAS, where CAS stands for Computer Algebra System. The CAS is designed for college and university students, giving them the feature of calculating many algebraic equations like the Voyage 200 and TI-89, in other words it's a replacement to those models. However, the Nspire does lack part of the ability of programing and installing additional apps that the previous models had, although a limited version of TI-BASIC

TI-BASIC

TI-BASIC is the unofficial name of a BASIC-like language built into Texas Instruments 's graphing calculators, including the TI-83 series, TI-84 Plus series, TI-89 series, TI-92 series , TI-73, and TI-Nspire...

is supported, along with Lua in later versions.

Both the Nspire and Nspire CAS calculators have 16 MB of NAND

Nand

NAND may stand for:*Nand , an Indian classical raga.*Logical NAND , a binary operation in logic.**NAND gate, an electronic gate that implements a logical NAND....

Flash, 20 MB of SDRAM

SDRAM

Synchronous dynamic random access memory is dynamic random access memory that is synchronized with the system bus. Classic DRAM has an asynchronous interface, which means that it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs...

, and 512 KB of NOR Flash. The NAND Flash contains the operating system and saved documents and is not executable. The SDRAM likely contains an uncompressed version of the OS, and a copy of all active documents. The NOR Flash contains boot instructions for loading the operating system.

The Nspire family does not contain a backup battery (like all previous models) so when a battery is removed, the SDRAM content is deleted, hence the need to load the operating system and file structure from the NAND Flash to the SDRAM, causing a longer loading time.

TI-Nspire

The standard TI-Nspire calculator is comparable to the TI-84 Plus in features and functionality. It features a TI-84 mode by way of a replaceable snap-in keypad (included) and contains a TI-84 Plus emulator. The likely target of this is secondary school

Secondary school

Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

s that make use of the TI-84 Plus currently or have textbooks that cover the TI-83 (Plus) and TI-84 Plus lines, and to allow them to transition to the TI-Nspire line more easily.

Because the TI-Nspire lacks a QWERTY keyboard, it is acceptable for use on the PSAT, SAT

SAT

The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...

, SAT II, ACT, AP, and IB Exams.

The TI-Nspire CAS calculator is capable of displaying and evaluating values symbolically, not just as floating-point numbers. It includes algebraic functions such as a symbolic differential equation solver: deSolve(...), the complex eigenvectors of a matrix: eigVc(...), as well as calculus based functions, including limits

Limit (mathematics)

In mathematics, the concept of a "limit" is used to describe the value that a function or sequence "approaches" as the input or index approaches some value. The concept of limit allows mathematicians to define a new point from a Cauchy sequence of previously defined points within a complete metric...

, derivative

Derivative

In calculus, a branch of mathematics, the derivative is a measure of how a function changes as its input changes. Loosely speaking, a derivative can be thought of as how much one quantity is changing in response to changes in some other quantity; for example, the derivative of the position of a...

s, and integral

Integral

Integration is an important concept in mathematics and, together with its inverse, differentiation, is one of the two main operations in calculus...

s. For this reason, the TI-Nspire CAS is more comparable to the TI-89 Titanium and Voyage 200

TI-92 series

The TI-92 series of graphing calculators are a line of calculators produced by Texas Instruments. They include: the TI-92 , the TI-92 Plus , and the Voyage 200 . The design of these relatively large calculators includes a QWERTY keyboard...

than to other calculators. Its likely targets are college students and universities. Unlike the TI-Nspire, it is not compatible with the snap-in TI-84 Plus keypad. It is accepted in the SAT and AP exams but not in the ACT or IB.

TI-Nspire Touchpad

On March 8, 2010, Texas Instruments announced the new TI-Nspire Touchpad and TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad graphing calculators. In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

the new calculator was listed on the TI website as a complement to the TI-Nspire with Clickpad while in some other countries, the calculator was introduced as a successor to the previous model. The calculators were released alongside the OS 2.0 update, which featured a number of updates to the user interface and new functions.

The keyboards on the touchpad keypads featured a different and less crowded key layout along with the touchpad, which is used for navigation. The touchpad keypads are also compatible with older calculators that are running OS 2.0 or newer. The new calculators that were shipped with touchpad keypads supported an optional rechargeable battery. The second generation is also available in two models, the TI-Nspire Touchpad and TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad, and each model has maintained the color of itself, with the normal one being white and light blue while the CAS is black and gray.

TI-Nspire Touchpad EZ-Spot

To reduce theft of school-owned TI-Nspire calculators, Texas Instruments also introduced the EZ-Spot Teacher Packs with a bright, easy-to-spot, "school bus yellow" frame and slide case. The hardware of both versions are the same, with the only differences being cosmetic. The TI-Nspire calculators that were released after the touchpad Nspires also have EZ-Spot versions.

TI-Nspire CX and TI-Nspire CX CAS

The new TI-Nspire CX and CX CAS are the latest update to the TI-Nspire series. They have a thinner design with a thickness of 1.57 cm (almost half of the TI-89), a 1060mA rechargeable battery (wall adapter is included in the retail package), and a 320 by 240 pixel full color backlit display (3.2" diagonal), and OS 3.0 which includes features such as 3D graphing.

Texas Instruments currently lists the TI-Nspire CX at $150 and the CX CAS at about $165. The CX series were also released to compete with the Casio Prizm which is priced at $120 and has similar features.

The TI-Nspire CX series differ from all previous TI graphing calculator models in that the CX series are the first to implement a rechargeable 1060 mA Lithium-Ion battery (previous models required AAA batteries). TI includes an AC adapter for charging the battery; however, the device can also be charged via a PC USB connection. TI claims that the battery requires four hours to charge, and a full charge powers the device for up to two weeks under normal daily use. The battery is user-replaceable and can be purchased via the TI education website for $15 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

With the exception of interchangeable TI-84 keypads, the CX series retain all features of the previous TI-Nspire models. The colors of the calculator are still the same as those of the TI-Nspire models; the CX is white and dark blue, while the CX CAS is gray and black. The external connectors have changed slightly. The mini-USB port, located at the center of the top of the TI-Nspire series, has moved to the right on the CX series. On the CX series, TI added a second port immediately left of the mini-USB port, for a new wireless module. The new wireless TI-Nspire Navigator adapter, which allows teachers to monitor students and send files, is not compatible with the previous TI-Nspire models. The third port, located at the bottom of the handheld, is for the TI Charging Dock and Lab Cradle. The keypad layout is very similar to that of the TI-Nspire Touchpad.

Both models have 100MB of user memory and 64 MB of RAM. The retail package does not include the full user's guide, although the teacher edition does. Both devices ship with the student/teacher software for Windows/Mac OS X. According to Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...

, The CX is accepted in SAT

SAT

, IB

- Places :*Ib , a station in the Indian Railways system*Imperial Beach, California, located in the extreme southwestern corner of the United States*Ib River*International Border*Indo-Pakistani border- Companies and organizations :...

, AP

A&P or AP or Ap or ap may refer to:-Education:* Advanced Placement, a program that offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada* Ang Pamantasan, a Philippine university student publication...

and ACT

ACT

ACT may refer to:* Australian Capital Territory, the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia* ACT , a college placement exam in the United StatesIn aviation:...

and the CX CAS only on SAT

SAT

and AP

TI-Nspire Software

The TI-Nspire desktop application is the companion to the TI-Nspire handhelds, allowing the user to create, edit, and save documents in the same manner as on the TI-Nspire. The TI-Nspire PC desktop application software emulates of all the features of TI-Nspire handheld; however, desktop application execution is usually (depending on the architecture of the PC) considerably faster than the TI-Nspire handheld. The aforementioned performance difference is mostly due to hardware architecture and desktop application/device firmware compilation differences. The user may create and modify documents on either the TI device or desktop application, and the user may also seamlessly exchange files between the device and the desktop application. The TI Nspire desktop application currently consists of four versions: TI-Nspire Student software and the TI-Nspire Teacher software, each having a numeric and CAS version.

OS versions

1.0.491 (June 2006) - Prototypes

1.0.526 (September 2006) - Prototypes

1.1.8916 (Late 2006 / Early 2007) - Prototypes

1.1.9170 (May 7, 2007)

1.2.2394 (August 30, 2007)

1.3.2437 (January 8, 2008)

1.4.11643 (July 9, 2008)

1.6.4295 (October 29, 2008, released December 9, 2008)

1.7.2741 (May 19, 2009, released June 6, 2009)

1.8 (build 80) Dev (Late 2009) - Prototypes

2.0.0.1188 (March 5, 2010)

2.0.1.60 (May 3, 2010)

2.1.0.631 (July 17, 2010)

3.0.1.1753 (April 2011)

3.0.2.1791 (May 2011)

3.1.0.392 (September 7, 2011)

The current TI-Nspire calculators are now running the OS version 3.1.0.392, released Sept. 7th, 2011. The operating system has been updated frequently since 2007 (partly due to bugs and missing functions), one year after its release in 2006. Version 2.0 and 3.0 were major upgrades that added many features.

Added features in OS 2.0

Scratchpad (Easily and quickly use a calculator and graph)
New, more organized home screen
Calculator application changes
- Solving of systems of equations (linear or non-linear)
- Complex and real roots of polynomials
- Derivative at a point
- Remainder, quotient, coefficients, and degree of polynomials
- Greatest common divisor
- Central difference quotient with steps
- Creation of a zero matrix
New programming capabilities
- Ability to separate a programming page from a calculator page
- Request and RequestStr I/O functions
- Output text
Graphs application changes
- Can toggle table of values
- Can hide object selection guides
- Custom sequence graphs
- Zoom to decimal
- Analyze Graph menu
  - Zero
  - Minimum
  - Maximum
  - Intersection
  - Inflection
  - dy/dx
  - Integral
New geometry application is simply a graphing application that can only make shapes
Data and Statistics application changes
- Ability to add X and Y variables with frequency
Notes application changes
- Calculations in the Notes application,
New graph settings page

Added features in OS 3.0

Images can be included in TI-Nspire documents using the computer software. They can then be displayed on the Nspire calculators and in full color on the Nspire CX calculators. Graphs can be drawn on top of the images. A data collection application is included with the OS, for use with the Lab Cradle. 3D graphing is supported, as well as differential equations. Other features were also added, including improvements to functions that are related to statistics. OS 3.0 also adds the ability to run programs that are written in Lua. OS 3.0.1 introduced a number of bugs, but most of these have been fixed as of 3.0.2.

Other features

One feature includes a periodic table, useful for chemistry classes. As with some other TI graphing calculators, the TI-Nspire can be used with sensors to deal with the real world (data acquisition

Data acquisition

Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real world physical conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer. Data acquisition systems typically convert analog waveforms into digital values for processing...

) such as Vernier EasyTemp, Vernier Go! Motion, Vernier Go! Temp, or Texas Instruments CBR2 motion detector.
In addition, it has been hacked to run homebrew software. With the release of OS 3.0, the Lua Scripting Language is supported, allowing 3rd party programs to be run without the need of exploits.

Lab Cradle

The TI-Nspire Lab Cradle continues the idea of the original Calculator-Based Laboratory

Calculator-Based Laboratory

The Calculator-Based Laboratory is a data collection device manufactured by Texas Instruments and introduced in 1994. The CBL can be used to collect data either in conjunction with a TI graphing calculator, or on its own...

System (CBL™) introduced already in 1994, a portable and versatile data collection device for math and science. The CBL system was replaced in 1999 with its successor CBL 2, featuring three analog inputs and an ultrasonic motion detector input to connect the Calculator-Based Ranger, CBR and its successor CBR 2. The TI-Nspire Lab Cradle sports three analog inputs with a sampling rate of up to 100,000 samples per second and two digital sensor ports. The integrated 32 megabytes of storage space allows for handling large amounts of data.

The TI-Nspire Lab Cradle is powered by the TI-Nspire rechargeable battery and support three different charging options: wall adapter, USB cable to computer and TI-Nspire Cradle Charging Bay. The TI-Nspire Lab Cradle being marketed by Texas Instruments was developed as part of an ongoing business alliance between TI and Vernier Software of Portland, Oregon.

TI-Nspire Navigator System

The Navigator system allows teachers to connect a network of TI-Nspire calculators to a computer through the TI-Nspire Access Point and TI-Nspire Navigator Wireless Cradles. The system includes the TI-Nspire Cradle Charging Bay and the main system which looks like a wireless router. The Navigator system was first available when the first generation Nspires were launched, but when the TI-Nspire CX and CX CAS were released, a new wireless adapter was announced that is smaller but not compatible with the TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire Touchpad.

Press-to-Test

Press-to-Test is a feature that restricts access to the user's documents and certain features of the calculator for a limited time. Its intended purpose is to prevent cheating on tests and exams. Press-to-Test is enabled by pressing a certain button combination when turning on the calculator. The features that are blocked (for example 3D graphs and drag & drop for graphs) can be selectively enabled, but access to existing documents is always prohibited. When the handheld is running in Press-to-Test mode, a LED on top of it blinks to indicate that Press-to-Test hasn't been disabled. Press-to-Test can only be disabled by connecting to another calculator or a computer with TI-Nspire compatible software installed. Removing the batteries will not disable it.

Voyage 200 vs. TI-Nspire CAS

When comparing the TI-Nspire CAS to the Voyage 200 or TI-89, there are many advantages:

TI-Nspire is fully compatible with computers running Windows or Mac OS X by USB cable, while the Voyage is less so.
Larger and higher resolution screen, color LCD in the CX models, compared to the Voyage, making graphs more detailed, especially in 3D.
The Nspire commands are similar to the ones commonly used with computers, for example: To copy, press Ctrl+C, like in a computer. This simplifies the learning curve for some users.
Students create and save all of their work as documents with notes, thus enabling teachers to see problem-solving techniques and assess individual student understanding. These documents can be sent to computers, other handhelds and printers.
Symbolic mathematics templates on the input as well as output, or "PrettyPrint" - the ability to show the results as they would normally be written. The Voyage 200 and TI-89 did this to output, while input remained standard.
More powerful compared to the Voyage 200. The Nspire can handle bigger matrices, a broader selection of equations and functions, all more quickly, since the processor is more powerful.
Space - the new CX models have up to 100 MB of user memory, while the Nspire had about 20 MB of user memory.
Graphing has been updated, giving users the option to derive or integrate a function in-graph.
Spreadsheet function which is similar to a list editor. Data from spreadsheets and lists can be analyzed and graphed.
Data and statistics functions have been improved.
It is possible to view several pages of data at once, effectively splitting the screen between each page. The user can interact with any portion at a time.
The Nspire is capable of opening files that support images.
The Nspire has a new Vernier
Vernier
Vernier may refer to:Secondary adjustment devices for forms of "fine tuning":*Vernier scale on measuring instruments*Vernier thruster, on spacecraft*Vernier throttle, on aircraft*Vernier sight, on target riflesPeople:...

DataQuest function which can be used to collect data from any sensors connected to the Lab Cradle, which allows up to 5 sensors, or one sensor probe can be connected via USB port on top of the handheld.

However there are many things that the TI-Nspire lacks from the Voyage 200 and TI-89:

The V200 and TI-89 can solve many algebraic equations, and data input on the TI-89 can be easier for the user than the Nspire.
The V200 was capable of 3D graphing first. For the Nspire, this function was introduced in an OS update.
The TI-89 and V200 have better programing capabilities. The Nspire is less capable of a programming platform.
Apps (like ME*Pro) and the Symbolic Math Guide (SMG) are not available on the TI-Nspire.
The Voyage features a full QWERTY keyboard, which makes programming and other text input easier for the user. However, some tests do not allow calculators with a QWERTY keyboard.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.