Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Silver Edition Manual

1/12/05 © 2004 Texas Instruments
Vernier
EasyData™ App
(by Vernier Software & Technology)
What is the EasyData App?
What you need
Where to find installation instructions
Quick Start: Graphing temperature with Vernier
EasyTemp™
Start and quit EasyData Use EasyData menus
Collect data automatically Collect data manually
Do a Graph Match Restore default settings
Exploring data Error messages
In case of difficulty Customer Support
Getting Started
How to...
More Information

EasyData Page 2
Important Information
Texas Instruments makes no warranty, either express or implied,
including but not limited to any implied warranties of merchantability
and fitness for a particular purpose, regarding any programs or book
materials and makes such materials available solely on an "as-is"
basis. In no event shall Texas Instruments be liable to anyone for
special, collateral, incidental, or consequential damages in
connection with or arising out of the purchase or use of these
materials, and the sole and exclusive liability of Texas Instruments,
regardless of the form of action, shall not exceed the purchase price
of this product. Moreover, Texas Instruments shall not be liable for
any claim of any kind whatsoever against the use of these materials
by any other party.
Graphing product applications (Apps) are licensed. See the terms of
the license agreement for each product.
In this guidebook, references to TI-83 Plus also apply to the TI-83
Plus Silver Edition. References to TI-84 Plus also apply to the TI-84
Plus Silver Edition.
EasyData, EasyTemp, Go!Motion and LabPro are trademarks of Vernier Software and
Technology.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Windows XP, Apple, and MacIntosh are trademarks of
their respective owners.

EasyData Page 3
What is the EasyData App?
The EasyData App is a graphing calculator application. It lets you
collect, view, and analyze real-world data on certain TI graphing
calculators using Vernier USB sensors and other data collection
devices, such as Texas Instruments CBR 2™ motion detector,
CBL 2™ System, or Vernier Go!Motion™ or LabPro®.
What you need
Note: In this guidebook, references to TI-83 Plus also apply to the
TI-83 Plus Silver Edition. References to TI-84 Plus also apply to the
TI-84 Plus Silver Edition.
Hardware and software Notes
• TI-84 Plus with operating system version
2.3 or later
-or-
• TI-83 Plus with operating system version
1.16 or later
You can download a free copy of the
latest operating system software for
your calculator from
education.ti.com/latest.
The TI-83 Plus requires a separate
data collection device, such as a
Texas Instruments CBL 2™ System.

EasyData Page 4
Data Collection Devices from Vernier
Software & Technology:
• EasyTemp™
• Go!™Motion
• LabPro®
Data Collection Devices from
Texas Instruments:
• CBL 2™ System
• CBR™ and CBR 2™ motion detectors
Cables may be included with the
sensors. Additional cables are
available for purchase from retail
stores, online retailers, and
instructional dealers. See a list at
education.ti.com/buy or shop the TI
online store at education.ti.com/shop.
EasyData supports USB sensors from
Vernier Software and Technology and from
Texas Instuments, such as Go!™Motion,
Vernier EasyTemp™ sensor, Texas
Instruments CBR 2™ motion detector, and
other sensors for measuring pH, force, and
light.
You can purchase data collection
devices and sensors at
www.vernier.com.
To copy collected data to a computer or to
install the EasyData App on a calculator
from a computer, you need TI Connect™
installed on a computer running Microsoft®
Windows® 98/2000; Windows NT®; or
Windows XP® installed, or an Apple®
MacIntosh® with OS 7.1 or higher.
You can download TI Connect™ from
education.ti.com/downloadticonnect.
Hardware and software Notes

EasyData Page 5
Where to find installation instructions
Detailed instructions on installing this and other applications are
available at education.ti.com/guides. Follow the link to Flash
Installation Instructions.
Note: The EasyData App may have been preinstalled on your
graphing calculator. To find out if it’s installed, press Œ, and then
press †to scroll through all available applications.
Getting help
The instructions in this guidebook are only for this application. If you
need help using your calculator, refer to its comprehensive guidebook
at education.ti.com/guides.
Connecting devices
The examples in this guidebook use the EasyTemp™ USB
temperature sensor. To connect other devices, please refer to the
device's user guide.
When the calculator detects the data collection device, EasyData
opens automatically and starts a default experiment appropriate for
that device.

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Navigating EasyData menus
Selecting on-screen options
Selecting menu Items
EasyData menus differ slightly among the types of sensors. You can
select menu items in the following ways:
Each screen displays one or
more options along the
bottom of the screen. To
select an option, press the
calculator key directly below
the option.
fPress †or }to highlight the menu item,
and then press Íto select it.
- or -
fPress the number key that corresponds
to the menu item.
opqrs
For example,
to select
Quit, press
the s
key.

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Quick Start: Graphing temperature with
Vernier EasyTemp™
You can connect the EasyTemp™ USB temperature sensor to a TI-84
Plus calculator and use EasyData to watch the effect of holding the
sensor in your hand. This exercise uses the Time Graph mode to
collect samples automatically at regular time intervals.
1. Turn the TI-84 Plus calculator on, and display the home screen.
3. Select Start to start collecting data, and then wait five seconds.
2. Connect the EasyTemp™ sensor to the
calculator.
After a few seconds, the EasyData main
screen is displayed. The screen shows
the current EasyData mode and the
current sensor reading.
4. Hold the EasyTemp sensor for about 30
seconds.
The graph shows the temperature as it
changes.

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7. When you finish exploring the graph, select Main to return to the
EasyData main screen.
9. Select OK to quit EasyData.
You have completed the Quick Start exercise. The remainder of this
guide contains detailed instructions and reference information for
using EasyData features.
5. Select Stop to stop collecting data.
EasyData displays a scaled graph of the
sampled temperatures.
6. Press ~repeatedly to scroll the cursor to
the right, and note the temperature at
each data point.
8. Select Quit.
A message indicates that the collected
data has been stored in calculator lists.

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Starting and quitting the EasyData App
Note: EasyData starts automatically when you connect a sensor to
the USB port of a TI-84 Plus calculator that is on the home screen.
Starting EasyData
Quitting EasyData
2. Select OK to quit EasyData, or select Cancl to return to the
EasyData main screen.
fIf EasyData is not already running on
your calculator, press Œto display the
list of available applications, and then
select EasyData.
The application’s information screen is
displayed for about three seconds,
followed by the main screen.
1. Select Quit (press the skey) from the
EasyData main screen.
A message indicates that the collected
data has been transferred to the
calculator’s lists.

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Data collection modes
EasyData has modes that let you collect data automatically or
manually.
•InTime Graph mode, EasyData automatically collects a specific
number of samples at regular time intervals. You set the interval
(in seconds) and the total number of samples to collect. You can
stop the sampling manually, if you wish.
•InEvents with Entry mode, you capture samples manually for a
set of events that you define. For example, you might want to
collect Boyle's law data using a gas pressure sensor to sample
pressure readings for corresponding volumes of a container.
When you change an EasyData mode or setting, the change remains
in effect until you restore the default settings, run another App,
connect another sensor, or manipulate or delete list L5 outside the
EasyData App.

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Collecting data automatically (Time Graph)
To collect data in the Time Graph mode
This example uses a motion detector. Your screen will vary
depending on which sensor is attached.
2. When you are ready to start collecting data, select Start.
3. To stop the sampling process before it automatically stops, select
and hold Stop (press and hold the qkey).
When sampling stops, EasyData displays a graph of the sampled
data.
1. If EasyData is not already in Time Graph
mode:
a) Select Setup to display the Setup
menu.
b) Select Time Graph to open the Time
Graph Settings wizard.
The current settings are displayed.
c) Select OK to return to the main
screen.

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To change Time Graph settings
This example uses a motion detector. Your screen will vary
depending on which sensor is attached.
1. Select Setup to display the Setup menu.
2. Select Time Graph to open the Time
Graph Settings wizard.
The current settings are displayed.
3. Select Edit to open the Sample Interval
step.
4. Type the new interval. For example,
type .1 to sample every 1/10 second.
You can also press uto clear the
current value.
5. Select Next to advance to the Number of
Samples step.
6. Type the new number of samples to
collect.

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7. Select Next to display a summary of the
new settings.
The experiment length is calculated from
the settings that you typed.
8. Select OK to return to the main screen.

EasyData Page 14
Collecting data manually (Events with Entry)
In Events with Entry mode, each sampled value becomes a y value;
you enter the x value.
To collect data in Events with Entry mode
1. Select Setup from the EasyData main
screen, and then select Events with
Entry.
The main screen is displayed with
current settings.
2. To begin, select Start.
EasyData waits for you to collect the first
sample.
3. Set up (or wait for) the condition that you
want to capture.
4. When ready to capture the current
sampled (y) value, select Keep.
You are prompted to assign an x value to
define the data point.

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7. Press |and ~to review the data, or select Main to return to the
EasyData main screen.
Exploring collected data graphically
After collecting data, EasyData displays a graph of the data,
automatically scaled for easy viewing. The calculator is placed in
Trace mode automatically so you can scroll through the collected
data points on the graph screen.
• The x-axis (horizontal axis) is the independent variable. In Time
Graph mode, this represents time. In Events with Entry mode, it is
a set of user-defined events.
5. Type the x value, and then select OK.
EasyData waits for you to collect the next
point.
6. When you have finished collecting data,
select Stop.
The data points are displayed as a graph
(a calculator scatter plot).

EasyData Page 16
• The y-axis (vertical axis) is the dependent variable. In all data
collection modes, it is the physical data collected by the attached
sensor
Exploring the data outside EasyData
When you quit the EasyData App, a message reminds you of which
calculator lists contain the collected data. You can then examine the
data using your calculator or a computer.
• On your calculator, you can explore the data by viewing the data
in the list editor. (On the TI-84 Plus, press …and then select
Edit.)
• You can also perform statistical analysis (such as calculating
mean, median, and standard deviation) on the data.
• By using TI Connect™ computer software and an appropriate TI
Connectivity cable, you can copy the data to a computer and
import the data into other software tools such as:
– Spreadsheet software to analyze the data.
– TI InterActive!™ for formal presentations.

EasyData Page 17
Graph Match (motion detector only)
When connected to a motion detector, EasyData has a Distance
Match mode. This mode helps build understanding of graphs by
letting you try to create data that matches a predefined graph.
Note: The sample interval and number of samples for the Distance
Match mode are preset and cannot be changed.
To match a graph
1. While holding the motion detector in one hand and the calculator
in the other, aim the motion detector at a wall.
2. Start the EasyData App.
3. From the Setup menu, select Distance Match.
4. Select Start and follow the instructions on
the screen.
5. Select Next to display the graph to
match. Take a moment to study the
graph and what it may represent.

EasyData Page 18
6. Position yourself where you think the graph begins. Select Start
to begin data collection.
You can hear a clicking sound as the data is collected.
8. When the sample is finished, examine how well your “walk”
matched the graph.
9. Do one of the following:
– Select Retry to redisplay the same graph to match. Try to
improve your match.
– Select New to display a new graph to match.
– Select Main to return to the main screen.
7. Walk backward and then forward, trying
to match the graph. Your position is
plotted on the screen.

EasyData Page 19
Changing a sensor’s measuring unit
You can change the measuring unit for a connected sensor. With a
motion detector, for example, you can change the unit from meters
(m) to feet (ft).
To change the measuring unit
1. From the EasyData main screen, select
Setup, and then select the menu item for
the sensor, such as Dist for the motion
detector.
The Sensor Setup screen is displayed.
2. Select Units.
A menu is displayed showing the
possible units for the connected sensor.
3. Select the unit that you want EasyData to
use.
The Sensor Setup screen shows the
selected unit.
4. Select OK.

EasyData Page 20
Setting a zero reference (zeroing the sensor)
By default, EasyData uses the data sampled by the connected
sensor. If the motion detector senses a distance of 2.3 meters, for
example, EasyData displays 2.3 meters.
You may prefer to use the current data reading as a zero reference,
so that data values less than the reference are displayed as negative,
and greater values are displayed as positive. Setting a zero reference
affects all data-collection modes.
To set the zero reference
1. Select Setup to display the Setup menu.
2. Select Zero.
The Zero Sensor(s) screen is displayed,
with a continually updated sample
reading.
3. Adjust the sensor data by, for example,
moving the motion detector closer or
farther from a wall.