Turn a TI Graphing Calculator into an Intervalometer and Create Time Lapse Videos

Step 2 Program The Calculator

Depending on your calculator, this process might be a little different. The following directions are for the Ti-83+. I will try to get instructions for different models, but I will also have to convert the program to work with them also.

1) Turn on your graphing calculator (duh)
2) Press the PRGM key
3) Press the Right arrow twice to highlight the tab at the top titled "New"
4) Press ENTER
5) Enter in a name (I used "Camera")
6) You are now ready to insert the following program. The functions prompt, while, for, and end can be found by pressing the PRGM key again. The function Send has to be selected by press 2nd -> 0 (catalog).

Here is the program:

: Prompt A
: While 1
: For (H,1,A,1)
: End
: Send(A)
: End

This is a very simple program. I wrote one once that kept track of how many images were taken, displayed the estimated time remaining, etc, but it seems that it drains too much battery life and for some reason the calculator actually slowed down after a certain number of images. It might work better if you write the program on a PC in assembler, then send it to the calculator, but you need a special link cable, and that kind of defeats the point of this instructable.

Update:

The above code is claimed to work on both TI-83 and Ti-84 models.

Thanks LightShadow756 for sending me the following code for the Ti-89:
(Program)

camera(pics,delay)
Prgm
0->x
While x < pics
For y,0,delay,1
EndFor
Try
x+1->x
SendChat a
Else
ClrErr
EndTry
EndWhile
EndPrgm

(End Program)

Comments

[brodgers1]

Okay, looking at the code, I'm a little confused by this line:
For(H,1,A,1)
What is H? And if someone has previously set H to represent a number, would it mess up the program?

[mpilchfamily]

The For() statement sets up a loop. The "H" in this case is the variable the For() statement uses to store the number of passes the loop has made. The next variable designates the number to start with. The "A" is the number of loop that have to be made before the program moves on again. The last variable is how much the counter progresses after each loop. So H is set and zeroed out each time the For() statement starts. Check your manual for more details about the For() statement.

[Madrid2001]

In the TI-83+ I
1) Turn on your graphing calculator (duh)
2) Press the PRGM key
3) Press the Right arrow twice to highlight the tab at the top titled "New"
4) Press ENTER
5) Enter in a name (I used "Camera")
In the step 6) I Pressed program, but does not appear Prompt . Can anybody Help me.
Thanks,
R.Gil

[zx3fred]

Prompt is found by pressing PRGM -> tab over to " I/O " then scroll down to "2:Prompt" -> "Enter"

[Madrid2001]

How do you put Send (A)?
H and A mean?
Thanks,
R. Gil

[zx3fred]

PRGM -> (tab over to "I/O") -> scroll down to "B:Send( " -> " A " -> " ) "

[Madrid2001]

I have a TI-83+ How I put the program in? Is the first time I use it.
Please make a step by step, I need one for 1 shoot Every 10 seconds during five hours.
Thanks,
R. Gil

[FF55]

I'm using the TI-89 program and a Canon T1i, but nothing happens. I'm sure I copied the program correctly. The calculator runs it, but the camera won't fire. Any ideas as to why this isn't working?

[mpolizzi]

having trouble with the TI-89 program..
first does any one know if (0->x) should be (o is greater than or equal to x)?
with (0->x) my calculator returns a syntax error...
if it should be .. how do you run this?
-Home
-Var-Link
-Camera
-Camera()
what should go in the parenthesis?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. i may be a bit out of my league.
Thanks!

[luberack]

The arrow "->" may actually be the "STO>" button on the calculator. It creates an arrow on the calculator screen that we can't reproduce here on our keyboards.

[bugmenot!]

Hey, just solved the problem, that causes the initial delay, and didn't allow me to have a higher delay than ca. 250 on a voyage 200 (same software as ti 89)
You have to make sure a is defined, the value you assign doesn't matter, works fine if you say 1->a

[deivand]

Works well on TI-86 except initial shutter release is significantly longer than the following intervals.

[jworks123]

I'm using at TI-85 and an EOS Rebel XS I made the change to the program of send(A) to outpt("cblsend",A) The code now runs properly, but it doesn't fire the camera. The camera recognizes the code sent but it only takes the action of pushing the shutter button HALFWAY down. It shows the metering info ect, but doesn't fire the shutter. Is there some setting on the camera to tell it to fire on any signal. Or is some change in the program needed to tell it to fully depress the button and fire?

[jworks123]

I figured it out. You need to take the cable and split it open. Looking at the plug the first contact is pin 1, the second pin 2, the third pin 3. You need to create a crossover cable where Pin1 on the calc end is wired to Pin2 on the camera end. Pin 3 is wired to Pin3. The other pins can be unwired. Sweet hack.

[followerdude]

crashed my calculator

[jabab]

does anybody know how to do this with a TI-92 ?

[sanka]

The code for the Ti-89 also works on the Ti-92.  They are essentially the same calculator in different bodies.

[Amygdalaa]

 Anyone know the code for the Casio CFX-9859CG PLUS? 

[Amygdalaa]

 bump

[jmorisi555]

I have a Sony DSC-V3, and I cannot get this to work. I have tried a TI-82, TI-83, and TI-85. I'm hooking the link cable from the calculator to the ACC in. If Anyone could help me be able to shoot timelapse I would much appreciate it. Is there software out there, so that I could use a laptop?

[funkysandman]

I get a 'com error' when I try to send using the Casio cfx-9850G. It is expecting a handshake from the connecting device. Can anybody get the casio to work?

[Whiternoise]

I've got a Casio CFX-9850G, it's programmable and it's got the output lead, i might give it a shot.. :) Only problem would be battery life i think!

[webguy]

I do too... I've researched the cables for it, and they're different from the TI Cables: Casio works at TTL levels, while TI works at different voltages...