We all know the TI-84 Evo was released a few months ago to replace the TI-84 Plus CE Python. I've collected my thoughts in this video and concluded that it could be so much better if TI just stopped holding back. I'd be happy to hear all your thoughts!
Personally, I don't ever want to get advertisements for anything on a service I pay for. I've already tried clicking 'Dismiss' but it came back. Is there a way to disable these permanently? I use the desktop Tidal app (2.41.3.1486-release).
I designed and built a scientific calculator on an FPGA, using a custom nibble-oriented CPU I wrote in Verilog. Then I wrote ~4K of its machine code that implemented a large set of operations you'd normally find in a calculator. All operations are verified against long-doubles with a dedicated test suite.
The calculator uses BCD arithmetic: one decimal digit per 4-bit nibble. Standard byte-oriented CPUs fight that layout constantly. This CPU has 4 bits as the natural data width, memory is nibble-addressable, and walking through a 16-digit mantissa is just a loop.
What I built:
Synthesized on a Cyclone II EP2C5. The finished device is on my desk.
Write-up: https://baltazarstudios.com
Source: https://github.com/gdevic/FPGA-Calculator
Live demo (actual Verilog + microcode compiled to WebAssembly): https://baltazarstudios.com/files/calculator-d/Calculator.html
Hackaday: https://hackaday.com/2026/05/13/build-the-cpu-then-build-the-calculator/
Happy to discuss any of the architecture decisions.
If you want details and the test procedure, see my post on Cemetech: https://www.cemetech.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=316409#316409
The quick screen-on time results:
I also tested charging times from 0-100%:
It's not a great result for the TI-84 Evo. It still uses the same battery capacity and size as its predecessor, but the new processor is much more power hungry.
On the bright side, there was no boot looping! Also, since the Evo uses the same size battery as the CE, the Evo can immediately benefit from high-capacity 3rd party batteries. It's a shame TI didn't included a better battery from the factory though.
TI-Planet just published their first article on the new TI-84 Plus CE successor, the TI-84 Evo. There will be many articles posted so keep an eye out for them!
This first article is primarily an unboxing and an overview of the outside of the calculator: https://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=280655#p280655
Some of the highlights:
Far more details on each point can be found in the article linked above!
Several pictures have been posted including one of the circuit board: https://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/album.php?album_id=1040
Mod note: This sub has gotten an influx of posts from unknown sites claiming to sell the TI-84 Evo. Please use caution if you see these posts. This sub recommends only purchasing from reputable marketplaces such as directly from Texas Instruments.
Yesterday, Texas Instruments released OS 5.8.5 for the TI-84 Plus CE (Python). This update patched the Artifice jailbreak which means you cannot run assembly games and programs on the new OS.
This is an unprecedented move by TI because they have historically only patched the jailbreak when a security flaw is discovered. However, no known security flaw exists. We can only speculate the reasoning for this patch is because final exams are starting and TI wants to appear serious about their "distraction-free" tagline.
FAQ:
Q: When will a new jailbreak be released?
A: The jailbreak is made by unpaid volunteers. It may be several months before a new one is released. There is no time line.
Q: Can I downgrade?
A: Likely no. The only exception is if you already had specific tools to run assembly programs installed before you updated. This sub will not provide downgrade tools at this time.
Q: What if I'm on an older OS version? Do I need to do anything?
A: No action is needed. Your calculator cannot auto-update itself. You can continue running programs as normal. Simply do not update.
Q: I don't have a TI-84 Plus CE (Python) what does this mean for me?
A: Nothing, this only affects the TI-84 Plus CE family.
More info: https://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=280596