TRANSLATING ASCII DATA

TO THE TI-83 FOR AP STATISTICS

Many AP Statistics courses will utilize TI-82 and/or TI-83 calculators for analyzing data. While many courses will also use student versions of statistical software residing on computers, graphing calculators will provide a consistent tool which students are most likely to have both in class and at home.

Teachers will use a large number of data sets supplied on disk, downloaded from the Internet, and created by students. For example, extensive data sets from textbooks and activity books are often provided by their publishers. However, data sets are rarely in a form which will load directly into the statistical lists of the calculators.


This document assumes:

You are comfortable using list names other than L1 through L6 on the TI-83.

Translating Single List of Data

Translating Data in 2 or more Lists


PROCESS #1: FOR DATA CONTAINING A SINGLE LIST

TOOLS AND INPUT DATA FORMAT

This section assumes that there is a single list of data which is to be translated to the TI-83 and that it is the following ASCII format:

 

Item 1 RETURN Item 2 RETURN ... Item n RETURN

 

For example: Assume we want to convert data about the length of each route of a small airline. This data could have been typed into the TI-83 as follows:

 

{576,370,612,1216,409,1502,946,998,189,787,210,737} -> DIST

 

The data to convert would be as follows:

576 RETURN

370 RETURN

612 RETURN

1216 RETURN

409 RETURN

1502 RETURN

946 RETURN

998 RETURN

189 RETURN

787 RETURN

210 RETURN

737 RETURN


Importing Data into the TI-83 Graph Link

1. Launch the TI-83 Graph Link.

2. Choose ASCII DATA from IMPORT under the TOOLS menu.

3. Select the file to be translated (e.g. airline.dat) and click on Save. Note that this file will be translated into a TI-83 list file (e.g. airline.83l) and saved on the hard drive.


Importing the List into the TI-83

 

1. Using the TI-83 Graph Link: Choose SEND from the LINK menu.

2. ADD the file to be translated (e.g. airline.83l) and click on the SEND-> button.

If there is no list called "IMP" already in your TI-83, the file will be stored in a list with the name IMP without any warning message (don't ask me why...I am checking with TI). At this point, click on the SEND-> button again and you can enter the name of the list you want to store the data in (e.g. DIST).

On the other hand, if there is a list called "IMP" already in your TI-83, you can enter the name of the list you want to store the data in (e.g. DIST).



PROCESS #2: For Data Containing Two or More Lists

Tools and Input Data Format

This sections assumes that there are two or more lists of data which are to be translated to the TI-83 is in ASCII TAB delimited format as follows:

(List 1 Item 1) TAB (List 2 Item 1) TAB..... RETURN

(List 1 Item 2) TAB (List 2 Item 2) TAB..... RETURN

(List 1 Item 3) TAB (List 2 Item 3) TAB..... RETURN

.

.

(List 1 Item n) TAB (List 2 Item n) TAB..... RETURN

 

For example: Assume we want to convert data from an airline in two lists named DIST and FARE. This data could have been typed into the TI-83 as follows:

 

{576,370,612,1216,409,1502,946,998,189,787,210,737} -> DIST

{178,138,94,278,158,258,198,188,98,179,138,98} -> FARE

 

In ASCII TAB delimited format the data would be as follows:

576 TAB 178 RETURN

370 TAB 138 RETURN

612 TAB 94 RETURN

1216 TAB 278 RETURN

409 TAB 158 RETURN

1502 TAB 258 RETURN

946 TAB 198 RETURN

998 TAB 188 RETURN

189 TAB 98 RETURN

787 TAB 179 RETURN

210 TAB 138 RETURN

737 TAB 98 RETURN


Importing Data into the TI-83 Graph Link

1. Launch the TI-83 Graph Link.

2. Choose ASCII DATA from IMPORT under the TOOLS menu.

3. Select the file to be translated (e.g. airline.dat) and click Save. Note that this file will be translated into a TI-83 matrix file (e.g. airline.83m) and saved on the hard drive.


Importing Matrix into the TI-83

1. Using the TI-83 Graph Link: Choose SEND from the LINK menu

2. ADD the file to be translated (e.g. airline.83m) and click on the SEND-> button. Note that this file will be stored in a matrix (the default is usually [A].


Translating a TI-83 Matrix into Named Lists

1. On the TI-83, select Matr>list from the OPS menu of the LIST menu. Note that this selection is off the initial OPS screen - try cursoring up).

2. Enter the name of the matrix that the data has been stored in and the name of each list to be created, e.g. Matr>list([A],DIST,FARE]