CiNotes

How to put notes on a TI-84 Plus CE

There are three ways to do it: type them in on the calculator, convert a text file with a notes program, or turn a PDF into a searchable library. Here’s what each one takes, so you can pick the one that fits how much you have.

Compare the three Convert my notes
The short answer Write or paste your notes on a computer, convert them into calculator files, and send those to the TI-84 Plus CE with TI Connect CE and a USB cable. The calculator can’t open a PDF or a Word document on its own. Something has to convert it first.

Three ways to add notes

MethodGood forThe catch
Type on the calculatorA formula or twoSlow, no search, miserable for anything long
Convert a text filePlain text you’ve already formattedNeeds a desktop converter and a separate viewer program
Use CiNotesPDFs, question banks, study guides, pasted notesPDFs cost money; files arrive by email

1. Type notes directly

You can make a TI-BASIC program and type text into it one character at a time. For a few lines, that’s fine. For a unit’s worth of notes, it’s hours of pressing ALPHA. The keypad was built for numbers, and the result can’t be searched.

2. Convert a plain-text file

Programs like Notes CE come with a desktop converter that turns a .txt file into calculator data. You format the text yourself, run the converter, and send both the viewer program and the converted file to the calculator. For short, clean text, it’s a solid free option.

More on getting text from a computer onto the calculator

3. Convert a PDF or pasted text with CiNotes

CiNotes does the organizing for you. Upload a PDF, or paste short text straight into the page, and you get files built for the TI-84 Plus CE’s small screen, plus a viewer that can search them.

Doing it by hand

  • Reformat every section yourself
  • Run a converter on your computer
  • Scroll to find anything
  • Gets painful past a few pages

With CiNotes

  • Upload a PDF or paste text
  • Search every note at once
  • Matches highlighted, one keypress to the next
  • Picks up where you stopped
  1. Upload your material
  2. Get the files by email
  3. Send them over USB
  4. Browse or search
Typing a search in CiNotes on a TI-84 Plus CE
Search every note for a word.
A matching line inside a note, found by search
Land right on the line that matched.

How to transfer notes from your computer

  1. Install the free TI Connect CE app on your computer.
  2. Connect the TI-84 Plus CE with its USB cable.
  3. Open Calculator Explorer in TI Connect CE.
  4. Drag all of the calculator files into the calculator window.
  5. Open the notes program on the calculator. For CiNotes, your delivery email names the program to open.

Calculators on OS 5.5 or newer need a one-time setup step before programs like CiNotes can open. The setup guide has the exact keypresses, plus fixes for the errors people actually run into.

Your CiNotes library survives a normal RAM clear.

The program, your notes, the search index, and your saved place all live in Archive memory, which a RAM clear doesn’t touch. Clear the RAM and your notes are right where you left them.

What kinds of notes work?

PDFsStudy guides and packets, turned into notes the calculator can open. Cheat sheetsFormula sheets and quick reference, the kind you actually look things up in. Question banksQuestions, answer choices, keys, and rubrics, all searchable. Notes programsHow TI-BASIC, Notes CE, NoteFolio, and CiNotes compare.

Common questions

Which calculators work?

CiNotes runs on the TI-84 Plus CE and TI-84 Plus CE Python Edition. It doesn’t run on the black-and-white TI-84 Plus, the TI-83, or the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition.

Can I put a PDF directly on a TI-84?

No. The calculator can’t open a PDF. It has to be converted into calculator program and data files first. Here’s how PDF conversion works.

Can the notes include answers?

Yes. For questions with an answer key or rubric, keep them in the same PDF as the questions. CiNotes keeps each answer with its question. An answer-key-only file can’t be matched back up.

Do the notes need internet?

No. Once they’re transferred, the program and notes run entirely on the calculator.

Done typing one letter at a time?

Paste up to 300 words free, or upload a PDF starting at $3.

Make my calculator notes