Difference between revisions of "83Plus:Software:msd8x"

Revision as of 02:44, 11 September 2006

msd8x is a TI-84 Plus Flash application which serves as a GUI interface between your calculator's contents and USB mass storage device's contents. Just like usb8x, it only supports the FAT16 file system.

The current release version of msd8x is v0.94, downloadable at radicalsoft.org. It also requires version 0.11 or higher of usb8x.

Running msd8x

Attach your USB mass storage device to your USB cable and then that to your 84+/SE's USB port. If your flash drive is a common model, msd8x will auto-launch and display directory contents. If not, press the [APPS] key and then select MSD8X from the menu.

Any USB flash drive can be made to auto-launch MSD8X when inserted. If MSD8X does not auto-launch for your particular drive, e-mail the vendor and product IDs for your device to brandonlw@gmail.com and it will be included in the next release of msd8x. You can use a computer to find the vendor/product IDs or you can use USBTools found at the usb8x project page.

Navigating msd8x

When you first run MSD8X, you will be greeted with the main screen displaying the root directory's contents.

The current directory will be displayed at the top of the screen, where "/" is the root directory.

The bottom of the screen displays the options you can perform on files and folders.

The left side of the screen displays the current directory's contents. Pressing [UP] and [DOWN] will allow you to scroll through the directory's files and folders. Any entry with a "+" sign next to it is a folder, and pressing [ENTER] on it will go into that subdirectory. If you see ".." in the list, this is a pointer to the parent directory. Pressing [ENTER] on it will return you to the parent directory and eventually the root.

The right side of the screen displays information about the currently-selected file or folder. "Size:" near the top will display the file size, shortened to use KB (kilobytes) or MB (megabytes) as necessary. Underneath that is "Attr:", which will display file attributes such as Hidden, Archived, or Read-Only. Underneath that is the file size in bytes. Underneath that is the file creation date, and underneath that is the file creation time.

Importing 8x* Files as Calculator Variables

Press [WINDOW] to copy an 8x* file's contents to the calculator in either RAM or Flash ROM. Press [LEFT] or [RIGHT] to select either RAM or Archive, then press [ENTER].

Exporting Calculator Variables as 8x* Files

Press [Y=] to add a calculator variable from RAM or Flash ROM to the current directory. Press [LEFT] or [RIGHT] to select the variable to export, then press [ENTER].

Deleting a File or Folder

Press [ZOOM] to delete the currently-selected file or folder. Press [LEFT] or [RIGHT] and then [ENTER] to confirm or cancel.

Create a New Folder

Press [TRACE] to create a new folder inside the current one. Use the keys to enter a new folder name and then press [ENTER] to create the folder or [2ND]+[QUIT] to cancel.

Running MirageOS/Ion Programs

Press [ENTER] on a MirageOS/Ion 8XP file to run it. Make sure MirageOS is on your calculator and there is enough free RAM to run the program.

Other Actions

Press [ALPHA]+[A] to bring up the About and credits screen. Press any key to return.

Press [ALPHA]+[V] to preview a text file's contents. Press [CLEAR] or [2ND]+[QUIT] to return.

Press [ENTER] on an 8XI file to display its image to the LCD. Press any key to return.

Error Messages

If anything goes wrong in msd8x, error messages are displayed. When possible, a specific error message is displayed, but the error code in the title of the dialog box after "ERROR " is most important. These numbers match the usb8x error codes in the usb8x section. Check these to find out more information about what went wrong. If you are convinced something is a bug or otherwise incorrect and have tried everything, e-mail brandonlw@gmail.com for help.