TI scientific calculators have a diagnostics mode which can be accessed by pressing a certain combination. Pressing keys (typically on the left column) may start a self-test. Press [on] to quit most tests. Holding [on]+[clear] may be necessary.

While the self tests available seem to be consistent across models, the keys you press to access each test are not. I'd like to document the keys for each test for each model here. If you have a scientific calculator, please document your findings!

The following are all known possible combinations to get into diagnostics mode:

• [1]+[2]+[3]+[ab/c]
  
• [2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on]
  
• [2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[pi]>[on]

TI-30Xa

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[1]+[2]+[3]+[ab/c] (via calcinfo)

TI-30X S

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[pi]>[on] (via calcinfo)

TI-30X S MultiView

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on] (via TLM)
For a calculator with date code L-0219I it will display
Jt6F54-003 11/07
RSF DWF JIP GVB

TI-30X IIS

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[pi]>[on] (via TLM)
For a calculator with date code C-0112M it will display T452 11/99
Note: There is no contrast test

• [sto->] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different patterns on the display. There appear to be 3 different patterns before it starts looping back through.
  
• [memvar] This starts a keypad test. Each key has its own code accompanied by a number that counts up for every key pressed (after 99 it rolls around to 00). For example [2nd] displays 17 02
  
• [x^2] This button will start a slow self screen test. Initially all parts of the display will be black. After 3 seconds, half the screen elements disappear.
  
• [ln]This will start a test that automatically switches between two screen patterns as fast as possible. It seems to only be halted by holding [on]+[clear].
  

TI-30X Plus Mathprint

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on] (via Zeroko)
For a calculator with date code L-0820A it will display
TI-30X Plus MP
v1.0.1.21
(c)2018 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

• [sto->] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different patterns on the display. There appear to be 6 different patterns before it starts looping back through.
  
• [xyzt] This starts the keypad test. A vertical line will appear on the display. Press each key, row by row, starting with 2nd and ending with enter. Each key will draw a vertical line on the screen. When all lines are filled, the test will quit.
  
• [x^2] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different contrast levels. There appear to be 16 different levels.
  
• [x^▫] This will start a test that automatically switches between two screen patterns as fast as possible. It seems to only be halted by holding [on]+[clear].
  
• [x^▫ 10^▫] This appears to freeze the calculator. I cannot figure out its purpose. [on]+[clear] is required to get the calculator to normal.
  

TI-34 Multiview

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[pi]>[on] (via Reddit)

TI-36X

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[1]+[2]+[3]+[ab/c] (via calcinfo)

TI-36X Pro

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on] (via Zeroko)
For a calculator with date code L-0322E it will display JT5CW8-002 11/10

• [xyzt] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different patterns on the display. There appear to be 6 different patterns before it starts looping back through.
  
• [x^2] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different contrast levels. There appear to be 16 different levels.
  
• [e^▫10^▫] This will start a test that automatically switches between two screen patterns as fast as possible. It seems to only be halted by holding [on]+[clear].
  
• [ln log] This immediately clears the RAM.
  
• [2nd] Repeatedly pressing this button will toggle the 2nd text on the screen. In this test, you can quit the diagnostics without clearing the RAM.
  
• [▫/▫] The fraction button will start a keypad test. Each key has a different code. For example [2nd] has the code of 0F 02 0023
  

TI-40 College II

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[2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on] (via critor)
For a calculator with date code - it will display T454 11/99

[sto->] Repeatedly pressing this button will cycle through different patterns on the display. There appear to be 3 different patterns before it starts looping back through.

• [memvar] This starts a keypad test. Each key has its own code accompanied by a number that counts up for every key pressed (after 99 it rolls around to 00). For example [2nd] displays 17 02
  
• [x^2] This button will automatically go though the 3 different patterns.

For those who missed it in SAX, I found out that not all TI scientific calculators use the same combo to get into diagnostics mode. For example the TI-30x IIs uses [2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[pi]>[on]. I have updated the first post to reflect this update.

Hello.

TI-40 College II N-0301C here.

I was expecting your TI-30X IIs key combo to work, but it didn't.
The MultiView/MathPrint key combo did work though.
The display string is T454 11/99.

Great documentation! Do we know anything about the hardware under the epoxy blob is these?

For my L-0622E TI-34 Multiview, the combo in the topic didn't work, but [2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on] did.


Code:

This doesn't surprise me.

I assume at least all TI-MultiView and TI-MathPrint calculators expect [2nd]>[0]>[2nd]>[delete]>[on].

The TI-34 MultiView self-test string was already known to us :
https://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23430

What we're missing is the german TI-30X Plus MultiView self-test string.

That one, I don't have
I was lucky enough to recently get a lot of calcs for cheap that included new scientifics... but that's it.

Hi, I am a new user on this site so let me know if I do anything incorrectly. I have many of the calculators described in this post and many more, and I'm very interested in the topic of self-test functions. Since these calculators have mostly similar but slightly varying tests, as well as TI graphing calculators having the MODE ALPHA S or 2nd INS MODE 2nd INS test sequences, and even older calculators of other brands, such as the HP 10C and 11C, I firmly believe that certain other TI models also have tests yet to be discovered. In particular I want to look into tests which may be possible on programmable or early Equation Operating System calculators. I have a TI-60X, TI-65, and TI-68 in this category, but I also think the TI-74/TI-95 may have such tests. Have any of these been found or looked into?

Thanks

Selftest keycodes on my recently-purchased (August 2022-ish) TI-30XIIS seem to be a little different. Code on the back is L-0423R; there is no dedicated Reset button on the back. Selftest Ver is A12_141231. Calculator Forensics returns 9.0000000304418.

Here are my findings after 15 minutes of monkey-like buttonpushing:
- 2nd, 0, 2nd, pi, ON: Enter Selftest Mode (credit for this as well as the next key go to TLM)
- sto>: Press this key over and over to manually cycle between different display test patterns. (ON can be pressed to go back to the selftest home screen.)
- log: Automatically cycle between the three test patterns; each pattern is on screen for about 0.75 seconds; interestingly there appears to be some kind of semi-random-ish delay each time the test pattern changes. The timing either isn't consistent or I need new glasses. You MUST press ON+CLEAR to exit this mode.
- MEMVAR: It's a key code test, but it doesn't display the actual hex codes. It's this peculiar little interface where the calculator fills the first few characters of the top line with black pixels, and for each key you press, it turns off a specific column of pixels. There is no way to turn the columns back on until you exit and reenter the key test either with ON or ON+CLEAR.
- pi: For some odd reason, this one just freezes up the self-test mode entirely and you have to press ON+CLEAR to make the calculator functional after you press it. (This behavior would be hilarious if it was supposed to be the test that turns pixels on the screen on and off as fast as physically possible, but it ends up freezing the entire calculator because TI coded a bug. )

And of course,
- ON+CLEAR: Return to the main EOS immediately. This operation may take a while if your batteries are missing or very very low, for whatever reason.