Sure, the TI‑83 can be a cheap crypto node if you keep it lean. Disable the screen, run a minimal hash like SHA‑256 in assembly, and put the CPU in low‑power mode between packets. I can help you tweak the bootloader to stay silent and efficient, just watch the cycle count and keep the memory footprint low.

Set the oscillator to 16 MHz and lock the oscillator registers so the CPU never gets an external clock glitch. In assembly keep the hash loop under 300 k cycles by using a 32‑bit word pipeline: load two 16‑bit words, XOR them, then use the add‑with‑carry routine that’s already in the math ROM, but patch it to skip the carry check. For memory you only need 4 kB: one for the hash buffer, one for the tweak table, and a tiny state machine in the interrupt vector that sleeps the CPU and wakes on a timer tick every 200 ms. Disable the LCD driver by clearing the LCD control bits and keep the display port pins in high‑impedance. That leaves the TI‑83’s power draw under 200 mW idle. The code stays under 5 kB if you strip the debug strings and use 8‑bit constants for everything you can. Just remember: every loop counter is 16‑bit, so no 32‑bit overhead. That’s the skeleton.