HP Series 80
The Hewlett-Packard series 80 of small scientific desktop computers was introduced in 1979, beginning with the popular model 85 targeted at engineering and control applications.
Features
The HP-85's typewriter-style desktop case contained a 5" CRT screen, a tape drive (DC-100 cartridges, 210 kBytes capacity, 650 bytes/s transfer) and a thermal printer. It could be expanded through four module slots in the back that could hold memory modules, ROM extensions, or interfaces such as RS-232 and GPIB.
The machines were built around an HP-proprietary CPU running at 625 kHz (0.6 MHz, sic!) and had a BASIC interpreter in ROM. Programs could be stored on DC-100 cartridge tapes or on disk/tape units connected through GPIB.
Despite the comparatively slow processor, the machines were quite advanced compared to other desktop computers of the time[1]. The standard number format was a 12 digit (decimal) mantissa with exponents up to ±499, and the interpreter supported a full set of scientific functions at this accuracy.
They also included graphics functions (on screen and hard copy) in the standard model and could easily be expanded in hardware and software - for example, matrix operations could be added to the BASIC interpreter through option ROMs. For the larger HP-86 and HP-87 series, HP also offered a plug-in CP/M processor card.
Models
| Model | Year | Price | Remarks |
| HP-85A | 1979 | $3,250[2] | 16 K RAM, 32 K ROM; 5" CRT, 32×16 text or 256×192 graphics; tape drive, printer |
| HP-83 | 1981 | $2,250[3] | same as HP-85 without printer and tape drive |
| HP-86A | 1982 | $1,795[4] | external composite monitor, no tape drive or printer; 2 interfaces for 9130 floppy & 1 Centronics printer port built in; 64 K RAM |
| HP-87 | 1982 | ? | 9" 80×16 (256×128) display, no printer, no tape, built-in HPIB; 32 K RAM |
| HP-85B | ? | ? | update to HP-85A; 64 K RAM (32 K program, 32 K ramdisk; I/O, EDISK, and Mass Storage ROM built in |
| HP-86B | ? | ? | update to HP-86; built-in HPIB instead of diskette and Centronics ports; 128 K RAM; EDISK ROM built-in |
| HP-87XM | 1983(?) | $2,995[5] | update to HP-87; built-in HPIB; 128 K RAM |
| HP-9915A/B | 1980 | ? | industrial rack-mount version of HP-85A without screen or keyboard, I/O ROM and Program Development ROM built in |
ROM extensions
Note: The HP-86/87 series used different ROMs (yellow labelling) from the 85/83 models (white labelling).
| 83/85 | 86/87 | Function | Description |
| 00085-15003 | 00087-15003 | I/O | to access GPIB, serial and parallel (GPIO) interfaces |
| 00085-15001 | built-in | Mass Storage | to access diskette/disk drives on GPIB. Built into 85 B, 86, 87. |
| n/a | 00087-15002 | Plotter | including screen-dump to external dot matrix printer |
| 00085-15005 | 00087-15005 | Advanced Prog. | |
| n/a | 00087-15012 | Electronic Disk | using parts of RAM as a disk drive |
| 00085-15004 | 00087-15004 | Matrix | Mathematical matrix operations including inversion (solving linear equation systems) |
| 00085-15007 | 00087-15007 | Assembler | |
| 00085-15011 | 00087-15011 | MIKSAM | file management |
| 00085-15013 | 00087-15013 | EMS | access to SS-80 compatible mass storage |
| ? | ? | Service | diagnostic routines for service/maintenance |
Hardware extensions
| 82936A | ROM drawer for up to 6 of the above ROMs (max 1 per unit) |
| 82903A | 16 K Memory module, for HP-85 only (max 1 per unit) |
| 82908A | 64 K Memory module, for HP-86/87 only |
| 82909A | 128 K Memory module, for HP-86/87 only |
| 82967A | Speech synthesis module |
| 82900A | CP/M System (for HP-86/87 only). Contains a Zilog Z80 microprocessor and 64 Kbytes dedicated RAM. |
| 82928A | System monitor for assembly development |
| 82929A | Programmable ROM drawer for standard EPROMs |
Interfaces
| 82937A | HP-IB Interface (GPIB, IEEE-488, IEC625) |
| 82938A | HP-IL Interface |
| 82939A | RS-232 Serial Interface |
| 82940A | GPIO Interface (general-purpose 4 × 8bit parallel) |
| 82941A | BCD Interface (parallel, 11 binary coded decimal digits + sign) |
| 82949A | Printer Interface (Centronics parallel) |
| 82950A | Modem (110/300 bit/s, Bell 103/113) |
| 82966A | Data Link Interface (to connect to HP1000/3000 hosts) |
External links
- series80.org
- http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp85.htm
- http://hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?class=1&cat=9
- http://www.vintagecomputers.freeserve.co.uk/hp85/
- HP-85 pictures from all sides
- Repairing the HP-85 tape drive
Notes
- ^ e.g. Apple II (1977), Tandy TRS-80 (1977), CBM 4032 (1979), Zenith Z89 (1980)
- ^ $3,250 in 1980 ≈ $7,600 in 2005 (see Inflation Conversion Factors for Dollars)
- ^ $2,250 in 1981 ≈ $4,800 in 2005 (ibid.)
- ^ $1,795 in 1982 ≈ $3,600 in 2005 (ibid.)
- ^ $2,995 in 1983 ≈ $5,800 in 2005 (ibid.)