HP-10C series

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HP-10C
Hp10c.jpg
HP-10c
Type Programmable Scientific
Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
Introduced 1982
Discontinued 1984
Cost $80
Calculator
Entry mode RPN
Display Type LCD Seven-segment display
Display Size 10 Digits
CPU
Processor Voyager
Programming
Programming language(s) RPN key stroke (fully merged)
Memory Register 0 … 9
Program Steps 9 … 79
Other
Power consumption 0.25mW
HP-11C
Hp11c2.jpg
HP-11c
Type Programmable Scientific
Manufacturer HP
Introduced 1981
Discontinued 1989
Cost $135
Calculator
Entry mode RPN
Display Type LCD Seven-segment display
Display Size 10 Digits
CPU
Processor Voyager
Programming
Programming language(s) RPN key stroke (fully merged)
Memory Register 0 … 20
Program Steps 63 … 203
Other
Power consumption 0.25mW
HP-12C
Type Programmable Financial
Manufacturer HP
Introduced 1981
Discontinued present
Cost $135
Calculator
Entry mode RPN
Display Type LCD Seven-segment display
Display Size 10 Digits
CPU
Processor Voyager / ARM
Programming
Programming language(s) RPN key stroke (fully merged)
Memory Register 0 … 20
Program Steps

63 … 203

8 … 400 (Platinum)
Other
Power consumption 0.25mW
HP-15C
Hp15c.jpg
HP-15c
Type Programmable Scientific
Manufacturer HP
Introduced 1982
Discontinued 1989
Cost $135 (Original) $99.99 - $179.99 (2011 Re-release)
Calculator
Entry mode RPN
Display Type LCD Seven-segment display
Display Size 10 Digits
CPU
Processor Voyager / ARM
Programming
Programming language(s) RPN key stroke (fully merged)
Memory Register 0 … 67
Program Steps 0 … 448
Other
Power consumption 0.25mW
HP-16C
Hp16c.jpg
HP-16C
Type Programmable Computer Science
Manufacturer HP
Introduced 1982
Discontinued 1989
Cost $135
Calculator
Entry mode RPN
Display Type LCD Seven-segment display
Display Size 10 Digits
CPU
Processor Voyager
Programming
Programming language(s) RPN key stroke (fully merged)
Memory Register 0 … 20
Program Steps 63 … 203
Other
Power consumption 0.25mW

The HP-10C series calculators were introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 1981.[1] Also known as the "Voyager" series, all are programmable, use Reverse Polish Notation, and feature continuous memory. Nearly identical in appearance, each model provided different capabilities and was aimed at different user markets.

The HP calculators 10C series consisted of five models (with original retail price and years of production):

  • HP-10C – basic scientific calculator. ($80 1982-1984)
  • HP-11C – mid-range scientific calculator. ($135 1981-1989)
  • HP-12C – business/financial calculator. ($150 1981-present)
  • HP-15C – advanced scientific calculator. ($135 1982-1989, $100-$180 2011)
  • HP-16C – computer programmer's calculator. ($150 1982-1989)

The HP-12C remains in widespread use today.

Contents

[edit] HP-10C

The HP-10C is the last and lowest-featured calculator in this line, even though its number would suggest an earlier origin. The 10C was a basic scientific programmable. While a useful general purpose RPN calculator, the HP-11C offered twice as much for only a slight increase in price. Designed to be an introductory calculator, it was still costly compared to the competition, and many looking at an HP would just step up to the better HP-11C. Poor sales led to a very short market life.

[edit] HP-11C

The HP-11C is a mid-range scientific programmable calculator.

[edit] HP-12C

The HP-12C is a popular financial calculator. It was such a successful model that Hewlett-Packard redesigned it from scratch,[2] added several new functions, and introduced it as the HP-12C Platinum in 2003 and a limited 30th anniversary edition in 2011[3].

The HP-12C, or the "CFA of financial calculators", is HP's longest and best-selling product, in continual production since its introduction in 1981.[1] Due to its simple operation for key financial calculations, the calculator long ago became the de facto standard among financial professionals – for example, most investment banks issue HP-12Cs to the members of each incoming class of its investment banking analysts and associates. Its popularity has endured despite the fact that even a simple, but iterative, process such as amortizing the interest over the life of a loan—a calculation which modern spreadsheets can complete almost instantly—can take over a minute with the HP-12C. The 1977 October edition of the HP Journal contains an article by Roy Martin, the inventor of the simple method of operation used in HP financial calculators, which describes, in detail, the mathematics and functionality built by Prof William Kahan (from UC Berkeley) and Roy Martin that is still in use today.

Later HP financial calculators are many times as fast with more functions, but none has been as successful. The HP-12C's programming mode is very intuitive and works like a macro operation on a computer. Basically, the keys one would press in the calculating mode to arrive at a solution are entered in the programming mode along with logical operators (if, and, etc.) applicable to the solution. After the programming is complete, the macro will run in computation mode to save the user steps and improve accuracy. There are 99 lines of programmable memory on the HP-12C, and 400 lines on the HP-12C Platinum.

Over its lifespan, the processor's technology has been redesigned to integrate all the circuitry into a single chip and to refresh the manufacturing process (as the foundry could no longer manufacture the necessary chips, having moved on to making higher-density chips). However, HP's market research found in the late 1980s that the users did not trust results obtained too quickly and so the CPU speed was never improved from the original 200 or so kHz.[citation needed] In the late 1990s, the CPU was changed to a 3V process and the battery was changed to a single 3V cell.

In 2008, HP modified the design so that new production runs contain an ARM processor which runs an emulated version of previous chips. This has brought advanced possibilities such as flashing new firmware, not previously possible. HP also released a software development kit (SDK), making it possible to make new and custom operating systems. The calculator runs 20 times faster on most benchmark operations. This version is colloquially known as the HP-12C+ although HP does not market it as a different product.[citation needed]

The HP-12C is one of only four calculators permissible in the Chartered Financial Analyst exams, the others being its sister, the HP-12C Platinum, and the Texas Instruments BA II Plus and BA II Plus Professional.

Often referred to as a tool for "Old-ie Time-ies," critics of the HP-12C claim its early 1980s technology and style are antiquated. Proponents however are quick to note that the HP-12C continues to be both the de jure and de facto standard of high finance. [4]

[edit] HP-12C Platinum

The HP-12C Platinum is a revision to the successful 12C. The 12C Platinum is visibly distinguished by its silver-colored upper half as opposed to the gold-colored plate on the original 12C. The Platinum has a faster processor, larger memory and more built-in functions. It allows input to be entered in algebraic mode as well as RPN mode. There are two versions of the HP-12C Platinum. The early version did not have parentheses, which often led to awkward key sequences to solve problems in algebraic mode. Newer versions of the HP-12C Platinum have parentheses, on the blue-shifted functions of the STO and RCL keys.

In 2006, Hewlett Packard released a limited edition of the 12C Platinum to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original 12C introduction. The 25th anniversary model has the parentheses feature.

Hewlett Packard makes a HP-12C / HP-12C Platinum solutions book available as a PDF on their website.

[edit] HP-15C

The HP-15C is a high-end scientific programmable with a root-solver and numerical integration. It is able to handle complex numbers and matrix operations. Although out of production, its popularity has led to high prices of US$200–400 on the used market[5] and a petition asking HP to restart production. The HP-15C was a replacement for the (LED Display based) HP-34C. On September 1, 2011, HP announced that a limited edition 15C based on the ARM hardware used in the modern 12C would be released.[6]

[edit] HP-15C Limited Edition

The HP-15C Limited Edition is a reproduction of the 15C based on the modern ARM powered 12C hardware, released at the same time as the 30th Anniversary Edition HP-12C. This model is powered by 2 CR2032 batteries, and can easily be differentiated from original production run (1982-1989) 15Cs by the "Limited Edition" script below the HP 15C logo, and the black text on brushed metal back label, as opposed to the white text on black of the original.

[edit] HP-16C

The HP-16C is a computer programmer's calculator, designed to assist in debugging. It can display numbers in hexadecimal, decimal, octal and binary, and convert numbers from one base to another. To accommodate long binary numbers, the display can be 'windowed' by shifting it left and right. For consistency with the computer the programmer is working with, the word size can be set to different values from 1 to 64 bits. Binary-arithmetic operations can be performed as unsigned, ones' complement, or two's complement operations. This allows the calculator to emulate the programmer's computer. A number of specialized functions are provided to assist the programmer, including left- and right shifting, masking, and bitwise logical operations. HP has (so far) never made another programmer's calculator, which would suggest that sales were poor. This is surprising considering the amount of mail the HP museum receives praising this model.

Although HP has never made another specific programmer's calculator since HP-16C, most powerful HP calculators have commands including all HP-16C operations. For example HP-48 series calculators have a 64 bit binary number object which can be showed in binary, decimal, hexadecimal and octal, and all binary arithmetic operations (binary +, -, *, integer division, 2-complemet/NEG, all of them with possible carry/overflow as it is indispensable for binary arithmetic) and logical bit-wise operations are available (AND, OR, XOR, 1-complente/NOT, bit rotation and shifting like ASR, RL, etc). Even word size can be selected between 1 to 64 bits for such operations (operations are affected by word size) exactly like in HP-16C. In some way most powerful HP calculators inherit all those commands and 1-to-64 word size binary integer from HP-16C.

[edit] Arithmetic

One of the least-known features of this calculator series is the quality of the arithmetic inside them. Hewlett-Packard retained the well-known numerical analyst Prof William Kahan, from UC Berkeley, the architect of the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic, to design the numerical algorithms implemented by the calculators. He also wrote parts of the manuals.

[edit] Programming

The HP 10c series calculator are keystroke programmable, meaning that it can remember and later execute sequences of keystrokes to solve particular problems of interest to the user. These keystroke programs, in addition to performing any operation normally available on the keyboard, can also make use of conditional and unconditional branching and looping instructions, allowing programs to perform repetitive operations and make decisions.

The available programming features differentiate between the various HP 10c series calculator systems.

Function HP 10C HP 11C HP 12C HP 15C HP 16C
BSP / ← [F 1] No Yes No Yes Yes
LBL [F 2] No Yes No Yes Yes
GSB/RTN [F 3] No Yes No Yes Yes
x≤y, x=0 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
x=y, x≠y No Yes No Yes [F 4] Yes
x<0, x≠0, x>y, x>0 No Yes No Yes [F 4] Yes
x>0, x≤0, x≥y, x≥0 No No No Yes [F 4] No
DSE, ISG [F 5] No Yes No Yes No
DSZ, ISZ [F 5] No No No No Yes
SF, CF, F? No Yes No Yes Yes
I (I) [F 6] No Yes No Yes Yes
  1. ^ Without BSP (backspace) programs can only be edited by overwriting existing steps.
  2. ^ Without LBL (Label) goto commands can reference only absolute program steps.
  3. ^ Without GSB (Go Subroutine) / RTN (Return from Subroutine) one cannot write subroutines.
  4. ^ a b c Available via the g TEST n function
  5. ^ a b Without DSZ/DSE (Decrement and Skip) and ISZ/ISG (Increment and Skip) writing loops is difficult.
  6. ^ Without indirect addressing only the first 20 (0 .. 19) register can be accessed. Also the programming model is not turing complete.

[edit] Programming example

Here is a sample program that computes the factorial of an integer number from 2 to 69. The program takes up 8 bytes. The example is based on the feature set and display codes of to the HP 16C.

Step  Key-code    Display-code  Comment

01    x><I        42 22         Store x in register I
02    1           1             Store 1 in x
03    LBL 0       43,22, 0      Label 0
04    I           45 32         Recall register I into x
05    *           20            Multiply x and y
06    DSZ         43 23         Decrement register I and skip
                                next instruction when I is 0
07    GTO 0       22  0         Goto label 0
08    R/S         31            Stop program - result displayed in x

To run the program enter the following keystrokes:

      GTO .001                  Set program counter to instruction 1
      6                         Enter n
      R/S                       Calculate 6!

Result 720 is displayed when program terminates

[edit] Emulators

Several individuals and companies make software emulators of various HP 10C series calculators for Microsoft Windows, PalmPilots, PDAs, and smartphones.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Rick Furr. "HP Calculators by Date of Introduction". the Calculator Reference. http://www.vcalc.net/hp-date.htm. 
  2. ^ Eric Smith. "HP Voyager Calculator Variants". HP Voyager Calculator Variants. http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/hpcalc/voyager/variants.html. 
  3. ^ HP Limited Edition Calculator
  4. ^ Wall Street's Cult Calculator Turns 30[1]
  5. ^ Completed sales of HP-15C on eBay, March 8, 2008
  6. ^ http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110901xa.html

[edit] External links
HP-49/50 graphing series:
HP-48 graphing series:
HP-39/40 graphing series:
Other graphing:
Scientific programmable models:
HP-10c compact series:
HP-10C • HP-11C • HP-12C • HP-15C • HP-16C
Other calculator models
HP 9g • HP 9S • HP-10 • HP-17B • HP-18C • HP-19B • HP-19C • HP-20b • HP-20S • HP-21 • HP-25 • HP-27S • HP-29C • HP 30b • HP 30s • HP-33C • HP-34C • HP-35 • HP-40 • HP-41 • HP-42S • HP-45 • HP-55 • HP-65 • HP-67 • HP-71B • HP-97
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