Hewlett Packard HP-16C
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Hewlett Packard HP-16C
- Type: Programmable RPN Electronic Calculator
- Size: 3 x 5 inches / 8 x 13 cm
- Serial number: 2817A51981
- Date of Manufacture: July 1988
With case and manual. The HP-16C was (and still is) the ne plus ultra in binary calculators. While many calculators do binary math, only the 16C does binary math like a computer. You set the unit up to match the wordsize and bit complementing features of the processor you were working on, and you could then use the calculator to help you step through a thicket of assembly language code, or use it to simulate algorithms. These needs have gone out the window for many modern programmers, but this calculator has a near-cult following amongst device driver coders.
In floating point mode, this is a very basic calculator. 4 functions plus reciprocal and square root. But a program listed in the manual would take your floating point number and convert it to the IEEE format, leaving the bits on the display in hexadecimal mode. In binary mode, there are operations common to most general processors, and one-touch base conversion. In a way, this is the perfect complement to a slide rule. A purely-digital device to set against a purely analog device.
Low-power design permits the calculator to go 6-12 months between changes of standard, store-bought, button batteries. No more worrying about replacing that darned custom battery pack!
