HP 9825A

The HP 9825A combined HP’s BPC processor, built-in tape drive, thermal printer and the concise HPL programming language. It was designed for instrument control, automated testing and technical computation.

The system became a common controller in laboratories and manufacturing environments.

Notable Features

• HP-IB allowed direct control of compatible laboratory instruments.
• The compact HPL language was stored in ROM for immediate use.

Historical Significance

• The system became a common controller in laboratories and manufacturing environments.

Collector’s Notes

• Original HP manuals, peripherals and software media are particularly useful because many interfaces and formats were proprietary.
• Memory, storage, displays and expansion hardware should be documented because configurations often changed during a system’s working life.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	HP 9825A
Manufacturer	Hewlett-Packard
Launched	Thursday, January 1, 1976
Discontinued	1980
Country	United States
CPU	HP BPC hybrid processor
Units Sold
Form Factor	Desktop computer
Power	Internal mains supply
Networking	HP-IB instrument networks
Operating System	HPL in ROM
Expansion / I/O	HP-IB, ROM drawers and peripheral interfaces
Keyboard	Integrated keyboard and thermal printer
Storage	Built-in DC100 tape cartridge
Sound	Internal beeper
Colours	Red LED
Graphics	Text and optional plotter graphics
Display	32-character LED display
ROM	Resident HPL language and system firmware
RAM	8KB standard; expandable
CPU Speed	Approximately 8 MHz internal clock