skl@van-bc.UUCP (Samuel Lam) (12/10/89)
A friend of mine had just bought an keyboardless HP 9816 in a
surplus sale today (he thought it was just a monitor) and found
it to be quite a complex piece of hardware. Could someone please
tell me (so that I can tell him) what an HP 9816 is and what it
is typically used for?
Thank you very much for your time.
...Sam
P.S. Please reply by e-mail if possible. I will summarize if asked.
--
Samuel Lam <skl@wimsey.bc.ca> or {uunet,ubc-cs}!wimsey.bc.ca!sklrjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (12/11/89)
re: also emailed > A friend of mine had just bought an keyboardless HP 9816 in a > surplus sale today (he thought it was just a monitor) and found > it to be quite a complex piece of hardware. Could someone please > tell me (so that I can tell him) what an HP 9816 is and what it > is typically used for? The 9816, in current HP merchandising parlance, is a Series 200 Model 216 computer. In tech terms, it is an 8 MHz MC68000 computer, with a 400x300x2 built-in monochrome display. The entire Series 200 line was replaced by the MC68010/20/30 -based Series 300 in 1985, but the 216 itself is either still in production or was only recently discontinued. The processor box has either 128 or 256 Kbytes of RAM. Add-on RAM is available in 256K or 1Mb increments from HP, and other sizes from 3rd parties. Max RAM is 7Mb. In any case, you can still get a keyboard for it (98203A or 98203B), and the current versions of memory-based HP BASIC and HP Pascal workstation operating systems are supported on the 9816. You'd need at least 750Kb and an HP floppy drive to load it. UN*X was never offered on the 9816, largely due to the lack of memory management hardware. There is also a stand-alone terminal emulator package available (98791B), but our terminals division has been so agressive about cost reduction that, frankly, you can buy a real HP terminal for less than the emulator software. 9816s are typically used for some small CAD/CAE applications and in one-of-a-kind dedicated computer-controlled situations. The interpreted BASIC environment is excellent for prototyping. The 9816 is the smallest single-box 68K machine we ever made, and they are valued by those who need them, which is why it took us 4 years to discontinue it. If your friend doesn't have a use for the 9816, he might consider selling it to an equipment broker who specializes in HP gear. I'll bet he can get more than he paid for it. Regards, Hewlett-Packard Bob Niland rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM 3404 East Harmony Road UUCP: [hplabs|hpfcse]!hpfcla!rjn Ft Collins CO 80525-9599 This response does not represent the official position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard Company. The above data is provided for informational purposes only. It is supplied without warranty of any kind.
bobw@hpsad.HP.COM (Bob Waltenspiel) (12/11/89)
> Could someone please >tell me (so that I can tell him) what an HP 9816 is and what it >is typically used for? Hi Samuel, The 9816 is one of the HP 9000 series 200 computers. It has a 8MHz (I think) 68000, built in HP-IB. It came standard with a 98203A keyboard, but if your friend wants to replace it, convince 'em to get 98203B (aka "Nimitz"). It has a much better keyboard layout. The 9816 ran primarily two HP op-systems/ programming languages: HP Pascal and Rocky Mountain Basic. I have done quite a bit of programming in RMB on a 9816 doing instrument control. RMB was made for it and it showed. Not really BASIC like you might think. To make it useful you'll need (along with the above disc drive) a disc drive and memory. I recommend a 9122 as a minimum disc drive. HP's memory is priced at a premium, but there are third party boards available (I know I'm not supposed to say that, but maybe if your bargain hunting friend will realize how good HP equipment is, they'll become real customers). Good luck! -Bob I work for an instrument division of HP and we still use series 200 computers extensively. I'm just a user. That's right, JUST a user and that should be disclaimer enough. ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- | Bob Waltenspiel | e-mail: bobw@hpsad (hplabs!hpsad!..) | | ATE Software Team | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | HP Signal Analysis Division | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | 1212 Valley House Dr. | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | Rohnert Park, CA 94928-4999 | HP Mailstop: 1UR-M | ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- This goes along with another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise. Margaret Atwood "Cat's Eye"
mikef@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Mike_Forman) (12/13/89)
know you wanted E-mail, but..... The 9816 is (was) a Series 200 system based upon the MC68000 CPU running at 8 MHz. It includes either 128 or 256K RAM on the processor board (128K versions are very rare), and two DIO slots for added RAM or I/O cards. An HP-IB and RS-232 port are built in. The system will run HP BASIC or Pascal; it will not run Unix (tm). The 9817 was a box level extrapolation of the 9816 to run Unix. There are two keyboards for the 9816, the 98203A or 98203B (I think). The first is a small keyboard with alpha numerics and a knob, while the other is a large keyboard with separate numeric keypad, etc. Built-in graphics (monochrome 390x512) and 24x80 alpha are supported. Hope this helps. Mike (I introduced the 9816) Forman HP Workstation Group Sunnvale Note: The preceeding is my personal view, not HP's.
myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) (12/16/89)
So far we've had two conflicting statements as to the 9816's graphics
resolution; to set the record straight, it WAS 400 x 300 (although the
9817 was 512x390). Graphics were one bit/pixel, not 2, although the alpha
system (the '16 had separate bit-mapped graphics and an 80x25 character-gen.
text "plane") did have provision for half-bright and blinking, at least in
later models. (This is in contrast to the current Series 300 line, which has
used bit-mapped text from day one unless the old display board set from the
9920 was installed in the DIO-I slots. Not sure if that was a supported
configuration, anyway.) The screen was a built-in 9"-diagonal monochrome CRT.
Supported keyboards were indeed the 98203A and 98203B, and the '16 canNOT
use the current Series 300 (HP-HIL) keyboards.
Bob Myers KC0EW HP Graphics Tech. Div.| Opinions expressed here are not
Ft. Collins, Colorado | those of my employer or any other
myers%hpfcla@hplabs.hp.com | sentient life-form on this planet.steve-t@hpfcso.HP.COM (Steve Taylor) (12/18/89)
/ comp.sys.hp / myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) / 12:24pm Dec 15,1989 / > (This is in contrast to the current Series 300 line, which has >used bit-mapped text from day one unless the old display board set from the >9920 was installed in the DIO-I slots. Not sure if that was a supported >configuration, anyway.) Bob was correct about the 216 (aka 9816) display, but his comments about "the old display board set" and the 300s are a bit off. The original 9920 (aka 220) display boards (98204A) were 400x300 graphics, no alpha highlights (inverse, blinking, etc.). The 217 (9817) display boards (98204B) were 512x390 graphics with alpha highlights. These boards were also supported in the 220. Neither of these boards is supported on Series 300, but (this is where Bob went awry) the 98546A, which is a clone of the 98204B with an added feature, is supported on the Series 300 anywhere there's a DIO-I slot pair for it. The 98546A adds a video input and a software controlable switch which allows it to share the same monitor with a 512x400 bit-mapped display (98542 or 98543 -- actually 1024x400). The 98546A video output is also adjusted for the new monitors. I believe the software controlled switch is only used by the BASIC Language System. Regards, Steve Taylor NOT A STATEMENT, OFFICIAL OR OTHERWISE, OF THE HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY.