Hewlett-packard Company

Franklin T Hickenlooper

Robert E Watson

Rex L James

John C Keith

Douglas M Clifford

Bradley W Miller

David C Uhlrich

Marl D Godfrey

Alan C Mortensen

Allen C Mortensen

An electronic calculator includes modular read-write and read-only memory units, a central processing unit, an output display unit, an output printer unit, a keyboard input unit, and input/output interface circuitry for facilitating the connection of one or more peripheral input/output units, such as an X-Y plotter, for example, to the calculator. When the calculator is coupled to an X-Y plotter, the user may employ commands entered from the keyboard input unit to move the plotter pen to an arbitrary position on the plotter platen whose X and Y coordinates are unknown to him and to subsequently cause the calculator to determine and display the X and Y coordinates of that arbitrary pen position.

Programmable calculator including means for digitizing the position of

An adaptable programmable calculator employs modular read-write and read-only memories separately expandable to provide additional program and data storage functions within the calculator oriented toward the environment of the user, an LSI NMOS central processing unit, and LSI NMOS peripheral interface adaptor capable of bidirectionally transferring information between the read-write memory and central processing unit and a number of input/output units. The input/output units include a keyboard input unit with a plurality of alphanumeric keys, a magnetic tape cassette reading and recording unit capable of bidirectionally transferring programs and data between a magnetic tape and the calculator, a seven-segment gas discharge display, and a 16-column alphanumeric thermal printer. The calculator includes switch means for selecting an auto start mode of calculator operation whereby, upon the application of operating power to the calculator, a program stored on an external magnetic record member is automatically loaded into the calculator read-write memory and execution of that program is commenced.

Programmable calculator including means for automatically processing

An adaptable programmable calculator employs modular read-write and read-only memories separately expandable to provide additional program and data storage functions within the calculator oriented toward the environment of the user, an LSI NMOS central processing unit, and an LSI NMOS peripheral interface adaptor capable of bidirectionally transferring information between the read-write memory and central processing unit and a number of input/output units. The modular read-write memory includes a movable boundary between a program storage section thereof and a data storage section thereof to permit the user to adjust the size of those sections of the read-write memory in accordance with his present problem solving requirements. The input/output units include a keyboard input unit with a plurality of alphanumeric keys, a magnetic tape cassette reading and recording unit capable of bidirectionally transferring programs and data between a magnetic tape and the calculator, a seven-segment gas discharge display for displaying data entered into the calculator, the results of computations, and selected alphanumeric messages, and a 16-column alphanumeric thermal printer for printing results of computations, program listings, messages generated by the user and the calculator itself, and error conditions encountered during use of the calculator. All of these input/output units are included within the calculator itself. Many other external input/output units may be employed with the calculator. The calculator may be operated manually by the user from the keyboard input unit or automatically through a program stored within the read-write memory to perform calculations and to provide an output indication of the results thereof. The calculator employs reverse polish notation (RPN) language including an operational stack of registers for efficiently evaluating algebraic expressions. The language is arranged on a modified key per function basis, incorporating some of the features of higher level languages such as loops. The language also includes sophisticated editing features that enhance the usefulness of the calculator.

Programmable calculator employing a read-write memory having a movable

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Loveland, CO, United States of America

Franklin T Hickenlooper