---
title: Hewlett Packard HP-9816
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Motorola 68000
params:
  name: HP-9816
  image: /media/museum/photos/hp_9816_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/hewlett-packard
  company_name: Hewlett Packard
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: HP-9816
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Hewlett Packard
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: November 1982
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full troke 70-key with function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Motorola 68000
  - label: SPEED
    value: 8 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Motorola 6845 (CRT controller), TI-9914 (Serial & HP-IB management)
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB up to 512 KB (provision for up to 4 MB)
  - label: VRAM
    value: Unknown
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 KB to 48 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 chars x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 400 x 300 pixels
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: HP-IB, Serial RS232
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Dual 3.5'' floppy drives unit (HP-9121)
  - label: OS
    value: HP Pro-BASIC, PASCAL, CP/M 68K
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: All of the HP-IB peripherals
  - label: PRICE
    value: $3895 (basic 128 KB version)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - links
  forum_thread: 860
  photos:
  - title: MAIN BOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      One of the most tightly packed boards of the microcomputer industry of the time. It is only 9 x 10.3 inches but contains 125 I.C.

      **(1)** Serial RS232 port chips and switches\
      **(2)** HP-IB interface chips\
      **(3)** Refresh and RAM timing chips\
      **(4)** Boot ROM chips. Here 48 KB installed\
      **(5)** Motorola 68000 processor\
      **(6)** 128 KB RAM chips\
      **(7)** CPU clock circuit\
      **(8)** Data and address bus drivers\
      **(9)** Second memory timing area\
      **(10)** Keyboard controller chips, including the Intel 8041 processor\
      **(11)** Keyboard connector\
      **(12)** HP-IB connector\
      **(13)** Serial RS232 connector
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_9816_mainboard_1.jpg
  - title: HP-9816S
    subtitle: ''
    text: The keyboard is obviously not the same as the "original" HP-9816.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_9816s_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: U.S. AD. JUNE 1983
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_model16_pub_1.jpg
  - title: FRENCH AD. JUNE 1983)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_9816_pub_1.jpg
  links:
  - title: HP Museum
    url: http://www.hpmuseum.net
    text: The best place about old HP computers and calculators.
  - title: HP-9816 page
    url: http://www1.neweb.ne.jp/wa/igaweb/HP/9816.html
    text: Nice and detailed pictures
  - title: Joe Rigdon pages
    url: http://www.classiccmp.org/hp/9800.htm
    text: More information about HP 98xx series
  related:
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9810
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9825
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9826
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9830
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9836
  oc_id: 879
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230417024951/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=879
    date: '2023-04-17'
---

Hewlett-Packard has been one of the first large manufacturer to adopt the Motorola 68000 microprocessor since 1981. The HP9816 was the fourth 68000 based computer of the brand. It was also called the Series 200 Model 16. Hewlett-Packards Series 200 included the HP-9816, HP-9826, [HP-9836](/museum/hewlett-packard-hp-9836/), and HP-9836C.

The Model 16 was intended to be a "*lion package in a house cat*". When the keyboard was "parked" in the optional special housing placed under the unit, the computer footprints was 1 quare foot exactly. To ensure such a small size, Joe DeWeese, HP's project manager designed a very compact CPU board with a chip density never seen before.

Model 16 could be used as a standalone workstation and connected to a large variety of mass storage devices, as well as numerous HP peripherals including printers, plotters and a graphic tablet through the HP-IB port. It also could act as an intelligent terminal or be connected to HP's **S**hared **R**essource **M**anagement (**SRM**) network.

SRM permitted up to 68 Series 200 computers in any conbination (including the HP-9835, 9845 and HP-9000 computers). The computers were connected via twisted-pair cables to a 9828 which controlled the network.

System could run HPL, Pro-BASIC or Pascal. 68000 version of the CP/M operating system (CP/M 68K) was also available. Any or all languages and operating systemms could be stored and loaded from the same drive and/or plug-in ROM cards on the same computer. User could select the one that he wanted the computer to load at power-up.