---
title: Hewlett Packard HP-86
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Hewlett-Packard 8 bit
params:
  name: HP-86
  image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_system_s1.jpg
  company: /companies/hewlett-packard
  company_name: Hewlett Packard
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: HP-86
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Hewlett Packard
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: July 1982
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: HP-Basic interpreter
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 91 keys with 7 function keys and arrow keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Hewlett-Packard 8 bit (Unknown)
  - label: SPEED
    value: 0.625 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB (86A), 128 KB (86B), up to 640 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 48 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 24
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 544 x 240
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in speaker
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 42 (W) x 45.5 (D) x 13 (H) cm
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Centronics, 2 x FDD (86A), HP- IB (86B)
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: None
  - label: OS
    value: HP-Basic
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: External FDD, printers, HP expansion cards, all HP-IB compatible peripherals
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: HP-86B LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Along with the 12" monitor.\
      The HP monitors were made by NEC in Japan.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_system_s2.jpg
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_rightside_s1.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_topview_s1.jpg
  - title: HP-86A WITH 9" MONITOR
    subtitle: ''
    text: There were no visible differences between The HP-86A and 86B, apart from the HP label at the bottom of the keyboard. The HP-86A was simply labelled HP 86.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86a_system_s1.jpg
  - title: 'KEYBOARD #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The solidly-built keyboard was wirtually the same as the HP-85.\
      Here the HP-85B with a French AZERTY version.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_keyboard_s1.jpg
  - title: 'KEYBOARD #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: HP-86A with U.S. keyboard
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86a_keyboard_s1.jpg
  - title: 86B REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Power plug, switch and fuse. Voltage selector\
      **(2)** Housings for four extension cards\
      **(3)** Video RCA jack\
      **(4)** GP-IB interface connector
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_rearside_s1.jpg
  - title: 86A REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Instead of a single HP-IB connector, the 86A features 3 connectors for printer, drive 0 and drive 1.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_rearside_s2.jpg
  - title: INSIDE 86B
    subtitle: ''
    text: The main board is totally covered by a metallic protection against magnetic shields.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_inside_s1.jpg
  - title: MAIN BOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Composite video RCA jack\
      **(2)** 16 KB Video RAM chips (4116)\
      **(3)** Keyboard connectors\
      **(4)** 64 KB main RAM chips (4464)\
      **(5)** GP-IB connector\
      **(6)** Expansion box connector
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_mainboard_s1.jpg
  - title: CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: All of the major I.C. are engraved with the HP logo.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_hpchips_s1.jpg
  - title: MANUFACTURING DATE
    subtitle: ''
    text: On each part of the computer, a handwritten signing mentions the manufacturing date and sometimes... time!
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_86_signings_s1.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: Emulator for the HP85B & HP86B/87
    url: http://olivier.2.smet.googlepages.com/HPSERIES80
    platform: Windows
    text: Open source GNU licence
  - title: HP 86 / 87(+) emulator
    url: http://www2.akso.de/files/series_80/Emulator/
    platform: Windows
    text: ''
  links:
  - title: HP Series 80 Web Site
    url: http://www.series80.org/
    text: Nice website dedicated to HP Series 80 computers (manuals, programs, ROMs, articles, accessories, etc.).
  - title: The Museum of HP Calculators
    url: http://www.hpmuseum.org/
    text: Some useful infos here
  - title: The Museum of HP Calculators
    url: http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp85.htm
    text: Some useful infos here
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: Lots of further info and links on the Series 80
  related:
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-85
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-87
  oc_id: 140
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230417020137/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=140
    date: '2023-04-17'
---

The HP-86 series was the same machines as the [HP-87](/museum/hewlett-packard-hp-87/) but used a 9" or 13" external monochrome monitor.

The built-in BASIC language derived from the [HP-85](/museum/hewlett-packard-hp-85/)'s but featured about 20 additional graphics commands. It also allowed to directly address the ports of external modules.

Two vdersions were successively released:\
The **86-A** had 64 KB of RAM and was fully compatible with the 87-A. It had built-in interfaces for a printer and dual floppy drives. Internally, these interfaces were seen as HP-IB devices.

The **86-B** had 128 KB of RAM and an HP-IB port instead of the printer/fDD interfaces. It was the same machine as the **HP-87XM**, but with an external monitor.

There was no special operating system. The Basic interpreter provided all the necessary commands for I/O and peripherals management.

Notice that the HP-IB interface found on almost all HP computers - from micro to mini - is a special version of the well-known IEEE 488 interface.