---
title: Hewlett Packard HP-85
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- '''Capricorn'' custom HP 8-bit CPU'
params:
  name: HP-85
  image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/hewlett-packard
  company_name: Hewlett Packard
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: HP-85
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Hewlett Packard
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1980'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1984'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: HP Basic interpreter
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full stroke 93 keys with numeric keypad and user definable keys
  - label: CPU
    value: '''Capricorn'' custom HP 8-bit CPU'
  - label: SPEED
    value: 0.625 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Custom HP I/O circuits
  - label: RAM
    value: 16 KB (14.5 KB for the user, expandable to 32 KB)
  - label: VRAM
    value: 8 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 32 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 32 chars x 16 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 256 x 192 dots
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SOUND
    value: Tone Generator
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Four I/O Ports
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Built-in DC 100 cardridge drive
  - label: OS
    value: Built-in BASIC language. Optional CP/M O.S. with external FD/HD unit
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit 110V - 240V switchable
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 'Various extension cards: GP-IB, Serial, FDD controller, I/O routines, Parallel, BASIC extensions'
  - label: PRICE
    value: $3250
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 357
  photos:
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_topview_1.jpg
  - title: RUNNING SOFTWARE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_front_1.jpg
  - title: LEFT VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_side_1.jpg
  - title: 'LEFT VIEW #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_side_2.jpg
  - title: RIGHT VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_frontview_1.jpg
  - title: IN USE
    subtitle: ''
    text: After a self-test was performed, the character set in ROM is displayed and printed.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_inuse_1.jpg
  - title: DISPLAY DETAIL
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_display_1.jpg
  - title: TAPE CATALOG LISTED
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_catalog_1.jpg
  - title: REAR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The expansions housing is here fitted with:\
      **(1)** a ROM drawer module\
      **(2)** a 128 KB RAM module\
      **(3)** a Serial interface module

      Lot of expansion modules were developped for the HP-85.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_back_1.jpg
  - title: 'REAR #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_rear_1.jpg
  - title: ROM DRAWER MODULES
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Each ROM module could receive up to 6 ROM chips used for I/O or peripherals management, or offering advanced BASIC routines.\
      The ROM chips pictured are:\
      **(1)** General I/O routines\
      **(2)** Statistic routines\
      **(3)** Advanced programmer routines\
      **(4)** Printer-plotter management
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_romdrawer_1.jpg
  - title: PRINTER & DC100 DRIVE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The thermal printer operates in both alphanumeric (128 ASCII character set) and graphics mode. The full character set can be underlined. The printer speed is 2 lines per second.

      Cardridge rewind time is 29 seconds, search speed is 60 inches per second, data transfer speed is 10 inches per second and the tape length is 141 feet.\
      When turned on, the HP 85 looks for a program called "AUTOST" on the tape and executes it if it's found.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_printer_1.jpg
  - title: PRINTER CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: Notice the contrast ajustment **(1)** and... the genuine HP roll of thermal paper!
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_printer_2.jpg
  - title: SOME OF THE CARTRIDGE TAPES
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [La-Tech-Renewal (Ebay Seller)](http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal/) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp85_la-tech_tapes.jpg
  - title: A DC100 CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Each cardridge can hold 780 program records consisting of 192 KB each, or 850 data records of 210 KB. There can be a maximum of 42 named files per cardridge.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_dc100cartridge_1.jpg
  - title: MANUALS SET
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is a part of manuals delivered with the HP-85. Each of them is very clear and detailed.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_manualset_1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Electronic part of the HP-85 is reliable, clear and really well designed. We can consider it as the most accomplished design of the computer industry of the time.

      **(1)** Video board\
      **(2)** Power regulation board\
      **(3)** Printer mechanism\
      **(4)** Logic board
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_inside_1.jpg
  - title: LOGIC BOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This board only contains main components of the computer. All of the secondary and passive components are located in video and power boards.

      **(1)** Expansion connectors cable\
      **(2)** Power board cable\
      **(3)** Printer - tape drive cable\
      **(4)** 16 KB RAM memory chips\
      **(5)** Processor and HP custom I/O chips\
      **(6)** 32 KB ROM chips\
      **(7)** Video board cable
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_logicboard_1.jpg
  - title: PRINTER UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Printer and tape drive unit.

      Notice the surrounded signatures. One founds inside the machine about 15 different quality control signatures of the guy who built it.
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_printer_3.jpg
  - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: '... with plotter, printer and double disk-drive unit'
    image: /media/museum/photos/hp_85_complete-system.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: PROMOTIONAL PICT.
    subtitle: ''
    text: The HP-150 was widely used in industry by engineers and scientists.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_85_prmpict_1.jpg
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1980)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Advert says:

      Imagine the new world that would unfold before you if you had a powerful , portable, completely integrated computer system at your personal disposal. And at an affordable price. That's exactly what Hewlett-Packard has just created.\
      At the lab, on your desk or in your study this 20-pound, self-contained system provides professional computing power when and where you need it. That means no more waiting for data to be remotely processed and returned.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_85_pub_1.jpg
  - title: US ADVERT, FEB 1982
    subtitle: ''
    text: Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)**
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_85_pub_s2.jpg
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JAN. 1982)
    subtitle: ''
    text: '"List your technical requirements, Hewlett-Packard is ready to answer"'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/hp_hp85_pub_enoncez.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: SERIAL INTERFACE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/hp_85_serialinterf_1.jpg
  - title: HPIB INTERFACE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/hp_85_hpibinterf_1.jpg
  - title: 128 KB RAM MODULE
    subtitle: ''
    text: This module only can be used as a virtual disk.
    image: /media/museum/hardware/hp_85_128kbinterf_1.jpg
  - title: CARRYING CASE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/hp_hp85_carrying-case_1.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: ASSEMBLER MODULE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/hp_85_assemblermodule_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/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-86
  - /museum/hewlett-packard-hp-87
  oc_id: 353
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221209031007/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=353
    date: '2022-12-09'
---

The HP-85 was a famous all-in-one computer which met a great worldwide success thanks to its high reliability and ease of use. It featured a 8 bit processor, 16 KB of RAM, a built-in 5" CRT display, tape drive, thermal printer and four I/O ports.

The HP custom processor had 64 8-bit registers but no accumulators. Even slow, it offered outstanding performances in math calculations.

The display offered a full screen editor and and a ROLL key allowing to scroll the screen window up and down through a 48 line (three full screens) buffer .

The quiet and quite fast printer could print a hard copy of the screen in text or graphic mode as well as direct programs outputs.

The built-in tape cartridge system used a common DC100 data cartridge that could hold 195 KB of program files, binary files or data files. Up to 42 file names could be stored in the directory of the tape. A searching function made a file to be found in less than 1 mn. When the system was switched on, the tape drive automatically searched a program called 'Autost' and ran it if found.

HP also provided a large range of interface modules to be plugged in the expansion slots. The system could then manage several peripherals through GPIB or Serial ports: FDD unit, printers, plotters, etc. A 'ROM Drawer' module allowed up to six ROM chips to be inserted. They expanded the capabilities of the internal BASIC interpreter, provided additional languages (Assembler, Pascal), and I/O routines for external devices.

A quite special "feature" of the HP-85 was that the screen blanked whenever the printer was printing or the cartridge was accessed!