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---
title: Epson PX 4 / HC 40
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Portable
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- uPD 70008
params:
name: PX 4 / HC 40
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hx40_1.jpg
company: /companies/epson
company_name: Epson
specs:
- label: NAME
value: PX 4 / HC 40
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Epson
- label: TYPE
value: Portable
- label: ORIGIN
value: Japan
- label: YEAR
value: '1984'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: Basic
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard (chicklet keyboard available)
- label: CPU
value: uPD 70008 (Z80 compatible )
- label: SPEED
value: 3.6864 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: 'CMOS 7508 4bit : handles housekeeping, clock, battery, etc.'
- label: RAM
value: '64 KB : 64 Kbit CMOS D-RAM x 8'
- label: ROM
value: '96 KB : 256 K-bit CMOS ROM X 3'
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 40 x 8
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 240 x 64
- label: COLORS
value: Monochrom LCD display
- label: SOUND
value: Beeper
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: A4 size
- label: I/O PORTS
value: Serial, RS232c, cassette, cartridge port, printer (parallel) port, expansion port, sound in & out
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: Microcasette
- label: OS
value: CP/M with disk-drives units
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in battery which can last for 4 hours
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: Printers, plotters, tape-recorder, ROM & RAM expansion, barcode reader, EPROM burner, replacement keyboard, modem and more...
- label: PRICE
value: 1590 FF (France, january 1988)
tabs:
- photos
- hardware
- links
forum_thread: 371
photos:
- title: JAPANESE USER MANUAL
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Hello sweety !
Thanks to the [TATA EPSON HC-40 Page](http://page.freett.com/tata93/hc40.htm) for this picture.
image: /media/museum/photos/epson_hc40_manual_p1.jpg
hardware:
- title: EPROM WRITER CARTRIDGE
subtitle: ''
text: Epson H415A-EA1 Prom Writer Cartridge II. It plugged into the corner expansion port of the PX-4 and had a 32pin ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_px8_promwritermodule_1.jpg
- title: EXPANSION SKETCH
subtitle: ''
text: |-
There are for sure a lot of peripherals available for the HC-40 ! Wow...
There are printers, plotters, RAM & ROM expansions, disk-drives, EPROM burner, barcode reader, keypad, etc...
A larger and better picture is available at the [TATA EPSON HC-40 Page](http://page.freett.com/tata93/hc40.htm).
Thanks to the [TATA EPSON HC-40 Page](http://page.freett.com/tata93/hc40.htm) for this picture.
image: /media/museum/hardware/epson_hc40_expansion-sketch.jpg
links:
- title: Epson PX4 info page
url: http://www.discordia.org.uk/px4/
text: Pinouts and CP/M command reference among other things
- title: TATA EPSON HC-40 Page
url: http://page.freett.com/tata93/hc40.htm
text: Great informations here (Japanese) !
oc_id: 370
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608211026/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=370
date: '2023-06-08'
---
This computer is the successor of the [HX-20](/museum/epson-hc-hx-20/).
The main cosmetic difference is a wider screen that can be adjusted to the right angle.
There are 2 ROM slots under the machine to implement additional ROM programs.
On the right of the LCD display can be plugged a tape-recorder, a plotter, RAM expansions, a lot of things or ... nothing.
A lot of peripherals were available for this little computer (see hardware page), at least in japan.
The PX-4 was logically followed by the [PX-8](/museum/epson-px-8-hc-88-geneva/).