website/content/museum/panasonic-hhc.md

---
title: Panasonic HHC
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Pocket
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1981'
cpus:
- 6502 Low power NMOS version
params:
  name: HHC
  company: /companies/panasonic
  company_name: Panasonic
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: HHC
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Panasonic
  - label: TYPE
    value: Pocket
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1981'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: SNAP interpreter
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 65 keys, calculator type. All the keys are redefinable.
  - label: CPU
    value: 6502 Low power NMOS version
  - label: SPEED
    value: 1 Mhz
  - label: RAM
    value: 2, 4 or 8 KB. Up to 96 KB with 4, 8 or 16 KB memory modules.
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 KB internal - 3 x optional 16 KB modules
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: LCD display - 1 line x 26 chars.
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 8 x 159 dots
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: '227 x 95 x 30,5 mm / weight: 570 gr.'
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 44-pin expansion port, 3 sockets for program ROM's
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Tape recorder interface built into the printer expansion
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: 5 x built-in Ni-Cad batterie 'AA' type (80 hours autonomy) or external 9 v. P.S.U.
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Printers, I/O expansion interface, RS-232 interface, IEEE 488 interface, TV display interface, acoustic modem, RAM expansions, disk drive, EPROM burner, etc.
  - label: PRICE
    value: $500
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: WITH PRINTER
    subtitle: ''
    text: The printer holds the In/Out tape recorder jacks on the upper left corner.
    image: null
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Notice the expansion connector which allows to connect in chain any of the Panasonic peripherals.
    image: null
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: The round connector is used for the external AC adaptor.
    image: null
  - title: BOTTOM SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** This switch allows the system components, including the RAM backup, to be disconnected from the internal battery pack\
      **(2)** 3 x 16 KB Custom software ROM chips\
      **(3)** One of the two 2 KB 6116 RAM chips
    image: null
  - title: COMPLETE CASE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: QUASAR VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The quasar version was technically identical as the Panasonic version. Only the external design was different.

      Note the '8' number at the bottom right, saying it was a 8 KB version
    image: null
  - title: QUASAR CASE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The internal HHC hardware is made of two stacked cards. The upper one is the logic card, the bottom one is dedicated to the keyboard and LCD display management.\
      Ecxept for the I/O chip the logic card only uses standard I.C.

      **(1)** These three removable ROM chips hold a custom program or programming language\
      **(2)** 2K x 8-bit 6116 static RAM chips\
      **(3)** 6502 microprocessor\
      **(4)** Custom I/O chip\
      **(5)** The LCD display and its associated chips came from Epson\
      **(6)** 2 x 8K ROM chips which hold the system routines and the SNAP interpreter
    image: null
  adverts:
  - title: 'U.S. AD #1 (1982)'
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'The HHC advertising campain was not really attractive: black & white, lots of small characters texts, small pictures...'
    image: null
  - title: 'U.S. AD #2 (1982)'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: QUASAR AD (1983)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The 8 KB quasar system with the 4 color plotter/printer interface.

      The small picture shows a complete system with memory expansion, modem and video interfaces.
    image: null
  - title: PICTURES FROM POPULAR SCIENCE MAGAZINE
    subtitle: ''
    text: dated november 1980
    image: null
  hardware:
  - title: PANASONIC PRINTER
    subtitle: ''
    text: Panasonic RL-P1004A 40 character per line thermal printer and tape recorder interface.
    image: null
  comments:
  - author: Jerri Kohl (United States)
    date: Tuesday 6th August 2019
    text: I''m looking to assembly programming information and to purchase the following items for this system or the system including these items. Does anyone have a TV/monitor interface or any extra info about it? Does anyone have any extra information about (or have?) the EPROM expansion board that Tom Klein described on the main page here for the HHC? He said, "It was housed in a one-inch thicker tray and interfaced between the printer and compueter, adding about 1 inch to the length." And it had sockets for 8-64K EEPROMS. I am curious how the bankswitching was performed.
  - author: jason beck (United States)
    date: Friday 1st August 2014
    text: I have the entire set up of the hhc panasonic still in the brief case it came in. looking to sell it today. Program books and the instructions it was bought with. mint condition. no reasonable offer refused. questions and comments please email me. happy to show . it works . kil.liane@live.com
  - author: Jimmy james (Indiana USA)
    date: Monday 7th July 2014
    text: I am looking to buy a printer for the tq2310 dose anyone know where to find one for sale thanks
  - author: Nik (USA)
    date: Tuesday 11th June 2013
    text: |-
      Several years ago, I managed to contact one of the developers of the systems software used in the Panasonic HHC. He had retired to an idyllic life to an island somewhere.\
      I had emailed him inquiring about the SNAP language, and he graciously responded. He wrote that SNAP was a custom forth executive ( similar to a runtime ) and that the applications were developed on Apple II computers.\
      For those unfamiliar with forth, the programs can be compiled to a list of memory addresses that point to library functions or data. The runtime is a program loop that reads the top address and calls the library function at the address. The called function may add, to or change the list. The net effect is execution speed close to a compiled program, with the compact program size similar to an interpreted program.\
      I suppose, if one was determined, they could extract a rom image, and byb comparing the application roms to the systems roms, and identify the entry points, and using this info and amodern forth environment write custome software.
  - author: shari (usa)
    date: Wednesday 5th December 2012
    text: How do you get it to printer, couldn''t find that part in the book
  - author: shari (usa)
    date: Wednesday 5th December 2012
    text: How do you get it to printer, couldn''t find that part in the book
  - author: Cy (Iowa, USA)
    date: Tuesday 10th April 2007
    text: |-
      Hello I can repair most problems with the HHC's\
      And am looking for any of the software of the non insurance type.\
      Can upgrade the internal and external ram.\
      Copies of the manuals especialy the SnapForth Reference Manual.\
      Planning on making some expansion modules.
  - author: JIM (UNITED STATES)
    date: Thursday 23rd December 2004
    text: I HAVE THE VERY FIRST PANASONIC HHC WITH PRINTER AND CASE. THEY ARE ALL IN VERY GD CONDITION NAD WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MAYBE FINDING THE VALUE OF IT ALL. PRINTER AND HHC STILL WORK EXCELLENT. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME ON THIS .. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!
  oc_id: 644
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221209195935/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=644
    date: '2022-12-09'
---

After buying the Franco-American CIE **Friends Amis** (Amis means Friends in French) and their hand held computer project, Matsushita manufactured the computer and sold it under Panasonic (RL-Hxx series) and **Quasar** (HK-2600TE) brand names. About 70.000 Panasonic systems were sold.

The system was mainly conceived to run custom software developed by third companies. For this reason, it didn't included powerful built-in software or languages but featured an universal expansion port able to manage several peripherals simultaneously, and three ROM chip compartments. Examples of available software are: Portawriter, Telecomputing 1-2-3, File Exchange, Portacalc, Portaflex (store management), Portabudget, Portabroker, Porta Bid, Portastock, Portalog, Portasales, Portaservice, Portaaudit, etc.

The system featured SNAP, an interpreted programming language, close to Forth and not really easy to learn. Hopefully, a light version of the Microsoft BASIC interpreter ROM could be added.

The HHC (for "Hand Held Computer") had great success in USA, mainly in insurance companies thanks to a built-in custom insurance calculation application dedicated to claim adjusters and travelling salesmen who could make any insurance quotation and print it, anywhere, anytime. Few systems were sold in other countries.

The picture shows a system with a Printer/Cassette interface attached. User had to buy it to save programs files on tape! The printer used a small roll of thermal paper of 75 mm wide. It printed 16 chars. per line at a speed of 24 chars./second.

Graphic possibilities were available as an option, as well as a TV video interafce which enabled the HHC to be connected to a TV through a scart connector. The HHC could then display 32 x 16 characters in text mode (character matrix 5 x 7), or 128 x 64 with 8 colors in semi-graphic mode or 128 x 128 with 4 colors in graphic mode.

---

EPROM expansion board, by **Tom Klein**\
When working for FIPSCO - a life insurance marketing software producer - we designed a EPROM expansion board. It was housed in a one-inch thicker tray and interfaced between the printer and compueter, adding about 1 inch to the length. The main unit would only hold 4-8K EEPROMs but the address space for each "slot" was for 16K. So we put 8-64K EEPROMS in crimp molds into sockets in the expansion box. Each chip looked like 4 to the OS.

By doing this we could hold more rates and product illustration software, reducing the requirement the agent "change chips" in front of the customer. Turns out Motorola had a lock on the 8K chips and the 64K were less expensive.\
We could illustrate and print one insurance illustration faster than a 286 at the time. And it fit in the briefcase. The expander box kept the unit in the field for an extra 3 to 5 years until laptops became reliable, powerful and affordable.

**Curt Benjamin** adds:\
Many two-way radio shops still use the Panasonic HHC (part of the GE TQ-2310 "suitcase" programmer) to program GE two-way radios. Our shop still has a working one although it has since been replaced by a DOS program and radio interface box. More info [here](http://www.hallelectronics.com/getech/prog4.htm).