HP 15C Collector’s Edition
| Industry | Electronics, Computer hardware |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 1, 1939 |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto , United States |
| Products | Calculators, computers, printers, software |
| Website | www |
The HP-15C represents a premium scientific programmable calculator within Hewlett-Packard's HP Voyager series, manufactured from 1982 through 1989. The letter "C" signifies its continuous memory capability, which preserves the calculator's state even when powered down.
HP-15C
As a scientific pocket calculator, the HP-15C includes features such as a root-finder and numerical integration functions. It belongs to HP's Voyager lineup and supports operations on complex numbers as well as matrix calculations. Although no longer in production, it remains highly sought after, commanding premium prices on the secondary market. This model followed the HP-34C and utilized bulk CMOS technology to achieve low energy consumption.
HP 15C Limited Edition
After unveiling a prototype at HHC 2010, HP officially released the HP 15C Limited Edition (NW250AA) on September 1, 2011. This edition incorporates a flash-programmable controller featuring an ARM7TDMI processor core, akin to the 2008 revision of the HP 12C, but housed in a different casing with an AT91SAM7L128-AU microcontroller. It runs an emulator developed by Cyrille de Brébisson that executes the original HP Nut firmware significantly faster than the initial hardware. Launched alongside the HP 12c 30th Anniversary Edition, it operates on two CR2032 batteries. Notable visual distinctions include the "Limited Edition" inscription beneath the logo and black text set against a brushed metal backplate, differing from the original’s white-on-black scheme. Due to its updated architecture, this processor consumes more power compared to the classic HP-15C.
HP 15C Collector’s Edition
In May 2023, HP licensees Moravia Consulting spol. s r.o. and Royal Consumer Information Products, Inc. announced the HP 15C Collector's Edition, which became available in July 2023 through HP Development Company, L.P.. Produced in the Philippines, this version supports up to 672 program steps and 99 registers. Its initial firmware resolves known defects present in prior models and operates on the same Microchip ATSAM4LC2CA (ARM Cortex-M4) processor found in the 2015 and 2022 HP-12C editions. Power is supplied by two CR2032 batteries.
The built-in test menu offers three official diagnostic options plus a concealed fourth mode activating two undocumented features: "15.2," which provides expanded memory albeit with certain restrictions, and "16," enabling emulation of the HP-16C.
Unlike previous releases, this Collector’s Edition omits the "Hewlett-Packard" branding on its front panel and sports a slightly darker brown enclosure.
Bugs and problems
HP-15C:
- A known issue involved the CHS stack lift behavior along with its corresponding correction.
- An unintended consequence during an unresponsive reset rotated the X register by 22 bits, facilitating synthetic programming techniques.
HP-15C Limited Edition:
- Firmware version dated 2011-04-15 contained a critical flaw where PSE function operated only once per program run before blanking the display until termination; reverting to earlier firmware versions fixed this but reintroduced other bugs.
- The original HP-15C self-test key sequence was incompatible with this edition and could cause memory corruption; a revised self-test procedure exists but was not documented in official materials.
HP-15C Collector's Edition:
- Firmware updates addressed prior bugs and incorporated new self-test instructions.
- The undocumented "15.2" and "16" modes exhibited multiple issues, most of which were resolved by community-developed firmware patches as of October 2023.
- Differences in key input handling compared to the original HP-15C include immediate step execution rather than displaying target steps when holding certain keys.
Legacy
Hewlett-Packard provides an official PC-based emulator for the 15C model as freeware, enabling users to continue utilizing and learning on this iconic calculator. A variety of software emulators are available that mimic multiple HP calculator models, thereby broadening the reach of these devices in virtual environments.
See also
Further reading
External links
- HP 10C Series Technology and Packaging – David G. Hicks, Museum of HP Calculators
- Hewlett-Packard Calculators – Eric Smith
- HP-15C – MyCalcDB
- HP 15c CE Firmware Update – Corrects the concealed 16c modification
- HP-15 Limited Edition (photo)