The HP-34C

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calculator was an advanced

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of the

HP 30 series The HP-30 or Spice series are RPN Scientific hand held calculators introduced by Hewlett Packard in 1978. Some models are a programmable. Overview Perhaps the HP-30 series, Spice, was to be released as a replacement for the aging HP-20 serie ...

. It was produced between 1979 (cost US$150) and 1983 (cost US$100).

Features

Root-finding and integration

Significant to the HP-34C calculator was the capability for

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and root-finding (a first for any pocket calculator). Integration and root-finding worked by having the user input a formula as a program. Multiple roots are found using the technique of first finding a root

x=x_0

, then dividing the equation by

(x-x_0)

, thus driving the solution of the equation away from the root at that point. This technique for multiple root-finding is referred to as "deflation". The user would usually programmatically recall the root value from a storage register to improve its precision.

Programming

The common method of converting registers to program memory allowed the calculator a maximum of 210 program steps. Programming features such as indirect jumps provided substantial capability to the calculator's programmer. The HP-34C shipped with an "applications" manual that included two games (Moon Rocket Lander and Nimb). This made the calculator probably one of the first pocket game computers ever invented. The winner was announced via

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by turning the display upside down and the words BLISS or I'LOSE (55178 or 3507,1) were displayed. A game of

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was easily programmable by converting some of the registers to lines of program.

Pedigree

The calculator was superseded, in 1982, by the

HP-15C The HP-15C is a high-end scientific programmable calculator of Hewlett-Packard's Voyager series produced between 1982 and 1989. Models HP-15C The HP-15C is a high-end scientific pocket calculator with a root-solver and numerical integration. A ...

. Although it is argued the

HP-41C The HP-41C series are programmable, expandable, continuous memory handheld RPN calculators made by Hewlett-Packard from 1979 to 1990. The original model, HP-41C, was the first of its kind to offer alphanumeric display capabilities. Later cam ...

(introduced late 1979 and only a matter of months after the HP-34C) was a replacement for the HP-34C, they were in fact differentiated as much by price (the HP-34C being 50% that of the HP-41C) as by functionality and performance (the HP-41C being the first HP LCD-based and module-expandable calculator, with its standard functionality lacking the root-finding and integration capabilities as well as the gamma-function implementation of the HP-34C though). This price difference allowed those with economic constraints to still buy a high-end HP (HP-34C) scientific programmable within a reasonable cost. As such they were sold side-by-side for a number of years.

Design

The HP-34C came in a number of variants, such as plastic- and metal-keyboard versions and those with solderedHP 34C display problem
/ref> (later 1983 variants) vs pressure-mounted circuitry
/ref> (earlier variants 1979–1983).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hp-34c 34C