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Introduction

The main objective of the HP Memory project is to preserve and explain all the contributions made by HP to the sciences of measurement and computing during the second half of the 20th century, the "Golden Years" of High Tech.

In depth description of the technology used and frequently invented by the HP Labs will be the main purpose of the following chapters.

. . . A walk through 60 years of tangible engineering success!

. . . Pioneering - Inventing - Innovating

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...And a little light bulb. Quality audio signals at a surprisingly low price Better insights on signal distortion and multiple signal applications of power and frequency. Building an entire product line to meet customer's expanding needs Exploiting the microwave technology that emerged from WWII systems It started with a 10 MHz scaler, and someone had the clever idea of adding a time base One of the most popular signal generators of all time, covering an extremely important band of frequencies An abrupt jump in scope technology yielding a 100-fold increase in bandwidth for ultra-fast digital waveforms A highly-creative start for 50 years of HP Leadership in Spectrum Analysis Designed for Instrument Control and data acquisition on the factory floor, it became the building block for HP's entry into Time-Share systems, and in later decades for HP's dominance in mid-sized computing It popularized the 'Smith Chart' and 'S' Parameters which became the industry standards, with a slogan 'Stamp out Slotted Lines.' To reach performance that couldn't be achieved with those currently available on the market HP was a technology pioneer in light-emitting diodes, for both lamps and alphanumeric displays The first portable cesium-beam frequency standard and atomic clock. They set the world's time standards, coordinating international time to within a millionth of a second Transcendental functions and Reverse-Polish Nomenclature (RPN). A marvel for scientists and engineers, multiplying their time and computing power It brought untold computing power to the fingertips of the common engineer, at a very affordable price A fast growing product line which covered finance and other 'consumer' markets By coordinating with the IEEE, an industry standard was created for the benefit of the engineering community ...Or the product was too early for its time An advanced low-power microprocessor that contains the equivalent of about 38,000 transistors Another step forward in signal analysis and Instrument Systems automation The dramatic new digital technologies need new analysis tools. It was time to create the Logic State Analyzer concept, and open the new 'Data Domain' of Measurements' The first low cost, 'self-contained' desktop calculator including a graphic display, printer and tape recorder The rapid growth of microprocessors changed the rules. More Software, less Hardware A breakthrough product line whose production numbers in 2006 surpassed 100 million units HP considered new measurement products for surveyors a good extension of its measurement mandates, as in Medical equipment and Chemical Analysis Using a novel 'grit wheel' paper drive technology, HP launches a new line of large, drafting-quality plotters It spells 'the end' for noisy dot-matrix printers. Priced for everyone's office desk and PC Enormous microwave analysis power, leveraged with creative software The first low cost inkjet printer to use fundamental color compression and half-toning algorithms Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, they maintained a constant HP leadership in scientific, HP-UX workstations

Overview

A short-form, non-exhaustive, listing of the key products and related technologies, produced or invented by Hewlett Packard, can be seen in the tables below. The tables have been constructed according to a six decade timeline. All products listed are included in the HP Memory collection, excepted those marked with (*)

This site has no commercial objective. Nothing is for sale here. HP Memory Project is not associated with the Hewlett-Packard Company. The Hewlett-Packard name, HP, the HP logos, the HP model numbers are trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Substantial material from various HP publications appears on the site by permission of the Hewlett-Packard Company.