Searching for HP 8673C Test Cassette HP Part No. 11726-10002 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: jemotrain
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 08:02:23 pm
content: Hi,i have a HP 8673C with some defects.Most of the defects i have already found. I think so...Now it's time to start a calibration of the unit.Does anybody have the Test/Adjustment cartridge HP 11726-10002 ?The idea is, to convert the software to a pc with a HP-IB interface.ThanksJens

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 02:16:27 am
content: Does the 8673 have it's own tape drive or is the cassette for a HP 9825 or other HP computer and that in turn controls the 8673? If the tape is for a 9825 or HP 85 or similar I can tell you right now that you won''t find an intact tape. The early HP tapes were BAD about shedding the magnetic media and "losing" all of the recorded data and programs. Many years ago I obtained a sealed case of 100 brand new tapes and I tested them and not a one was usable. I also still have several hundred prerecorded HP tapes and none of them were usable. And that was at least ten years ago! Also because of the way that HP stored numbers and performed math (in BCD instead of binary) you will NOT be able to run the HP programs on a PC unless you have an HP Viper or Hyper Viper card. The Viper cards were basically complete HP 9000/200 computers, including an HP compatible 68xxx CPU and memory, build into a 16 bit ISA card that plugged into a PC. Even finding an operational PC that still has a 16 bit ISA card slot would be a task in itself.You'll be far better off to add an HP-IB interface to a modern computer and then write your own test program that will run on that computer.

author: jfphp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 10:41:04 am
content: I agree with the precedent post. I add that this program (I had one a long time ago) is written in HPL the first HP proprietairy programming language (essentialy Basic but every command has only 3 letters : cmd, wrt...). It can be run only on a 9825 (all are dead since a long time) or on a 9826 loaded with HPL (the only controler serie 200 which can run HPL).If you have only one 8673 to test it is crazy (and impossible) to follow this way : open the paper manual and run with your eyes the performance test chapter

author: jemotrain
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 07:40:59 pm
content: The 8673 synthesizer generator doesnt have a build in tapedrive.For this controlled adjustments a HP85 computer with some ROM's (Adv.Progr., Matrix, Plotter/Printer) and an HPIB-Card was listed in the service manual of the generator. So i think it was one or more basic program(s).I know the problem with such old tape. Often the tape drives also make problems due to the rubber of the transport mechanic for the cartrigde.HPL was the first "high-level" programming language for me in 1978. At that time i have had the possibility to use sometimes an HP9825A computer.It was fantasic for meLater on i have had an HP9836C and after that a HP Viper card. For that time the were great.The hope is dieing at last. Maybe someone has copied or transfered the old tapedata to a more modern media (files).One of my ideas was to translate the original program maybe to a python script.But you are right for only one 8673 it's probable the better way to do the performance tests and calibration acordingly the paper manual.At the moment i have two 8673: 8673M + 8673C

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 07:49:56 pm
content: HPL is HP's version of APL. It is the OS used on the HP 9825s. You could also get a SW based version that run on any of the HP 9000 200 series and possibly? the 9000/300 series computers. HP also made a plug in card for the 9000/200s that had HPL in ROM. My portable HP-IB test box was a 9000/216 with both HPL in ROM and HP BASIC in ROM cards.There are many HP 9825s that are still alive and doing well :-)

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 07:56:19 pm
content: Quote from: jemotrain on November 20, 2019, 07:40:59 pmIf the test program is HP 85 based then that's a bit of luck. There are a few HP-IB floppy disks and hard drives that will work with the HP-85 so it's "possible" that if you found the test program then you could save on one of those and run it from there. A couple of friends of mine are (or were) also working in a PC based program to read and write to the HP HP-IB disk drives so it's possible that you could even transfer data to a PC.

author: garry
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 24, 2023, 05:16:30 pm
content: Hello,the sovare HP11726-10002 is the sofwrae that was still supplied on magentband by HP.To keep the tape alive, it must be rewound at least once a month, otherwise it becomes stuck and unusable.But your tape seems to still work. The best and probably most sensible solution is to print out the whole program, then type it into a more modern HP300 series and save it to floppy.Unfortunately I read only now your contribution, do you have the tape still?garryTranslated withwww.DeepL.com/Translator(free version)