HP · 82160A
HP 82160A HP-IL Module
HP-IL, the Hewlett-Packard Interface Loop, was designed from the start for battery-powered machines like the HP-41, and the 82160A is how a 41 joins the loop. Its manual is dated February 1981. Plug it in, run the two cables out and back, and a pocket calculator can drive a printer, a digital cassette drive, a video interface, an RS-232 port and more, up to 30 devices at once. HP Journal measured a 41 saving to cassette at about 130 to 175 bytes a second. The same loop later linked the HP-71B, HP-75 and HP's Series 80 computers. A switch underneath tells it whether to send printing to the loop or to a plug-in printer.
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- HP
- Part number
- 82160A
- Launched
- 1981
- Fits
- HP-41C, HP-41CV, HP-41CX
- Type
- System module: the HP Interface Loop
- Connects
- Up to 30 devices: printer, cassette drive, video interface, RS-232 and more
- Switch
- Print Function switch (ENABLE/DISABLE) on the underside
- Also listed as
- HP 82160A, HP-IL module, HPIL module
Module check
What it adds and what it fits
- What it adds
- The HP Interface Loop, HP's low-power network for battery calculators. With the module and its cables, a 41 drives up to 30 devices in a loop, like the 82162A thermal printer, the 82161A cassette drive, a video interface and an RS-232 interface.
- What it fits
- Every HP-41, in any port above the memory modules on a 41C. Set the Print Function switch to DISABLE if a plug-in 82143A printer is fitted too.
- Real or copy
- Marked 82160A, with two cable plugs. The HP-IL Development Module, 00041-15043, is a different ROM. Modern hobby bridges let HP-IL talk to a USB computer.
Should come with it
- The two HP-IL cables (the loop needs both)
- The 82160A owner's manual
The calculators it fits
HP
RPN programmableHP-41C
- Launched
- 1979
- Entry and display
- RPN · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory · Mag cards · Plug-ins
$200–$400 typical ask
HP
RPN programmableHP-41CV
- Launched
- 1980
- Entry and display
- RPN · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory · Mag cards · Plug-ins
$190–$290 typical ask
HP
RPN programmableHP-41CX
- Launched
- 1983
- Entry and display
- RPN · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory · Mag cards · Plug-ins
$280–$460 typical ask
What to check
Check the cable plugs and the module's contacts. Bundled printers and drives need their own check, since each is a separate device.
- 01Contacts: Ask for a close photo into the module's open end. Clean contacts with no green crust are what you want.
- 02Cable plugs: Ask for a photo of both cable plugs. Straight, unbroken plugs are what you want.
- 03Switch: Check the photos show the Print Function switch on the underside. It should be there and move freely.
- 04Tested: Ask whether it has run a printer or drive recently. A short video of a printout is ideal.
- 05Peripherals: Ask about each printer or drive in the bundle separately. Each one should be described as tested.
Choosing modules for a 41? The HP-41C, CV and CX explainer covers memory, ports and what each model has built in.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a close photo of the contacts inside the module’s open end, a photo of the label, and whether it has been tested in a calculator. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.
Search “HP 82160A HP-IL” on eBay ↗eBay searchCompare with
HP
ModuleHP 82180A Extended Functions/Memory Module
- Launched
- 1981
- Part number
- 82180A
- Features
- Fits the 41C and 41CV
$80–$120 typical ask
HP
ModuleHP 82182A Time Module
- Launched
- 1982
- Part number
- 82182A
- Features
- Fits the 41C and 41CV
$140–$190 typical ask
HP
ModuleHP-41 Math Pac
- Launched
- 1979
- Part number
- 00041-15003
- Features
- Fits the 41C, 41CV and 41CX
$35–$45 typical ask