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Octal & Hexadecimal Calculators
Calculators able to work in the Octal and Hexadecimal number systems are very useful to computer programmers since these are useful ways in representing the binary numbers used by computers.
From Wikipedia: "Octal became widely used in computing when systems such as the UNIVAC 1050, PDP-8, ICL 1900 and IBM mainframes employed 6-bit, 12-bit, 24-bit or 36-bit words. ... All modern computing platforms, however, use 16-, 32-, or 64-bit words, further divided into eight-bit bytes. ... Therefore, hexadecimal is more commonly used in programming languages today, since two hexadecimal digits exactly specify one byte."
The calculators shown here are:
Octadat
This is an "Addiator"-type stylus calculator using the octal number system.
42 x 160 x 4 mm (1.7" x 6.3" x 0.2").
Manufactured about the 1950's-1970's.
Made by Addiator.
The octal number system uses numbers to the base 8, from 1 to 7.
So the photograph shows the octal number 654321, which represents the binary number 110 101 100 011 010 001, or 219,345 in the decimal system.
The octal system is largely obsolete now but was widely used with earlier electronic computers.
Was available from Radix Precision, Atlanta GA, U.S.A. for US$14.95[1] and from Data Efficiency, UK.[2]
Monroe Octal Calculator
A mechanical, hand-operated, calculator based on the Monroe stepped gear mechanical calculators - for example the later decimal version LN-160X.
This is a booklet describing the use and operation of this very unusual calculator
"The Monroe Octal Calculator has been especially designed for mathematicians and engineers who work with electronic binary computers ..."
This full booklet can be read at archive.org/details/monroeoctal/mode/2up
The Marchant company also sold the 'Marchant-Raytheon Binary-Octal' desktop mechanical calculator, which was electrically powered. This is described at rechnerlexikon.de/en/artikel/Marchant_Binary_Oct al
Hexadat calculator with its stylus, which has a propelling pencil (mechanical pencil) at the other end, which would be useful for writing results.
Hexadat
This is an "Addiator"-type stylus calculator using the hexadecimal number system.
61 x 232 x 4 mm (2.4" x 9.1" x 0.2").
Manufactured about the 1950's-1970's.
Made by Addiator.
The hexadecimal number system uses numbers to the base 16, from 1 to 15 written using the numbers 1 to 9 and continuing with the letters A to F.
So the photographs show the hexadecimal number 1ECA8642, which represents the binary number 0001 1110 1100 1010 1000 0110 0100 0010, or 516,589,122 in the decimal system.
The hexadecimal system is widely used when programming with electronic computers.
As shown in the photograph in the hand, this model is much larger than the normal small Addiators.
The journal 'Electronics Design' announced a "Programmer's Kit" in 1971 which contained several programming aids[3]:
"Developed to assist programmers is a new kit of ten handy calculating tools. It contains a small machine known as the Hexadat which calculates hexadecimal values composed of numbers and letters, a universal decimal calculator and a conversion table. In addition, the kit contains a slide rule, a programmer's stencil and drawing pencils and refills. The entire set comes in a black leather briefcase.
Addiator Rechenmaschinenfabrik"
The Hexadat was available on its own in 1976 for US$35.95 from Radix Precision, Atlanta GA, U.S.A.[1]
Texas Instrument Programmer
This is a standard 4-function hand-held electronic calculator which is able to operate in the decimal, octal, and hexadecimal number systems. As well as being able to perform the four arithmetical functions this calculator can also perform logical operations and to convert a number between the different number systems.
The photograph shows the calculator displaying the hexadecimal number ABCDEF12, which represents the binary number 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111 0001 0010, or 2,882,400,018 in the decimal system.
The hexadecimal system is widely used when programming electronic computers, and so the successors to this model are still being used.
Reference:
Vintage Calculators
Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2025.
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