Columbia University Computing History   

The Hewlett-Packard 2621 video terminal

This terminal was installed in vast quantities all over the Columbia campus in the late 1970s through about 1990, as in the Carman Residence Hall Terminal Room. Most units lasted for 10 or 20 years of heavy use.

HP 2621 terminal
The Hewlett-Packard 2621 terminal, 1978.

Construction:          Monitor + detached keyboard
Display:               24x80 with two-page memory
Character matrix:      7x9 with descenders (within a 9x15 cell)
Screen size:           6x8 inches
Character set:         Complete US ASCII (128 codes) plus display controls
Keys:                  68 keys in ANSI X4.14-1971 typewriter layout
Auxilliary keypad:     Calculator-style numeric keypad; 8 function keys
Visual indicators:     On-screen dynamic key labels.
Interface:             RS-232/V.24
Flow control:          Enq/Ack, Transmit, Xon/Xoff
Communication Speeds:  75,110,150,300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600 bps
Setup:                 Soft (keyboard driven screen menus)
Printer:               Optional built-in thermal printer (HP2621P)
Dimensions:            ?
Minimum table depth:   ?
Weight:                ?
Columbia University Computing History Frank da Cruz / [email protected] This page created: January 2001 Last update: 4 April 2021