The Pioneer Series

The Pioneer series

Since 1980, Hewlett Packard introduced a series calculators with the series name Pioneer. This series counts 11 models with equal size and keyboard layout. These models can be arranged into three groups, ordered by the used processor. All three processors are derivatives from the basic Saturn concept, which is also used in the Champion and early Charlemagne models.

Model	Code	Type	Input mode
HP-10B	Ernst	Business	Algebraic
HP-14B	Midas	Business	Algebraic
HP-17B	Trader	Business	Algebraic
HP-17BII	Trader II	Business	Algebraic & RPN
HP-20S	Erni	Scientific	Algebraic
HP-21S	Monte-Carlo	Scientific	Algebraic
HP-22S	Plato	Scientific	Algebraic
HP-27S	Mentor	Scientific	Algebraic
HP-32S	Leonardo	Scientific	RPN
HP-32SII	Nardo	Scientific	RPN
HP-42S	Davinci	Scientific	RPN

The Saturn Processor

The table below shows the differences between the three Saturn processors used in the Pioneer series. The LCD display of the Pioneer calculator simply betrays which processor is used.

Processor	RAM	ROM	LCD Interface	Models
Bert	256	10K	12 digit 7 segment	HP-10B, HP-20S, HP-21S
Sacajawea	512	16K	12 digit 5x7 dot matrix	HP-14B, HP-22S, HP-32S and the HP-32SII
Lewis	0¹	64K	108 pins dot matrix driver	HP-17B, HP-17BII, HP-27S and the HP-42S

¹ The Lewis processor has no internal RAM memory but instead it has an 16 bit address bus and 8 bit data bus memory interface to control up to 64K of SRAM.

The picture below shows the Sacajawea processor found in an HP-32SII calculator. The chip is mounted in a hole in the PCB.

The LCD Display

The next series of pictures show the different display typed used for the Pioneer series.


12 digits 7 segment display	12 digits 5x7 dot matrix display version 1


12 digits 5x7 dot matrix display version 2	132x16 dot matrix display maximum 2 x 22 characters

Of the 12 digit 5x7 dot matrix display two versions are known. The version 1 has a smaller character height compared to the later version 2 display. The version 1 displays are used in the HP-14B and the first series of the HP-32S. Later models of the HP-32S and its successor, the HP-32SII, used the version 2 display.

The keyboard

All Pioneer calculators have the same keyboard layout with 37 keys. The key labels are different for each calculator model.


From a sparse looking HP 17B keyboard.	To a very busy HP 32SII keyboard.

For some models different label color combinations have been fabricated. See the HP- 10B ,HP-20S and the HP-32SII calculator.

The size of this famous calculator series is 5,85” x 3.15” x 0.6”. This is about 147 x 78 x 15 mm.

The rubber feet

A small change for a few models was the reduction of the number of rubber feet. The four small feet in the older series are replaced by two wider feet for the later models