HP 2631B Dot Matrix Printer Option 250 HPIB GPIB IEEE-488 Hewlett-Packard

HP 2631B Dot Matrix Printer Option 250 HPIB GPIB IEEE-488 Hewlett-Packard

The HP (Hewlett-Packard) 2631B is a desktop dot matrix printer designed for use with HP instrument systems and computers via the HPIB (IEEE-488 / GPIB) parallel interface. This unit is equipped with Option 250, which configures it for 120 VAC operation, and features a multi-voltage power supply rated for 100–240V operation at 48–66 Hz. It is being sold for parts or repair due to a known transformer issue described in the condition section below.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard (HP)
• Model: 2631B
• Option: 250
• Printer type: Dot matrix
• Interface: HPIB / IEEE-488 / GPIB — 24-pin connector on rear panel
• HPIB address: Configurable via rear DIP switches (MSB/LSB, SRQ EN, Listener Address)
• Additional rear DIP switch bank: 7-position (labeled OPEN)
• Power: 120 VAC (Option 250); multi-voltage capable — 100V/2.4A, 220V/1.2A, 240V/1.1A
• Frequency: 48–66 Hz
• Fuse: 2.5AT
• Line spacing: 6 LPI and 8 LPI selectable from front panel
• Front panel controls: Power On indicator, Off Line, On Line, 8LPI, 6LPI, Form Feed, Line Feed
• Form factor: Desktop
• Country of manufacture: United States
• Certifications: UL Listed — Teaching/EDP/Business Equipment (Category 221Z)
• Included: Printer unit only — no cables, ribbon, or accessories observed

Applications

The HP 2631B is a late-1970s/early-1980s era dot matrix printer built specifically for the HP HPIB (Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus) ecosystem — HP's implementation of the IEEE-488 instrument bus that became the standard interconnect for HP test and measurement systems of that period. It was used alongside HP desktop computers such as the HP 9825, HP 9845, and HP 85 series, as well as HP laboratory instruments, to produce printed output from automated test setups, data acquisition systems, and scientific computing environments. The HPIB/GPIB interface allowed the printer to be addressed and controlled directly from the instrument bus without a separate parallel or serial adapter. The 6LPI/8LPI line-spacing options accommodated standard continuous-feed paper stock typical of scientific and engineering report output of the era. Today, units like this are primarily sought by collectors of vintage HP computing equipment and by operators of legacy HP instrument systems that still require a bus-compatible printer for documentation output.