HP 8801A Low Gain DC Amplifier Plug-In Module Hewlett-Packard V/DIV

HP 8801A Low Gain DC Amplifier Plug-In Module Hewlett-Packard V/DIV

The HP 8801A is a low gain DC amplifier plug-in module made by Hewlett-Packard. It is designed to plug into compatible HP mainframe instruments and provides selectable V/DIV range settings for DC signal amplification and measurement. The front panel features labeled controls for Range (V/DIV), Gain, Position, Balance, and Cal functions, with an output BNC connector at the base of the panel.

Specifications & What's Included

• Model: HP 8801A
• Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard (HP)
• Type: Low Gain DC Amplifier Plug-In Module
• Form Factor: Plug-in module (card/module format for HP mainframe instrument)
• Front Panel Controls: Range V/DIV selector dial, Gain knob, Position knob, Balance (BAL), Cal (CAL), CAL & Zero for PR Volts
• Range markings visible:.005,.01,.02,.05,.1,.2,.5, 1, 2, 5 V/DIV (approximate, per front panel dial)
• Output: BNC connector on front panel
• Rear Connector: Multi-pin gold-contact plug-in connector (blade/card-edge style with keying lug)
• Chassis: Aluminum enclosure
• Unit only — no accessories or documentation included

Applications

The HP 8801A is a plug-in amplifier module from Hewlett-Packard's modular instrument system, dating from the 1960s–1970s era of HP plug-in mainframe test equipment. HP built a family of mainframe oscilloscopes and signal analyzers that accepted interchangeable plug-in modules, allowing labs to configure a single mainframe for a wide variety of measurement tasks simply by swapping plug-ins. A low gain DC amplifier like the 8801A is used to condition and amplify low-level DC signals before they reach the mainframe's display or measurement circuitry, with the V/DIV range selector allowing the operator to set appropriate sensitivity for the signal being measured. These modules were common in electronics labs, university research settings, and industrial test benches during that period and are still sought by technicians maintaining vintage HP instrumentation as well as collectors of classic Hewlett-Packard test equipment.