HP 12C User manual

HP 12c Platinum Financial
Calculator Quick Start Guide
Edition 1
HP Part Number: F2232-90201

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Printing History
Edition 1, October 2008

Contents
Table of Contents
Welcome to your HP 12c Platinum Financial Calculator .............. 1
The Keys................................................................................ 1
Customizing the Calculator ...................................................... 2
Storage Registers and Continuous Memory ................................ 7
Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) Mode......................................... 7
Keys and Functions ............................................................... 10
Basic Financial Calculation Example ....................................... 19
Warranty and Contact Information ......................................... 21
Replacing the Batteries .......................................................... 21
HP Limited Hardware Warranty and Customer Care ................. 22
Limited Hardware Warranty Period ........................................ 22
General Terms ..................................................................... 22
Customer Care..................................................................... 24
Product Regulatory & Environment Information.......................... 28

Contents

Getting Started 1
1GettingStarted
Welcome to your HP 12c Platinum Financial Calculator
This booklet is intended to get you started quickly with the basic features
of your 12c Platinum Financial Calculator. Use it for quick reference. For
more detailed information about the 12c Platinum, refer to the HP 12c
Platinum Financial Calculator User’s Guide. Pages of the user’s guide
are cited throughout this manual, and it is highly recommended you
refer to the user’s guide to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the many
features of your calculator.
The Keys
Many keys on the HP12c Platinum perform more than one function.
The primary function of a key is indicated by the characters printed in
white on the upper face of the key. The alternate function(s) of a key are
indicated by the characters printed in gold above the key and the char-
acters printed in blue on the lower face of the key. See Figure 1.
Figure 1

2 Getting Started
• To specify the primary function printed on the upperface of
a key, press the key alone.
•To specify the alternate function printed in gold above a
key, press the gold prefix key (T), then press the function
key.
•To specify the alternate function printed in blue on the
lower face of a key, press the blue prefix key (U), then
press the function key.
Pressing the Tor Uprefix key turns on the corresponding status
indicator — for g— in the display. After a function key is pressed, the
indicator turns off. Note how function keys for bonds, depreciation, and
clearing are grouped together under brackets printed above the keys in
gold. Unless otherwise indicated, press and release the desired key, or
key combination from left to right. You do not need to press and hold
the keys as with a computer or typewriter.
There are a total of nine status indicators that appear along the bottom
of the display and signify the status of the calculator for certain opera-
tions. When applicable, the descriptions below identify when an indica-
tor appears on screen.
In this manual, the highlighted portion of the key symbol or symbols rep-
resents the active function of the key. Functions above the keys are
spelled out and preceded by the Tfunction key.
Customizing the Calculator
Table 1-1 lists some of the basic functions available for customizing the
calculator. The pages of the HP 12c Platinum Financial Calculator User’s

Getting Started 3
Guide are included for reference. Refer to these pages of the user’s
guide for more information.
Table 1-1 Basic Functions
Functions Display/Description
Turn calculator
on/off
(page 16).
Turns calculator on. Pressing Sagain turns the
calculator off. The calculator turns off
automatically12 minutes after it was last used.
Operating
mode
(page 20).
1. P r e s s T ALG to set the operating mode to
Algebraic mode.
2. Press T RPN to set the operating mode to
Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) mode.
3. Note the “RPN” or “ALG” indicator. RPN is the
default operating mode.
Display contrast
(page 16).
Press and hold T while pressing ; or Z
to adjust the display contrast, darker or lighter,
respectively.

4 Getting Started
Digit separator
(replace
decimal point
with a comma)
(page 17).
1. The default separator is a comma (see above).
2. Turn the calculator off first by pressing S.
3. Press and hold . and then press and
releaseS to change the digit separator from a
comma to a point.
4. Perform the same steps again to change the point
to a comma.
Number display
format
(page 87).
Press and releaseT followed by a number 0-9 to
specify the number of digits displayed to the right of
the decimal point. The default setting is two places to
the right of the decimal point.
Table 1-1 Basic Functions
Functions Display/Description

Getting Started 5
Calendar
format. Month-
day-year
(M.DY) or Day-
month-year
(D.MY)
(pages 37-40).
Press Uq or Up to set the date format.
The default setting is M.DY. The screen above shows
December 3, 2010 in M.DY format.
1. P r e s s Uq.
2. Key in one or two digits for the month.
3. Press ..
4. Key in two digits for the day.
5. Key in four digits for the year.
6. Note: at this point, pressing Rdisplays the
date in the selected number display format.
1. For day-month-year, press Up. Note the
“D.MY” indicator appears.
2. Key in one or two digits for the day.
3. Press ..
4. Key in two digits for the month.
5. Key in four digits for the year.
Table 1-1 Basic Functions
Functions Display/Description

6 Getting Started
Compound
interest (pages
63, 219).
Press VL followed by dates separated by R
to specify the compound interest option for odd-
period calculations of interest (i), Present Value (PV),
Payment (PMT), and Future Value (FV). Note the “C”
indicator appears. The default setting performs
calculations for PV, PMT, and FV using simple
interest. Press VL again to return to the default
setting.
Payment mode
(page 46).
Press Ug to set the payment mode for cash flow
problems. Use Begin mode for payments occurring at
the beginning of the compounding period. Note the
“BEGIN” indicator appears.
Press Uh for payments occurring at the end of
the compounding period. End mode is the default
setting.
Table 1-1 Basic Functions
Functions Display/Description

Getting Started 7
Storage Registers and Continuous Memory
Numbers (data) are stored in memories called “registers.” Special regis-
ters are used for storing numbers during calculations, the “stack” regis-
ters, and the “Last X” register, which is used for storing the last number
in the display before operations are performed in RPN mode. Numbers
are stored automatically in these registers. There are also registers in
which you can manually store data, designated R0through R9 , R.0
through R.9, and financial registers used for financial calculations. All
these storage registers make up the calculator’s Continuous memory. All
information in the Continuous memory is preserved even while the cal-
culator is turned off. To reset the memory and clear all of the registers
and return the calculator’s settings to their defaults, turn the calculator
off, and while holding down Z, press S. With “Pr Error” dis-
played, press any key to return to the default calculator screen.
Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) Mode
The following information is a brief overview of how RPN works. For
more detailed information about RPN and how the stack works, refer to
the HP 12c Platinum Financial Calculator User’s Guide. In RPN mode,
numbers are entered first, separated by pressing R, followed by an
operation key. Pressing Ris optional after entering a number, if the
next key pressed is an operation.
Each time you press an operation or function key in RPN, the answer is
calculated immediately and displayed. For example, suppose you
wanted to add two numbers in RPN, 1 and 2. Press 1R2;.

8 Getting Started
The result, 3.00, is calculated and displayed immediately.
There are four special registers used for storing numbers during calcula-
tions, which are stacked on top of one another. Called “the stack,” these
registers are designated X,Y, Z, and T. X is on the bottom, and T is on
the top. Unless the calculator is in Program mode, the number in the dis-
play is the number in the X-register. Primarily, the numbers in the X- and
Y-registers are the numbers used in calculations. The Z and T registers
are used for the automatic retention of intermediate results during chain
calculations.
The Rkey separates numbers in the vertical stack and positions them
in the X- and Y-registers, and, in addition to displaying intermediate
results, this vertical arrangement of the stack allows you to copy and
rearrange numbers without reentering them. For more complex prob-
lems requiring two or more operations, you do not need to enter paren-
theses to set operational priority. Key in numbers and operations inside
the parentheses first, followed by those outside of the parentheses. If a
problem has more than one set of parentheses, start by working with the
operations and numbers in the innermost parentheses and work out.
For example, in RPN mode calculate . See
Table 1-2. Although this is a simple example, you can use the principles
introduced here when working with more complex problems.
()()
6543 +×+

Getting Started 9
Table 1-2 RPN Example
Keys Display/Description
3R4;
Enters numbers and operation from the first set
of parentheses. The sum, 7, is displayed and
stored in the X-register.
5R6;
Enters the numbers and operation from the
second set of parentheses. The sum, 11, is
stored in the X-register and displayed, and 7
moves up to the Y-register.
Y
Finishes the operation and displays the results.
Stores 77 in the X-register.

10 Getting Started
Keys used to rearrange the stack:
•Pressing the Pkey exchanges the numbers in the X-and
Y-registers (pages 90, 230).
•Pressing the Okey performs a roll down of the stack,
where each number in the registers is copied into the
register below, and the number formerly in the X-register is
copied into the T-register (page 230).
•Pressing U+ recalls the number displayed before the
previous operation back into the displayed X-register
(pages 91, 234).
In Algebraic mode, use parentheses to set operational priority. Press
U( U) to open and close parentheses (pages 26, 240).
Keys and Functions
Table 1-3 lists some of the keys used for basic operation, mathematical
calculations, and financial problems. Use this table for quick reference.
Page numbers from the HP 12c Platinum Financial Calculator User’s
Guide are included in the table for reference. Refer to the user’s guide
for a complete list of functions, including statistics and programming.
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide
R
Enter
Enters a copy of number in displayed X-register into
Y-register. Used to separate numbers in RPN
(pages 21, 229).

Getting Started 11
;ZY
Xx
Arithmetic operators (pages 21, 22).
F
Change sign
Changes sign of number or exponent displayed in
the X-register (page 17).
U()
Parentheses
In Algebraic mode, parentheses are used to change
the order in which operations are evaluated. When
there are pending open parentheses, the “( )” status
indicator appears in the display (pages 26, 240).
L
Enter Exponent
For very large or very small numbers. Enter the
mantissa. After pressing, L, the next numbers
keyed in are exponents of 10 (page 18).
U_ Backspace. Deletes the last character or a number
(page 18).
U/
Undo
Undo. Press U/ with the “undo” arrow
indicator lit (see down arrow in screen below) to
“undo” the last operation and recover data. The
undo indicator also appears when clearing the
storage registers (page 20).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide

12 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d
Q
Clear
Clears contents of display and X-register to zero.
After pressing, the undo indicator appears (see
below). With this displayed, press U/ to
recover data or Qto clear (page 19).
Note: in Algebraic mode, begin calculations by
pressing QQ. This clears any pending
arithmetic calculations.
T
Clear statistics
Clears statistics registers (R1 -R6), stack registers, and
display. Note the “undo” indicator (see “undo”
function above). With this displayed, press U/
to recover data, or Qto clear (page 93).
TPRGM
Clear program
Clears Program registers (page 104).
TFIN
Clear financial
Clears financial registers. Note the “undo” indicator
(see “undo” function above). With this displayed,
press U/ to recover data, or Qto clear
(page 42).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide

Getting Started 13
TREG
Clear all
registers
Clears data storage registers, financial registers,
stack (X,Y,Z, and T), LAST-X registers, and display.
Note the “undo” indicator (see “undo” function
above). With this displayed, press U/ to
recover data, or Qto clear (page 29).
TPREFIX
Cancel
After T, U, V, W, or u, cancels that key
(page 17).
V
Store
Press Vand key in the register number (0-9 for
registers R0-R9, or .0-9 for registers R.0-R.9) to
store displayed number in a specified storage
register. Also used to perform storage register
arithmetic. (pages 27, 29).
W
Recall
To recall a number from a storage register into the
display, press W, then key in the register number.
This copies the number from the storage register into
the display (page 27).
KPercentage
(in RPN)
Key in base number. Press R. Key in the
percentage. Press K. Calculates x% of y and
retains the y value in the Y-register (pages 31, 241).
KPercentage
(in Algebraic)
Press T ALG. Key in base number. Press Y. Key
in percentage. Press K, followed by x(pages
32, 241).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide

14 G e t t i n g St a r t e d
J
Percent
difference
Key in the base numbers separated byR. Press
J. Calculates percent change between number in
Y-register and number displayed in X-register
(page 34).
I
Percent of total
Enter a total amount. Press R. Key in the number x
whose percentage equivalent you wish to find. Press
I. Calculates percent that x is of the number in Y-
register (page 35).
Uf
Calculates date
and days from a
starting date
Key in start date and press R. Key in the number
of days from entered date (if date is in the past,
press F). Press Uf. Displays date and the
day of the week as a number 1-7 to the right of the
display: 1 is for Monday; 7 is for Sunday
(page 38).
Uo
Number of days
between two
dates
Key in the earlier date and press R. Key in the
later date and press Uo. Calculates the number
of days between two dates in actual days. To
display date based on a 30-day month, press P
after completing steps listed above (page 40).
Uj
Square root
Calculates the square root of the number displayed
in the X-register (page 100).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide

Getting Started 15
G
Power function
Raises the number in the Y-register to the power of
the number in the X-register. In RPN, key in a
number, x. Press R. Key in the exponent, followed
by G. In Algebraic, enter a number, x. Press G.
Key in the exponent followed by x(page 102).
H
Reciprocal
Calculates the reciprocal of the number displayed in
the X-register (page 100).
U!
Factorial
Calculates factorial of number displayed in the X-
register (page 100).
Uk
ex
Natural antilogarithm. Raise e to power of the
number displayed in the X-register (page 100).
Ul
LN
Calculates natural logarithm (base e) of the number
in the displayed X-register (page 100).
Uy
Square
Calculates square of the number displayed in the X-
register (page 100).
TRND
Round
Rounds mantissa of 10-digit number in X-register to
match the display (page 100).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide

16 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d
Un
Integer function
Replaces the number in the display by its integer
portion. It replaces each digit to the right of the
decimal point by 0. In RPN, the original number can
be recalled by pressing U+(page 101).
Um
Fractional
function
Replaces the number in the display by its fractional
portion. It replaces all digits to the left of the decimal
point by 0. In RPN, the original number can be
recalled by pressing U+(page 101).
TINT
Simple interest
Calculates simple interest (page 42).
A
Compounding
periods
Stores or calculates number of periods in financial
problems (pages 13, 41, 45).
Ua Multiplies a number in displayed X-register by 12
and stores the value in the i-register (page 49).
B
Interest rate per
compounding
period
Stores or computes interest rate per compounding
period (pages 13, 41, 45).
Table 1-3 Keys and Functions
Key(s) Description and Page Number in the User’s Guide