[HN Gopher] Self-calibrating USB Paper Tape Reader
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Self-calibrating USB Paper Tape Reader
Author : _Microft
Score : 114 points
Date : 2022-04-16 13:45 UTC (9 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.e-basteln.de)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.e-basteln.de)
| mdb31 wrote:
| Cool! Now I can finally get rid of some of the paper tapes
| holding my priceless PDP-11 BASIC programs. Not sure yet if I
| dare look at the results (not, mind you, because I think the
| reader may have failed, just that 11-year-old-me probably wasn't
| that great a coder as I assumed at the time...).
|
| My only reservation is that I'm apparently supposed to feed the
| tapes (at a leisurely maximum pace of 2.2 miles per hour) by
| hand, like some kind of animal...
| brirec wrote:
| I can't imagine it being very difficult to add a motor to pull
| it along!
| [deleted]
| oktwtf wrote:
| One of those cordless drills comes to mind, possibly some
| handy-man's secret weapon as well. ;] (Duct-tape for the
| trigger)
| nzrf wrote:
| Remember my time in the us navy in the late 90s and 00' using
| paper tape for a few things including loading crypto. I can't
| exactly remember what also we used it for, but was strange to
| think of even then and often now wonder if paper tape still
| exists in navy. Plus side ii is pretty easy to destroy and also
| not impacted by any sort of emp if there was to be one.
|
| Tape reader here http://www.prc68.com/I/CryptoM.shtml#KOI-18 and
| with some other fun devices like kyk-13
|
| Thanks for post now I'm wondering what the sister project is to
| write paper tape as easy to store my own crypto keys.
| smilespray wrote:
| I did the same in the Norwegian navy!
| jbullock35 wrote:
| This looks like a good tool. Do we still have data of historical
| interest (for example, government records, or records from
| important companies) that exist only on paper tapes?
| utopcell wrote:
| It would be fun to use something like this with tapes for music
| boxes.
| dalf wrote:
| Some have created "printer" for tapes for music boxes:
| https://youtu.be/w7nJak1tcmA (Labels are in French but the
| video is mostly self explanatory).
| kube-system wrote:
| But with the MIDI protocol encoded on it :)
| amelius wrote:
| I want to see a post of someone putting together a DIY high speed
| (300MB/s+) LTO tape drive for less than say $500. I suspect the
| tape drive market is full of overpriced solutions and could use
| the disruption.
| dual_dingo wrote:
| I guess that the mechanical part would be achievable by
| hobbyists, but that the signal aquitistion and processing for
| modern high capacity LTO drives is nearly as complex as with
| modern hard drives, which borders on magic :)
| mmastrac wrote:
| Can you buy loose high density magnetic tape?
| amelius wrote:
| Yes, the tapes are not expensive. The drives are.
| awiesenhofer wrote:
| Depends on how you mean it:
|
| Reading and writing LTO tapes to spec? Probably bordering on
| impossible.
|
| Using LTO tapes to store and retrieve data in any way? Maybe
| doable.
|
| Had me wondering if one could for example adapt one of the
| various data to VHS or DV projects and mod the drive to accept
| different tapes?
| mmastrac wrote:
| Example of one of these projects for those curious:
|
| http://linbacker.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html
| AlbertCory wrote:
| Finally I can boot my PDP-8!
|
| (Don't write & ask me about it; that was a joke.)
| 1-6 wrote:
| I'm trying to find a reason to use paper tapes today. Wouldn't it
| be possible to take a video of the paper tape unreeling and
| calibrate to read the hole pattern?
| remram wrote:
| Not with any sort of speed.
| _Microft wrote:
| I have always wanted to use PCBs as structural elements for
| something. They are readily available based on fiberglas and
| aluminium, can be easily designed to whatever shape one likes,
| are manufactured precisely, allow to have holes and cut-outs,
| metal layers (even if you do not actually want to create circuits
| you can still have a metal layer under the soldermask to greatly
| improve the look of the latter), soldermask (what the surface
| usually is covered with) can be chosen as one of a number of
| different colors and the surface can be printed on as well with
| usually white or black print (that's called 'silkscreen' if you
| are curious). They are also relatively cheap on top of that. (I
| dread to think what an aluminium plate with an irregular shape
| and some cut-outs might cost if one ordered it at a regular
| metal-working shop.)
| Karliss wrote:
| There are online laser/waterjet cutting services with
| relatively cheap prices. Just did quick experiment with online
| quote calculators for pcb and laser cut approaches. With
| somewhat default config and 5 50mmx150mm parts I got 35$ for
| PCB (1.6mm default thicknes) and 22EUR for laser cut aluminium
| part (1.5mm). The difference was as soon as you moved away from
| default PCB params and tried to choose thicker aluminum price
| quickly skyrocketed 2mm->60$, 3mm -> 200$. Laser cutting
| service didn't care about what they cut too much, increasing
| thickness up to 6mm, price slowly raised to 30EUR. Cutting
| service also had the benefit of specifying what kind of
| aluminum alloy they will use and choosing between various
| surface finishes. On the other hand for PCB you get silkscreen
| at no additional cost. Looking at different metal cutting
| service they offered even cheaper price 2x5$ - 7x5$ (depending
| on thickness) for same parts and choice between different
| aluminum alloys.
| aaaaaaaaata wrote:
| > (I dread to think what an aluminium plate with an irregular
| shape and some cut-outs might cost if one ordered it at a
| regular metal-working shop.)
|
| Coming from the other side of this fence, I dread to think what
| alloy an electronics supplier would end up sending me instead
| of the metal that I asked for, and what surprises that might
| bring me structurally/chemically.
| R0b0t1 wrote:
| The materials used in PCB manufacture are normally specified
| exactly. Chemical compatibility still matters.
| dijonman2 wrote:
| Marco Reps on YT uses PCBs as enclosure panel faces. It's cost
| effective and delivers a nice finish. Highly recommend you
| check out his videos.
| rkagerer wrote:
| I like the way BLOCKCLOCK mini makes the PCB part of the
| aesthetics and structure of their product:
|
| https://blockclockmini.com/
| IshKebab wrote:
| Aluminium plate can be laser cut or water cut and if you're
| doing 2D stuff then it's simple enough that they can give you
| an online quote and there are some fairly cheap providers in
| China. Maybe not quite as cheap as OSHPark for very small
| parts, but you do get aluminium instead of fibreglass.
| jonsen wrote:
| In its time they said the RC 2000 was the worlds fastest paper
| tape reader.
|
| https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regnecentralen#Peripheral_bu...
| _paulc wrote:
| The Colossus tape reader could read at c.5000 cps (with the
| tape running at 27mph [1]) - which is 2.5 x faster (and 20
| years before). Worth seeing the replica Colossus at Bletchley
| if you get a chance.
|
| [1] https://www.flickr.com/photos/martintomes/8751941628
| cbm-vic-20 wrote:
| I have one of Oscar Vermeulen's PiDP-11 replicas, and the SimH
| simulator contained within has a virtual paper tape reader and
| punch. It would be pretty straightforward to hook up something
| like this as the reader.
|
| Punching tape, on the other hand, seems to be pretty much
| impossible in the modern age. 8-bit paper tape punches never come
| up for sale on eBay or any other vintage computer site I've seen.
| And I'm not sure how feasible it is to fabricate one with a 3D
| printer- the real punches are like sewing machines- with
| thousands of little parts with timing and cams and all. Has
| anyone seen a DIY paper tape punch?
| louwrentius wrote:
| Next project, Self-calibrating USB Paper Tape Writer.
| jonsen wrote:
| Turing Completeness.
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