[GreenKeys] high speed paper tape readers

[philippe depruneaux]

de ph.Depruneaux F2TV
at the time of  mini computers there was a high speed paper tape  
reader made by FACIT in SWEDEN
not photoelectic or pin in hole device the reading was electrostatic  
by measurement of capacity
between 8 sets of electrodes
driving the tape by a capstan system the speed was 1000 characters per  
second.could aso be switched for half speed
also it could read and stop before the next character(that is stoping  
in less than 0.001second
as it was a long time ago maybe this start stop possibility was only  
at half speed
I used it for loading pogramm
s in a honeywell DDP416 16 bits mini
FACIT also had a nice 150 character per second punch
so you could read any tape black,white,oiled or not with no error

by the way the fastest photoelectric reader was used during WW2 by the  
COLLOSSUS conputer used to decode
secret transmision at bletchly-park  UK
running at least 5000 characters per second.

nice pieces of equipment have also been made in europe my pet  
teleprinter i the T68d by Siemens which could punch and pint on two
different tapes  or punch and print on 11/16 inch between the feed holes

very few OM's use teleprinters now but for me it is a lot more   
interesting to make a small QSO using my small Siemens

73 DE PHILIPPE F2TV