[GreenKeys] M32 tape reader - how fast?

[Nick England]

Can a M32 tape reader run at 50 chars/sec?
I am attempting to resurrect a Frederick Electronics Baudot to Morse
converter.
http://www.navy-radio.com/rtty/frederick-2.htm#baudot
It has a built-in tape reader - made by Teletype Corp and looks like a M32
to me but I've never seen one in person...

It has parallel output from the reader and the control circuitry should do
something like
1. Read a character
2. Translate to Morse via a diode matrix and variable length timing chain
(E is 2 elements long, zero is 20 elements long)
3. When finished with the Morse character, read the next character
If a character is a null or other non-printing I expect the diode matrix
would tell it to read the next character as fast as possible.
Maximum code speed is 300wpm which is averaging 30 chars/sec

Current status - it just tries to read the tape at 50 chars/sec, So the 1,
2, 3 loop is skipping step 2. I can see the character getting loaded from
the reader and addressing the diode matrix but it just immediately reads
the next character - I haven't been able to figure out how things are
supposed to work from there but I'll keep reverse engineering schematics.
No manual, no schematics, Over two hundred 2N404's and a thousand resistors
and diodes - it does something but I can't figure it all out yet. - did I
mention all these parts are spread out over 14 printed circuit boards, most
with 44 pin connectors?

But for now my question is,should it really try to run as fast as 50
chars/sec (500 wpm)?

Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com
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