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OT- NC Tape punch/reader question

Milacron

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Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
The below tape punch/reader has two ports, both 25 pin...a male RS232 and a female parallel. If I connected a parallel printer cable to the parallel port, do you suppose this thing would print out the info contained on a tape direct to a dot matrix printer without a computer being involved ?

tapepunch.jpg
 
g, are those Teletype models ? I used to have a Friden Flexowriter...wish I still had the darn thing now !
 
Don:

You will get a straight ASCII output from the reader.

In any case your printer will have to handle the stream with it's own internal commands. On the parallel port, the printer may have to "talk" to the reader, Since it's ASCII, your printer might be able to do that. Otherwise, you can read into your computer and handle the output as an ASCII file.
 
Otherwise, you can read into your computer and handle the output as an ASCII file.
Yeah well, it's the "read into your computer" that is the mystifying part considering I got no manual with the tape punch/reader. Read into ~what~ on the computer...."notepad", "terminal emulator" or ?? And then there's the "cord" issue, as the only parallel cable I have is the usual "centronics" connector on the printer end, which the PC doesn't have of course...gawd...
 
Sir Don,

Somewhere in all the things the restorers are bring back to the house after the fire I have an old (but mostly new condition) Radio Shack 14"-wide dot matrix printer (Model DMP-400), and several replacement ribbons. It uses the industry standard Centronics parallel port. I also got (had?) a manual for it somewheres.

Assuming they make it back home (if not already burried in the stacks), for the cost of shipping I'll send them along if your think you can use it. When/if I find them in the 451 boxes of stuff that is stacked everywhere.

Regards,
Stan Db
 
Is this the machine I've been waiting on? LOL
Yep. I never in million years ever expected to need it, and now need it desperately as I can't get the parameters from DMG...at least not for a few days....and *have* to get this machine running by tommorrow...and all the parameters are sitting on a punched tape ~and~ the machine has no tape reader !

So, got conflicting feelings about it in that I feel like a dipwad for not shipping it to you weeks ago, but OTOH I'm damn glad I didn't as it may save my butt ! :eek:


===========================

ADG, I think I have a dot matrix somewhere in the piles at the shop...got to have one today or nothing. (unless I can figure out how to upload to computer in which case I can print out to regular inkjet)
 
If it is straight ASCII, just read the tape with the old mark-one eyeball and type it into notepad or the like.

If it contains control chars, you are going to have a little more challenge.
 
Oh, lordy...where DO you find these things?

If it has a way to manually jog the tape one notch (some did) then Terminal Emulator in Windows, hooked to the serial port, could be used to capture the output.

If it requires an external source to tell it to step, then a small program could be written to step it and read the output, but it's nothing I'd attempt without the silly thing in front of me.

Alan
 
Just got off the phone with these guys www.wncsupply.com , and it turns out there is no way this unit will upload printable info to a modern PC without a special cable and software

I asked if I sent the tape could they print out the info on the tape and she said no because they no longer own a single tape punch/reader due to rarity of one's that still work.

What's funny is she was excited I have working machine and offered me $700 for it !! Say's they are getting impossible to find and no one can get parts to repair them....LMAO :D
 
damon, perhaps you missed my "Catch 22" post on the CNC forum, but the maddening thing is I can't do it that way because I need about 5 parameters for the machine control to recoginize the tape reader !! And those parameters are on the tape !!!

And if I still had the lost print out I wouldn't be going thru this ridiculous mess in the first place !! Aaaaargghh ! :mad:


ascii...yes, of course.
 
I used to read mine by hand to check them
Funny, I thought about that too...but the tape is probably 30 feet long...surprisingly long really. Only reason I have an idea of how long it is I already fed it thru the DSI a few times and had to reinsert the "pile"

Digital LA36 terminal
What in gawd's name is that and what type of business would have one ?
 
Sir Don said:
"I need about 5 parameters for the machine control to recoginize the tape reader !! And those parameters are on the tape !!!"

Don, I can't help with the tape but it seems to me that if the "header" of the tape has control codes then perhaps someone that can "read" the tape might be able to help if you could fax them the first few feet of tape.

Photostat the first several feet, making sure you have good contrast between the tape and background so the holes show clearly, then fax to one of the above volunteer elves.

Just another silly idea from:
Stan Db
 
ADG, if you are making the assumption that the tape reader parameters are at the beginning of the tape..they are not...they are about halfway thru...I know this from their N numbers.

Possibly all moot now, as Deckel Doctor found a set of Maho parameters for a similar model and faxed them to me this afternoon. Some differences between machines, such as ram memory and such that I've had to change (luckily I do have a description of what each parameter is for, with min and max values, in one of the manuals) but so far so good....I've entered about 200 of 800 manually so far.

Still may try the tape punch just for the heck of it now that I have the tape reader parameters but I needed a gender changer for my cord...will try again tomorrow.
 








 
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