Paper Tape Punchers and Readers

[Michael Fehlhammer]

I happened to receive a 9884A ( or is it a 2895B? The ID-plate is missing) paper tape puncher with an HP-IB interface (!). Whether it is still working I didn't find out yet.

But even if: I would need paper tapes ( are they still available anywhere ?), and a paper tape reader. Since I don't use series 98x0 or 98x5 computers, I'd need a reader featuring an HP-IB interface, so that I could connect it to a series 200 computer or an HP 87, for example.
Has there ever been a paper tape reader with an HP-IB interface?
Or an HP reader with RS 232?
If not, my puncher will be for sale soon. :-)

[Dave Frederickson]

Hi Michael,

According to Ansgar Kückes's HP 9845 Project webpage, yes:

During a period, HP offered special ISA measurement extension boards for standard PCs holding a complete HP 9000 series 200/300 computer (Viper cards), including an HP-IB interface. Peripherals with HP-IB include printers (such as the famous Think Jet), plotters (e.g. the 7440), graphic input devices (such as the 91114A), paper tape and card puncher & reader, magnetic tape drives (e.g. the 7970E) and a large number of floppy disc and hard disk drives. Also HP's external graphics processors like the 97060A were controlled via HP-IB. See the Peripherals Section for a large number of devices which could be used by the HP 9845.

Paper tape is available here: http://www.westnc.com/paper-tape-rolls.html

Don't forget to specify oiled or unoiled tape.

Dave

[Michael Fehlhammer]

Thank you Dave.
Now I "only" need to find a source for such an HP-IB paper tape reader.
Likelihood to find one within the next few years is below 1 per mille, I am afraid. :-(

[Dave Frederickson]

The FACIT 4021 Paper Tape Reader has a GPIB I/F.

[Michael Fehlhammer]

Really? Fine. Would you sell me yours? :-)

[Garth Wilson]

(10-28-2016 03:14 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  Hi Michael,

According to Ansgar Kückes's HP 9845 Project webpage, yes:

During a period, HP offered special ISA measurement extension boards for standard PCs holding a complete HP 9000 series 200/300 computer (Viper cards), including an HP-IB interface. Peripherals with HP-IB include printers (such as the famous Think Jet), plotters (e.g. the 7440), graphic input devices (such as the 91114A), paper tape and card puncher & reader, magnetic tape drives (e.g. the 7970E) and a large number of floppy disc and hard disk drives. Also HP's external graphics processors like the 97060A were controlled via HP-IB. See the Peripherals Section for a large number of devices which could be used by the HP 9845.

Paper tape is available here: http://www.westnc.com/paper-tape-rolls.html

It looks like about 8K per dollar, which was far cheaper than memory of any kind back in the day of paper tape.

BTW, I bought and used one of those Viper boards you're talking about above, at my job in about 1987. I used it to control DMMs, data-acquisition systems, signal generators, relay boxes, and other instrumentation for production testing. I initially did all that with my 41cx, through the HP82169A HPIL-to-HPIB interface converter. The 68000-based Viper card was expected to be much, much faster; but it wasn't, because both spent significant time waiting for filters to settle and readings to come back from the equipment. The final speed ratio was only about 2:1. I had Rocky Mountain BASIC 5.1 on it, and after having learned the BASIC on my HP-71 and gotten a lot of great LEX files from the Paris users' group, I was hugely disappointed in the Rocky Mountain BASIC.

[Vtile]

What were the reason that there were (are) waxed and unwaxed papers? I'm asking since I have not even seen a bunch tape in live.