Mohawk Data Sciences paper tape reader?

[Chris Elmquist]

On Saturday (11/29/2008 at 04:42AM -0800), Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 24 Nov 2008 at 22:41, Chris Elmquist wrote:
> 
> > It came out of a Control Data maintanance console for the Star-100, which
> > sadly, as a kid, I parted out.  All I have left is the cool aluminum
> > suitcase that it was built in... and this paper tape reader.
> 
> The maintenance console, not the Star-100, right?  That'd be a big 
> job even for an ambitious kid.

Ha!  ya..  although, we probably could have gotten at a -100 too if
we asked.  I grew up with Neil Lincoln's kids and we spent a lot of
time at ADL (Advanced Design Lab) in Arden Hills.  I later worked for
Neil at ETA. Lots of history there.  Neil of course was the architect
for Star-100, CY203, CY205 and ETA10.

> All I can say is that I remember the suitcase tape readers; they were 
> used to load code onto the drum of the MCU; they may have also been 
> used to load CPU microcode.  They probably also had uses for running 
> diagnostic code on the stations.
> 
> They were also used for doing things like loading up firmware on tape 
> controllers and the like in non-Star applications.  I'd be surprised 
> if any documentation survived on them, but maybe some CE squirreled 
> some away.

I suppose.  Clearly they grabbed some off-the-shelf tape reader at the
time and put it into this box.  It's not a complicated piece of gear
and I can surely trace wires to make it work.  I just thought it would
be cool to have some authentic info on it if it still existed.

Of course I don't want to think about having torn the entire maintanence
console to pieces but, I guess I did other fun stuff with the parts
along the way.

Chris

-- 
Chris Elmquist
mailto:chrise at pobox.com