PC04/PC05 High-Speed Paper-Tape Reader/Punch

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The PC04 and PC05 Paper-Tape Reader/Punches are the DEC-supplied paper tape peripherals for the PDP-8 and PDP-11 respectively. The '04 was also used by early PDP-10 models, and '05 by the PDP-12 and PDP-15.

The mechanical portions are the same in the '04 and '05 types, but they differ in the control electronics in them. Both types include an electro-mechanical punch, and a photo-electric reader, which are completely separate, but housed in the same frame, and share a power supply.

There are also reader-only and punch-only models: the reader-punch model of the PC04 is the PC04B, the reader-only model is the PR04R, and the punch-only model is the PC04P; the reader-punch model of the PC05 is the PC05C, the reader-only model is the PR05R, and the punch-only model is the PC05P.

All the models listed above come in 50Hz and 60Hz versions (which are identical except for the punch pulley; so there are no separate 50Hz versions of the reader-only models).

There is also a backplane to hold the control electronics, which are a number of FLIP CHIPs. The backplane in the PC04 has 8 slots; that in the PC05 has 12 slots. (In addition, there is also a controller in the computer.)

Versions

There are a myriad of different versions, in addition to the variants above, particularly in the '04.

To start with, there are two generations of each type: in the earlier, input data is strobed during reading by a signal from the stepper motor; the later strobes the data by sensing the feed holes.

There are also different versions of the PC04 for different PDP-8 models (they differ as to which FLIP CHIPs are used, per the tables below):

  • PC04-B, PC04-C - PDP-8, PDP-8/S (also the KA10)
  • PC04-BB - PDP-8/I
  • PC04-BL - PDP-8/E, PDP-8/F, PDP-8/L, PDP-8/M

along with equivalent versions of the punch-only and reader-only models (except that documentation does not show a punch-only model for the -8/I).

There is also a special version of the reader/punch model for the KI10, the PC04-CL. (The 50Hz versions of all of these differ in the last letter, which is incremented; e.g. the KI10 50Hz version is the -CM.)

The control switch array on the front panel differs between the reader-punch, reader-only, and punch-only versions; the PDP-10 versions have their own switch array formats.

Electronics

The tables below show the FLIP CHIPs used in each version; the location of boards which end cables, and are plugged into the backplane to carry signals to/from the backplane, are also shown. Cards/cables used for the punch are shown in italics; the others are for the reader. Reader-only and punch-only models will have only the associated cards/cables.

PC04

PC04-B:

Slot B A
1 W077 Punch control cable W077 Reader control cable
2 W023 Punch assembly cable  
3 W040 Solenoid driver  
4 W040 Solenoid driver  
5 W040 Solenoid driver  
6 W040 Solenoid driver W512 Level converter
7 G918 Photo amplifier
8 W077 Reader photocell cable W512 Level converter

PC04-BB:

Slot B A
1 W077 Punch control cable  
2 W023 Punch assembly cable W077 Reader control cable
3 M040 Solenoid driver  
4 M040 Solenoid driver  
5 M040 Solenoid driver  
6 M040 Solenoid driver  
7 G918 Photo amplifier
8 W077 Reader photocell cable  

PC04-BL:

Slot B A
1 W033 Punch control cable W033 Reader control cable
2 W023 Punch assembly cable  
3 M040 Solenoid driver M044 Solenoid driver
4 M040 Solenoid driver M044 Solenoid driver
5 M040 Solenoid driver M044 Solenoid driver
6 M040 Solenoid driver M113 Ten 2-input NAND gates
7 G918 Photo amplifier
8 W077 Reader photocell cable  

PC05

Slot B A
1    
2    
3 M715 Reader clock
4 M705 Reader control
5 M710 Punch control
6 W023 Punch assembly cable M044 Solenoid driver
7 M040 Solenoid driver M044 Solenoid driver
8 M040 Solenoid driver M044 Solenoid driver
9 M903 Reader control cable M040 Solenoid driver
10 M903 Punch control cable M040 Solenoid driver
11 G918 Photo amplifier
12 W077 Reader photocell cable K303 Timer

The M705 Reader control card was later replaced by the M7050; the K303 was not included when later revisions of the M710 Punch control card were used.

External links