That does it ... after reading Spencer Chase's post on "slow-poke
scanner/puncher", I need to put forth an idea I've been contemplating
for a few months. I've been holding off asking you all about it because
I think its sort of too simplistic to make good.

Spencer - I'’d love to collaborate with your project this winter, but you need
a local software whiz as your complement, and I'm neither local or a
whiz in C.

I'd would like to build a Personal Perforator - a very inexpensive and
simple punch machine that would take a MIDI or whatever file and make
an any (not just 88) note roll. It would have no mechanical limitations
as to hole spacing or any other physical attribute because these
parameters would be software driven. The unit would be the size of a
small dot matrix printer.  Speaking of which ...

What's so simple? You know how a big IBM or DataProducts computer line
printer works .. it punches each line in parallel .. much like big
perforators do with more than 88 redundant circuits. Consider the
dot-matrix printer .. that rastorizes the image and prints it
perpendicular to the page in a serial fashion, building the image with
each pass. Why can't a perforator work this way? Visualize a
solenoid-driven punch replacing the traditional print head in a
dot-matrix printer, add some software, and you've got the idea. In fact,
I'd probably take an old Epson printer and use the data interface and
stepper motor setup, etc. to implement a prototype.

As for the software, like Spencer, I too haven'’t used the modern languages
since college 12 years ago, so I’'ll spend some time gearing up on that stuff.
It’s the real limitations one encounters when putting ideas into physical
practice that'’ll give me the problems. But then again, what are long, cold
Massachusetts winters made for?

I like the thought because it’s different (I think), and it should be
mechanically simple only at the expense of more complex software - as it
should be for maintenance/modification/parameter-driven purposes.

Is this a unique idea? Besides the speed limitation, any thoughts?

- K a r l   B.   E l l i s o n
  Ashland, Massachusetts  U.S.A.
  KBEllison@aol.com
  http://members.aol.com/kbellison/kbe.html