Speaking of the PC-04 Paper Tape Reader/Punch, I have one for my PDP 8/e system, but one
of the ten phototransistors in the monolithic array is shorted, making it pretty useless
for reading tapes. It punches tapes fine.
There are ten phototransistors because eight are used for each of the channels of the
tape, one is used to sense the feed holes for clocking purposes, and the last is a
"end of tape" sensor. Unfortunately, since the phototransistors are in a
monolithic (single) package, I can't just replace the bad phototransistor or
re-arrange them to take the "tape out" one (which I could manage wtihout, I
suppose) and use it to replace the bad channel phototransistor.
The small pull-through tape reader that someone mentioned being sold on eBay by
"mikesdavis" uses a very similar phototransistor array to that in the PC-08, but
only has 9 phototransistors instead of 10.
Anyone out there have any idea where I could lay hands on a 10 transistor array just like
the one on the OAE "clone" that was on eBay (except with 10 transistors instead
of 9), I think that it'd work as a pin-for-pin replacement for the bad one in my
PC-04. OSRAM seems to make these, as I've found datasheets, but they won't even
talk to me, and I can't find any retailers that seem to stock this item.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Rick Bensene