22 Apr
2004
22 Apr
'04
11:26 a.m.
I always enjoyed the add-on actuators - a box full of
solenoids that sat
on the keyboard pressing keys (Rochester Dynatyper and KGS-80)
A couple of related devices :
The well-known Friden Flexowriters have a device _under_ the keyboard
that has hooks that fir over pins on each key bar. The device decodes the
incoming character (fed in to 8 solenoids in the box) and pulls down the
appropriate key.
I beleive HP service centres has boxes of solenoids that fitted over the
keyboards of HP calculators. Some of the diagnostics would consist of
firing these solenoids in the right order and chrcking you got the right
display (thus checking both keyboard and logic of the calculator).
-tony