What's a "computer console" selectric called?

I'm not sure if it's the same kind of Selectric terminal, but about 20 years ago when I was trying to find an alternative to a Teletype to connect to my homebrew S-100 system, I acquired a used Selectric with a set of solenoids built inside its base to activate the printing mechanism. Maybe this is the model you remember. IBM had to make the base deeper to accommodate the extra actuating solenoids, so unless you placed the Selectric into a cutout or well it would sit too high above the desk for comfortable working. You'd energize solenoids in various zany combinations to tilt the type-ball correctly for each character. Electrical interface was through a 50-pin rectangular AMP connector at the rear, and I believe the solenoids needed 48 vdc. It weighed a ton. Actually, the biggest challenge in interfacing this thing to a computer was to sort out how to read one particular status signal from one of the microswitch contacts in the print mechanism, so your computer could start sending the next character at just the right moment before the mechanical cycle completely finished. Else your software had to pause a few milliseconds between characters, but there was a hidden menace awaiting if you took this easy way and just timed out for each character to finish. The starting-and-stopping would soon wear out the clutch mechanism. With the high duty cycle of computer printing (rather than manual typing) you would eventually put too much strain on the mechanism and wear it out if you didn't poll to respond to that "ready" signal. Many people don't realize the Selectrics were *completely* mechanical. No electronics, just complex and elegant mechanics. A nightmare :-) I gave mine away years ago. If I recall correctly it was a "Model 735 i/o Selectric". Maybe that name will help you track one down. I bought mine surplus from an outfit in England back in '77, but there were companies selling similar models in the USA too. They ran magazine ads in the early years of Byte and Kilobaud. There were some articles in Radio-Electronics (of Mark-8 computer project fame) describing a Selectric interface. Arlen <snip> -- Arlen Michaels amichael(a)nortelnetworks.com