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Darn, I was hoping this would be nearly the opposite invention. Is there a USB teletype out there? I'm trying to imagine something that converts keystrokes ov

by arh68 12y ago

Darn, I was hoping this would be nearly the opposite invention. Is there a USB teletype out there? I'm trying to imagine something that converts keystrokes over USB to ink-on-paper. Not a full-blown printer w/ PostScript, just inking one letter at a time, manual carriage return, etc.

slayed0 12y ago
It sounds like you're describing a typewriter. Where does the difference lie?
- RankingMember 12y ago
  I think he wants the typewriter to basically be seen by the computer as a printer, then when you send a text document to it, have it sit there and "print" one by one. Think "player piano" instead of "computer playing keyboard via MIDI".
  - syntheticnature 12y ago
    Well if you can find a "Letter-quality printer" and add a USB-parallel adapter you'll have this -- though the interpretation I had was a lot closer to 'printer that accepts a USB keyboard.'
Vexs 12y ago
Hm. This might not be hard with modern digital typewriters, or at the least receipt printers. Electric typewriters have fairly standard keyboards, it wouldn't be too hard to put a transistor across the switches. Now, mechanical typewriters.... that could be tricky. You'd need some heavy modification and some strong motors or solenoids.
DanBC 12y ago
HN user Animats restores old teletype machines. Here's a writeup. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9084788 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9084788 http://www.aetherltd.com/refurbishing15.html http://www.aetherltd.com/refurbishing15.html
moron4hire 12y ago
Do you specifically want the swinging bar slamming the paper, or is it more about the sound? If it's just the sound, you might look into a daisy-wheel printer of some kind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_wheel_printing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_wheel_printing Brother had a series of word processor machines that were basically DOS PCs with an extremely simple icon-based UI, an amber CRT (or later a B&W LCD), and a keyboard/printer housing that included a floppy disk drive. I bet you could hack one of the data buses on one of those things without too much effort.
sitkack 12y ago
I had an idea for something like this, it would be like a daisywheel typewriter from the early 90s. http://www.typewritersupply.com/brother_printwheel.JPG http://www.typewritersupply.com/brother_printwheel.JPG But it might just be easier to use a parallel linkage, two small steppers and a 500 mw laser diode. Although not faster. Not sure how much power a mems mirror could take, but it might speedup writing fancy glyphs.
- arh68 12y ago
  Interesting! I hadn't seen a daisy wheel before. Nice to see they could print proportional fonts [1]. Pretty good for printing one character at a time. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFC5PyJdVIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFC5PyJdVIg
  - sitkack 12y ago
    I am trying to figure out how to get rid of the ink ribbon. Ink sponge? Silk dam? Both would require a small pump to soak the medium with ink. Or make it gravity/capillary fed. Now that we are on the subject of inappropriate low technologies, why not a reusable screen printing method? stainless steel screen, uv cured resist (use an xy laser to create pattern). Resist should disolve in hot water. Or maybe use aluminum foil and laser to drill holes in the screen? I like this.

by arh68 12y ago

slayed0 12y ago

It sounds like you're describing a typewriter. Where does the difference lie?

RankingMember 12y ago
I think he wants the typewriter to basically be seen by the computer as a printer, then when you send a text document to it, have it sit there and "print" one by one. Think "player piano" instead of "computer playing keyboard via MIDI".
- syntheticnature 12y ago
  Well if you can find a "Letter-quality printer" and add a USB-parallel adapter you'll have this -- though the interpretation I had was a lot closer to 'printer that accepts a USB keyboard.'

Vexs 12y ago

Hm. This might not be hard with modern digital typewriters, or at the least receipt printers. Electric typewriters have fairly standard keyboards, it wouldn't be too hard to put a transistor across the switches. Now, mechanical typewriters.... that could be tricky. You'd need some heavy modification and some strong motors or solenoids.

DanBC 12y ago

HN user Animats restores old teletype machines. Here's a writeup. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9084788 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9084788 http://www.aetherltd.com/refurbishing15.html http://www.aetherltd.com/refurbishing15.html

moron4hire 12y ago

Do you specifically want the swinging bar slamming the paper, or is it more about the sound? If it's just the sound, you might look into a daisy-wheel printer of some kind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_wheel_printing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_wheel_printing Brother had a series of word processor machines that were basically DOS PCs with an extremely simple icon-based UI, an amber CRT (or later a B&W LCD), and a keyboard/printer housing that included a floppy disk drive. I bet you could hack one of the data buses on one of those things without too much effort.

sitkack 12y ago

I had an idea for something like this, it would be like a daisywheel typewriter from the early 90s. http://www.typewritersupply.com/brother_printwheel.JPG http://www.typewritersupply.com/brother_printwheel.JPG But it might just be easier to use a parallel linkage, two small steppers and a 500 mw laser diode. Although not faster. Not sure how much power a mems mirror could take, but it might speedup writing fancy glyphs.

arh68 12y ago
Interesting! I hadn't seen a daisy wheel before. Nice to see they could print proportional fonts [1]. Pretty good for printing one character at a time. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFC5PyJdVIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFC5PyJdVIg
- sitkack 12y ago
  I am trying to figure out how to get rid of the ink ribbon. Ink sponge? Silk dam? Both would require a small pump to soak the medium with ink. Or make it gravity/capillary fed. Now that we are on the subject of inappropriate low technologies, why not a reusable screen printing method? stainless steel screen, uv cured resist (use an xy laser to create pattern). Resist should disolve in hot water. Or maybe use aluminum foil and laser to drill holes in the screen? I like this.