Thread by @TubeTimeUS

let's try and get this paper tape reader working. I have no control board for it so this is going to be interesting

here's a 4-phase stepper motor driver from another project. I actually got this working a while back, so I can move the tape precisely in either direction.

this is the illuminator. it shines light through the holes in the paper tape up into phototransistors

one red LED and the others are infrared. they appear faintly on my camera due to the filters in it

here's the sensor side. the cogged wheel pulls the tape through the reader

there's a switch at the back that senses if the tape clamp is in place or not. the optical sensors are on the right

the sensors are phototransistors. the emitters are all wired in common.

this is what 110110100110110 looks like. clock recovery shouldn't be that tricky because i control the stepper motor speed directly.

grabbed the clock from one of the stepper phase drive signals. easy!

built up a simple circuit with 8 LEDs so you can see the data scrolling by.