Ternary Punchcard Reader

[Shaos]

In April-May 2005 I got idea to build "ternary" punchcard reader that will use regular business cards as a "media" for ternary data (I have a lot of my old business cards and 1-hole manual puncher to make holes in it:



As you can see we may have 10 lines with 6 places for holes - lets recognize every 2 places as 1 ternary value - no holes for O (0), left hole for N (-1), right hole for P (+1) and two holes are invalid and must not be used:



To build actual reader I purchased three 1-to-5 phone cable outlets in 1-dollar store to take "pins" from it



Scheme is really easy one - left hole will be connected to -5V and right hole will be connected to +5V. In 2007 actual reader board was finished and now I need to build whole device:

[eudoxie]

Interesting project.

I think it should be possible to achieve greater data density and human readability by using two hole dimensions (big holes for P, small holes for 0, and no holes for N). This might cause greater error frequency though, since the holes need greater precision, and the likelihood of misreadings and short circuits should increase somewhat.

[Shaos]

Interesting project.

I think it should be possible to achieve greater data density and human readability by using two hole dimensions (big holes for P, small holes for 0, and no holes for N). This might cause greater error frequency though, since the holes need greater precision, and the likelihood of misreadings and short circuits should increase somewhat.

I thought about something like this but decided that 2-hole approach is simpler and more reliable because it allows using of regular 1-hole puncher (that can be bought in almost any store) and manual not so precision force

[hemuman]

Hi,

Just one query:
Do we have any device which can convert AC signal to -1,0 and 1, instead of DC.

[Shaos]

Hi,

Just one query:
Do we have any device which can convert AC signal to -1,0 and 1, instead of DC.

Do you mean ADC or just -5V/+5V power supply?

[hemuman]

I mean -5v/+5v to -1,0,+1

[Shaos]

I mean -5v/+5v to -1,0,+1

Hm, at least all my ternary hardware is doing this - converting analog signal (weak and distorted ternary signal that becomes noisy analog in relatively long cables) to -1,0,+1 in form -5V,0V,+5V

Probably you mean ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) so look at this.

[hemuman]

Yes. I was looking for the same.

Thanks,

[Shaos]

Yes. I was looking for the same.

Thanks,

If you are talking about 1-trit ADC then it's probably just a buffer (ternary buffer):

Simple ternary buffer by Ronin (Apr 2005):



Ternary buffer by Shaos (Dec 2004) with additional outputs:

[hemuman]

I was actually looking for below:

[Shaos]

I was actually looking for below:

Yes, it's a buffer - second one (2 comparators and 2 diodes) will work exactly the same way (output BUF) and you can even choose thresholds by changing resistors' values:

[hemuman]

I am not good at electronics, but I will try to understand.

how about the imaginary device

Thanks,

[Shaos]

I am not good at electronics, but I will try to understand.

how about the imaginary device

Thanks,

Your imaginary device is a ternary buffer, no?

Code: Select all

if(Uin > +2.5) Uout=+5.0;
if(-2.5 >= Uin && Uin <= +2.5) Uout=0.0;
if(Uin < -2.5) Uout=-5.0;

[hemuman]

Yes,
i wanted to behave it like that.

Thanks,

[Shaos]

Yes,
i wanted to behave it like that.

Thanks,

OK, so my ternary buffer actually is what you want