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Hi,
I have a Coscom TX-400 paper punch/reader.

I have seen it both punch tape and read tape, so I know that it works, but I don't know how to connect to it.

It has two DB25 ports, one female and one male, and it also has a 4 dip switch bank on the back.

Does anyone know:

• What the four DIP switches are for?
• How to toggle between 5/8 holes?
• How to select data standard (ASCII, ISO, ITA2 etc.)
• What pins on what port is TX/RX? Am I right to assume it acts as a DCE for the puncher and DTE for the reader?
• What speed I should use, 110 or 300, or is that also controlled by DIP switch?

Grateful for any help

/Tomas

PS. If anyone has a service manual that would be fantastic!

Hello Tomas,

first of all, where are you from (country)?
I have never heard of this version. Could you provide pictures from outside AND inside?
This could help to narrow down the basic original Siemens version.
There are manuals available but for sure not for your specific version. Almost "every" customer got his own
version. They are almost countless in case of used board versions.

Anyway, we will try to help you as much as possible.

Henning

Dieser vermutlich?
This one probably?
TX-400/LS

Und der damalige Preis erst...
And the price back then...
Coscom-Stanzer mit Siemens-Teil: Löcher auch mobil

Vielleicht die Frage auch einmal hier stellen (das Teil wird weiter unten erwähnt: SIEMENS/COSCOM Typ TX 400)?
Maybe you could post the question here (the part is mentioned further down: SIEMENS/COSCOM type TX 400)?
Datenoutput aus der Sinumerik 6T ?

Ah ok.
So, it's not a branded T1000/PT80, it's just the tape punch and reader of a T1000....

Hi,
yes it's just the punch and reader. It looks like that TX-400/LS.
I found it in Austria.

Overview of the inside of the main half of the device, with the reader top right:


This view is from the left side of the device after I removed the cover for that part, so the front is on the right and the back is on the left.

At the top it's connected to the puncher (rainbow cable), which is in a separate enclosure (they are bolted together) to the back of this view. You can barely make out the roll of black (!) paper tape of the puncher at the left edge of the image.

The black cable in the middle goes to the reader, and the white cable connected to an IC socket (just to the right of the black cable) goes to the back panel. It is also visible at the bottom. Those two cables cross in the middle so it is a bit confusing in the image.

The reader is, as far as I can tell, identical to that of a Siemens T1000. The "padding" at the bottom has deteriorated so it's a bit nasty to handle, but you can see there is a red button and also the blue and red wires to the little LED on the far right.

The puncher is difficult to open so I didn't, but I'm assuming it's identical to the T1000 one, except maybe the interface cable might be different? I don't know how it would usually be hooked up to a telex.

This is what the back looks like, with the two serial ports (male at top and female at bottom) and the DIP switches etc.:


Ignore the DIP setting it's me fiddling around, they were all set to the left when I got it. The bottom one is somehow involved in tape speed, maybe 300 Bd to left and 110 Bd to right? The other three do something but I don't know what.

This is the PCB for the back, the two serial ports clearly visible on the PCB:


It says "COSCOM" and "TX 400LS V0" at the top.

Here is a closeup of the "main" board:


And finally this is what is in the top left corner, but turned right side up for your convenience


edit: I forgot to mention that there is a handwritten label inside at the far right of the "main" PCB marked "OIL 22.2.1985", whatever that means.

I experimented a little bit! I connected to the top serial port using 300 Bd, 8N1, and sent this sequence:

00 ff 00 ff 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0a 0b 0c 0d 0e 0f 7f 80 81 82 a0 a1 a2 00 ff 00 ff 00

This was the result:


So, this is what happened. First two columns = data I sent, then the holes on the resulting tape ( = hole, = no hole), and finally the same in binary (1 = hole, 0 = no hole):

out hex	out bin	raw holes	bin holes
		•
		•
00	00000000	•	00000000
ff	11111111	•	00000001
00	00000000	•	11111111
ff	11111111	•	00000001
00	00000000	•	11111111
01	00000001	•	11111101
02	00000010	•	11111011
03	00000011	•	11111001
04	00000100	•	11110111
05	00000101	•	11110101
06	00000110	•	11110011
07	00000111	•	11110001
08	00001000	•	11101111
09	00001001	•	11101101
0a	00001010	•	11101011
0b	00001011	•	11101001
0c	00001100	•	11100111
0d	00001101	•	11100101
0e	00001110	•	11100011
0f	00001111	•	11100001
7f	01111111	•	00000001
80	10000000	•	11111111
81	10000001	•	11111101
82	10000010	•	11110110
a0	10100000	•	01111110
a1	10100010	•	01111010
a2	10100010	•	01110110
00	00000000	•	11111110
ff	11111111	•	00000001
00	00000000	•	11111111
ff	11111111	•	00000001
00	00000000	•	11111111
		•
		•

What is going on here?? The pattern in the middle is somewhat familiar, so I managed to match data to output, but is the rightmost hole the top bit somehow? And why is everything inverted?

DIP switch 1–3 did not matter, but DIP 4 had to be in the "left" position or very strange holes would result with no identifiable pattern.

Help needed

Did you already make any progress? In fact I not only also own the same type of reader/puncher, but I (of course) also ran into the same questions. I haved asked at COSCOM, but (not really a surprise) they don't have any documentation any more they can share. The good thing is that COSCOM used standard components for the electronics. I also have read out the firmware of the 8085 CPU which is connecting the functions of the two UARTs with those of the reader/puncher subsystems. But before spending all that reengineering effort, I wanted to ask whether you already solved your problem.

Nice device by the way, optical reader (won't stress the paper tape more than necessary) supporting both 5bit and 8bit tapes, and a good puncher, all in a relatively compact, self-contained mobile enclosure.

-Ansgar

here: COSCOM TX-400LS

Hello Telexforum community,

I joined this forum today because of the posting by "tgradin", as I developed this punched tape reader/punching unit myself in West Berlin in 1979.

About my CV: I was born in 1951 and started tinkering with [detectors] at the age of 10, then at the age of 13 and three years of grammar school I successfully completed a commercial apprenticeship at Radio Adler in Bochum, in order to avoid [compulsory] military service I decided to move to West Berlin and worked as a commercial employee. Among other things, I worked as a commercial employee at SIEMENS ZN, completed evening school part-time and, after graduating, became a "sales representative for data processing" at "Deutsche OLIVETTI GmbH" and in 1976 I switched to time-sharing sales at "Deutsche DATEL GmbH".

There I was responsible for selling the computing time of several SIEMENS mainframes with the BS2000 operating system, whereby the data input was carried out via punched cards [supplied by the customer] or online via Telefone line and MODEM. Our end users used TELETYPE ASR 33 as data terminals.

As the ASR 33 was large, heavy, loud, expensive and slow [110 baud], I decided to develop an alternative - based on the then brand new INTEL 8085 CPU - and founded COSMOS COMPUTER GmbH in Munich in 1976 together with a colleague for sales and COSCOM Datentechnik GmbH in Berlin for development and production.

When implementing this project, we used reliable OEM components wherever possible: e.g. keyboard components, punched tape readers and punching units from SIEMENS, the 9-needle print heads and ribbon carriers from TA Triumpf Adler, DC motors from PORTESCAP and stepper motors from Berger/Lahr. The rest were in-house developments that were outsourced to third-party manufacturers for contract manufacturing. The design, assembly, installation and software development took place on our premises on the 3rd floor of Tauentzienstrasse No. 1

The programming was done by myself and 2 employees using a Siemens microcomputer development system SME 800 with an ICE 85 emulation and test adapter and accessories [purchase price 1979 all-in-all for 64.000,- DM].

The first preliminary development was the “TX-400LS” punched tape reader/punching unit, which - like the complete “2500ASR” data terminal later on - was mainly used for programming CNC tool machines.

However, many of our TX400-LS were also used worldwide for cryptographic transmission - e.g. by SIEMENS.

The two output sockets could optionally be jumpered as V.24, as TTY-current loop, or as Centronix printer interface.

Unfortunately, the circuit diagrams and instructions have been lost over the last 45 years - especially as my former partner split up with the COSCOM sales company IN Grafing in 1984 and from then on focused on CAD and CIM.

At the latest with the introduction of DNC at the end of the 1980s and the networking of machine tools and machining centers, punched tape became obsolete - just as TELEX operation was replaced by fax machines (!), which are just as obsolete today.

“Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis”

In this sense . . .
Best regards from Stuttgart-West
Bernd D. Behnk

P.S.
As I was unfortunately unable to save a TX-400LS [for my children & grandchildren], I would like to ask if anyone in this community would be willing to sell me their device at a reasonable price
----------

Hallo Telexforum-Gemeinde,
wegen des Postings von "tgradin" bin ich heute diesem Forum beigetreten, da ich selbst diese Lochstreifenleser/-Stanzereinheit 1979 in West-Berlin entwickelt habe.

Zu meiner Vita: Ich bin Jahrgang 1951 und habe bereits im Alter von 10 Jahren mit dem [Detektor-] Radiobasteln angefangen, dann mit 13 Jahren und drei Jahren Gymnasium absolvierte ich erfolgreich eine kaufmännische Ausbildung bei Radio Adler in Bochum, um die Bundeswehr[pflicht] zu vermeiden entschloss ich mich ich mich nach West-Berlin zu ziehen und war u.a. als Kaufmännischer Angestellter in der SIEMENS ZN tätig, absolvierte nebenberuflich die Abendschule und wurde nach meinem Abschluss "Vertriebsbeauftragter für Datenverarbeitung" bei der "Deutschen OLIVETTI GmbH" und 1976 wechselte ich in den Time-Sharing-Vertrieb der "Deutschen DATEL GmbH".

Dort ging es um den Verkauf von Rechenzeit mehrerer SIEMENS Grossrechner mit dem BS2000 Betriebssystem, wobei die Dateneingabe uber [vom Kunden angelieferte] Lochkarten oder online via Telefonleitung und MODEM. Dafür setzten unsere Endanwender als Datenendgeräte TELETYPE ASR 33 ein.

Da die ASR 33 gross, schwer, laut, teuer und langsam [110 Baud] waren, entschloss ich mich, eine Alternative - basierend auf der damals brandneuen INTEL 8085 CPU zu entwickeln und gründete - gemeinsam mit einem Arbeitskollegen - 1976 für den Vertrieb die COSMOS COMPUTER Gmbh in München und für die Entwicklung und Produktion die COSCOM Datentechnik GmbH in Berlin.

Bei der Umsetzung dieses Projekts setzten wir, wo immer es möglich war, zuverlässige OEM-Komponenten ein: z.B. Tastaturkomponenten, Lochstreifenleser und -Stanzereinheiten von SIEMENS, die 9-Nadel-Druckköpfe und Farbbandträger von TA Triumpf Adler, DC-Motore von PORTESCAP und Schrittmotore von Berger/Lahr. Der Rest waren Eingenentwicklungen, die zur Auftragsfertigung an Dritt-Hersteller vergeben wurden. Die Konstruktion, Bestückung, Montage und die Software-Entwicklung erfolgten in unseren Räumlichkeiten im 3.Stockwerk der Tauentzienstrasse No. 1

Die Programmierung erfolgte von mir und 2 Mitarbeitern über ein Siemens Microcomputer Entwicklungssystem SME 800 mit einem ICE 85 Emulations- und Testadapter und Zubehör [Kaufpreis 1979 all-in-all für 64.000,- DM].

Als Vorabentwicklung entstand zuerst die Lochstreifen Leser-/Stanzereinheit "TX-400LS", die - wie später auch daskomplette Datenterminal "2500ASR"- hauptsächlich zur programmmierung von CNC Werkzeugmaschinen eingesetzt wurde.

Etliche unserer TX400-LS wurden aber auch zur Cryptographieübertragung - z.B. von SIEMENS - weltweit eingesetzt.

Die beiden Ausgangsbuchsen konnten optional als V.24, als TTY-current loop, oder als Centronix Drucker-Schnittstelle gejumpert werden.

Die Schaltpläne und Anleitungen sind in den letzten 45 Jahren leider verlorengegangen - zumal sich mein ehemaliger Kompagnon bereits 1984 mit der COSCOM-Vertriebsgesellschaft IN Grafing separiert hat und dessen Schwerpunkt fortan auf CAD und CIM lag.
Spätestens mit der Einführung von DNC Ende der 80er Jahre und dem vernetzen der Werkzeugmaschinen und Bearbeitungszentren wurden Lochstreifen obsolet - so wie auch der TELEX-Betrieb duch FAX-Geräte (!) ersetzt wurde, die heute aber genau so obsolet sind.

"Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis"

In diesem Sinne . . .

Liebe Grüsse aus Stuttgart-West
Bernd D. Behnk

P.S.
Da ich [für meine Kinder & Enkel] leider kein TX-400LS retten konnte, frage ich hiermit an, ob jemand in dieser Gemeinschaft bereit wäre, mir sein Gerät zu einem angemessenem Preis zu verkaufen.

Hier noch ein Insider-Tipp vom Programmierer:
Wenn man beim Einschalten der Stromversorgung des COSCOM / CDI TX-400LS die Feed-Taste des Stanzers gedrückt hält, startet der Test-Modus, indem ein Endlos-Lochstreifen mit einem in Klarschrift-lesbaren Lochbild-Text "COSCOM TEST ... COSCOM TEST ... COSCOM TEST ... " oder "CDI TEST ..." ausgegeben wird
LG
Bernd D. Behnk
[ex COSMOS COMPUTER / COSCOM Datentechnik & CDI Informationssysteme GmbH - CEO]