Jonathan Montoya wrote:
....
I thougt I'd make a kind of a 'manual' word processor. You could type
a
page, it would store the text info, and you could print it back. I
wonder
if I can't adapt an X Y solution under the keyboard if the solenoids
are
too cumbersome.

I think it has 45 keys, I'll have to count again tonight.

So put the button-pusher in a box that can register its position to the
typewriter, so you can easily lift it away.

I still vote for robot hands that look like hands, probably because I'm
not the one who has to make it work...

On Apr 7, 11:20 am, Mike Silva <snarflem...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Apr 7, 11:37 am, Jonathan Montoya <lonlaza...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, I've done a couple microcontroller projects, but otherwise I'm
pretty new to electronics.  I recently bought an antique typewriter
that I'd like to automate for fun.  My idea is that I could mount
solenoids under each key(which are essentially levers that push up on
some rods) and pull down with the same force that it would take press
key.  I haven't measured how much force is necessary yet, and the
stroke is probably about an inch.

Before I started doing some expirements, I wanted to ask the experts
to see if this is at all feasable.  Would solenoids be the best way to
do this? I picked them because they seemed like they'd better be able
to simulate the fast sharp action needed to get the antique key to
impress the ink on the paper.  Will I be able to jam 50 or so of these
parallel and under the keys (given that they'll be mounted under a
desk or something like it), or will the size for the work needed
require more creative mounting?  And, am I assuming correctly that I'd
have to make these myself, since they probably have speifications
different from what most solenoids are made for?

I appreciate any guidance I can get.

Wow, deja vu!  I wanted to do this in about 1980, and I think I even
bought a load of surplus solenoids to do it, but never went beyond
that.  Instead I bought a dot-matrix printing mechanism, built a
driver board and made a printer driven by my Z-80 CP/M system.  Hint
on that one - buy lots of extra printhead pins to replace the ones you
break while debugging the software!

Theoretically it is certainly possible.  If you use stiff wires or
rods between the keys and the solenoids that should make your physical
construction a lot easier.  And make sure your power supply, drivers
and circuitry can all handle the current spikes (and resultant
noise).  Use a short-timeout watchdog or gate the firing pulses with
an external signal (555?) to assure that you don't hold a solenoid
down too long by mistake.  Make sure all your solenoid drivers power
up in the OFF state (imagine all 50 trying to fire on power-up!).

And be sure and post a video to youtube when you've got it
working. - Hide quoted text -

Heh, look for it on You Tube in about 15 years. ;)

Hi, I've done a couple microcontroller projects, but otherwise I'm
pretty new to electronics.  I recently bought an antique typewriter
that I'd like to automate for fun.  My idea is that I could mount
solenoids under each key(which are essentially levers that push up on
some rods) and pull down with the same force that it would take press
key.  I haven't measured how much force is necessary yet, and the
stroke is probably about an inch.