New custom tape reader relies on a minimal optical setup using modern parts LED tuning and sensor calibration demanded serious patience during early testing phases Crosstalk reduction became a key ...

Building a paper tape reader by itself isn’t super complicated: you need a source of light, some photoreceptors behind the tape to register the presence of holes and some way to pull the tape through ...

Since the dawn of computers, we’ve tried different ways to store data. These days, you grab data over the network, but you probably remember using optical disks, floppies, or, more recently, flash ...