General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

6

Total Parts

13

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Synthetic casing and tape with paper labels and a metal spool

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

23.5 cm

Width

22.0 cm

Height

2.4 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Computing Technology

Category

Digital peripheral devices

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Computrex

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

C.1977-1990

Canada

AMERICAN-MADE EQUIPMENT USED BY CANADIAN FIRM, NORTHWAY MAPPING TECHNOLOGY OF TORONTO, IN GENERATION OF COMPUTERIZED MAPS OF CANADA. IN 1990 IT WAS PURCHASED BY GENTIAN ELECTRONICS IN ORDER TO REFURBISH & OPERATE EQUIPMENT. BUT THIS DID NOT OCCUR AS TECHNOLOGY WAS SLOW & OUTDATED BY 1990'S STANDARDS.

Function

A storage medium used to store large quantities of computer data, consisting of a plastic tape coated with a magnetic material on which information is stored in the form of magnetized spots.

Technical

EARLY DRUM PLOTTER DESIGNED FOR ENGINEERING DRAFTING BUT ALSO SUITABLE FOR OTHER COMPUTER APPLICATIONS. IT REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM & IMPROVEMENT OVER EARLIER PLOTTERS, & IS FROM PERIOD WHEN APPLICATION OF MINI COMPUTERS WAS BEING WIDELY EXTENDED TO CONTROL OF PROCESSES & OPERATIONS SUCH AS TECHNICAL DRAWING. IT CONTAINED STATE-OF-THE-ART MINI COMPUTER & DRUM-CONTROLLING SOFTWARE & MOTORS.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

On the white labels on the proper front and edge: "CONTOUR TEST"/ On the gold label on the proper front: "TOTAL SURFACE TESTED/ 3200 FCI/ COMPUTREX"/ Moulded in the clear synthetic on the proper front: "250/ 500/ 750/ 1000"

Missing

Appears complete

Finish

Casing with a translucent white edge, a clear front, red back, a blue label with white printed markings, gold coloured label with black markings, black tape and edge part, white label with black handwritten markings, and a white label with black handwritten markings on the edge. The spool of the cartridge is a silver coloured metal

Decoration

N/A