Engineering:Teletype Model 37

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Teletype Model 37. On display at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle, Washington.

The Teletype Model 37 is an electromechanical teleprinter manufactured by the Teletype Corporation in 1968.[1] Unfortunately the end was approaching for electromechanical user interfaces and a year later in 1969 the Computer Terminal Corporation introduced the electronic terminal with a screen.

Features

The Model 37 came with many features including upper- and lowercase letters, reverse page feed for printing charts, red and black ink and could print 150 Baud (15 characters/second) and optional tape and punch reader. This made it 50% faster than its predecessor the Model 33.[1]

The Model 37 terminal utilizes a serial input / output 10 unit code signal consisting of a start bit, seven information bits, an even parity bit and a stop bit. It was produced in ASR (Automatic Send and Receive)also known as the Model 37/300, KSR (Keyboard Send and Receive) also known as the Model 37/200 and RO (Receive Only) also known as the Model 37/100.[2]

The Model 37 handles all 128 ASCII code combinations.[3] It uses a six-row removable typebox with provisions for 96 type pallet positions. When the Shift-Out feature is included, the six-row typebox is replaced with a seven-row typebox allowing 112 pallet positions, or it can be replaced with an eight-row typebox allowing 128 type pallet positions.

Technical specifications

  • The Model 37 RO and KSR are 36.25 inches high, 27.5 inches deep and 22.5 inches deep. The ASR is 36.25 inches high, 44.5 inches wide and 27.5 inches deep.[2]
  • The ASR weighs approximately 340 pounds and KSR and RO weighs approximately 185 pounds.[4]
  • The Model 37 interface meets the requirements of EIA RS-232-B and has a recommended maintenance interval of every six months or every 1500 hours.[3]
  • Power Requirements - 115VAC ± 10%, 60 Hz ± .45 Hz, RO is approximately 200 Watts, KSR is approximately 300 Watts, ASR is approximately 550 Watts.[2]

Fun Facts

  • Most Model 37s were re-purchased from customers and sold to the Soviet Union with antiquated mainframe computer systems.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Exhibits - Living Computer Museum". http://www.livingcomputermuseum.org/The-Collection/Exhibit-Hall.aspx. Retrieved 6 July 2016. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Teletype Model 37 Product Catalog (April 1969 ed.). Skokie, Illinois: Teletype Corporation. 1969. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Meet the Teletype Model 37. Skokie, Illinois: Teletype Corporation. 1968. 
  4. Teletype Model 37 Terminals. Skokie, Illinois: Teletype Corporation. 1969. 

Further reading

  • Dolotta, T., A., & Dorn, William. (1970). Functional Specifications for Typewriter-Like Time-Sharing Terminals. ACM Computing Surveys, 2(1), 5-31.