This was a card reader/line printer developed for Fujitsu's FACOM 230-25/35 mid-size general-purpose computer, and it was completed in 1969. At the time, computers had become more compact, higher-performance and less costly due to the use of ICs. Within this evolution of the industry, there was an increasing need for high-performance, low-cost, easy-to-operate and highly reliable input/output units for small and mid-size systems. The FACOM 731S was developed to meet these needs. In a single console, it provided a card reader -- using the vertical feed system for reading 12 rows simultaneously, with a read speed of 300 cards per minute -- and a line printer with a print speed of 360~440 lines per minute (with 136 characters per line). This unit was designed to conform to Fujitsu's FACOM low-speed input/output interface conventions, and just like units such as paper tape devices, it was connected to the IOC (Input/Output Controller), or a channel MBC (Multiple Basic Channel) with a built-in input/output control function.
| Card reader | Read speed | 300card/min |
|---|---|---|
| Card feed system | Vertical direction (column by column) feed | |
| Read system | Photoelectric, 12 row simultaneous read | |
| Card used | 80-column standard card | |
| Hopper capacity | 1,000card | |
| Stacker capacity | 1,000card (x1) | |
| Line printer: | Print speed | Up to 80 character types, 440 line/min 110 character types, 360 line/min |
| Time required for paper feed | First line: 32ms 2nd and subsequent lines: 22 ms/line |
|
| Characters per line | 136 | |
| Type varieties | Numerals, upper case alphabetic, katakana, 27 symbols | |
| Printing interval | 10 char. in 25.4mm (1/10inch) | |
| Line interval | 6 lines in 25.4mm (1/6inch) | |
| Paper width | 127~457mm (5~18inch) | |
| Copy capability | 5 sheets |
