Re: Fitting TS with Printer

Well, yes, we can see it can be done. It has an onboard printer port and also has USB circuitry as well as an extra PC card slot that could also accommodate a PCMCIA USB adapter.

My question is a little more specific. Basically, can we use the onboard UPS with a commodity inkjet printer (not the VVPAT-on-a-roll thermal paper)? If we do that, how long can it run on the internal battery running as a ballot printer?

Alan D.

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: SomeThoughts@aol.com
  To: ovc-discuss@listman.sonic.net
  Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 3:45 PM
  Subject: Re: [OVC-discuss] Fitting TS with Printer

  During the Alameda BoS discussions on June 8 of which
  machine to by, a supervisor asked the Diebold rep if it
  wasn't possible to retrofit a printer on the many TSs Alameda
  already had. The rep said he would have to call to find out.

  Note: at this point, it is fairly clear that Diebold is about to
  loose the contract to Sequoia. So he comes back with
  the right answer now, instead of a year ago, when it stood
  a chance of saving the taxpayers a lot of money.

  The answer was yes, it could be done.

  Jim Soper

  dechert@gmail.com writes:

    I have pointed out that the technology write for the Baltimore Sun, Mike
    Himowitz, suggested that the Diebold TS machines they have there be
    converted to ballot printer a la OVC.

    http://www.openvotingconsortium.org/ad/balt-sun-326.pdf

    While discussing this with others, it occurred to me that backup power for
    the printer might be an issue. The TS can run for 5 hours or so on its
    internal 12v battery. A printer for ballot printing might require its own
    UPS. However, it might also be possible to tap into the TS's built-in UPS.

    If we add the external printer, we could disconnect the little cash register
    style thermal printer and use the connectors for that. The pictures of the
    system board we released show the [red] printer power connector. Anybody
    want to guess if that's 12v? I believe there are 12v inkjet printers out
    there. Could we avoid the hassle and expense of an external UPS?

    Does this seem feasible to any of you?

    Specs on the battery say 12V, 7.2Ah. Need to figure how many pages could be
    printed over what period of time.

    Alan

  Jim Soper

  510 258 4857

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Received on Thu Aug 31 23:17:05 2006