Greetings,  I have started writing a program to control a roll
perforator similar to a "MIDster".  Several years ago, I started
to build a multi-format perforator and never finished it.  Now I am
turning it over to someone else to finish but am going to attempt to
write the control program since the MIDster software is not ideally
suited to the machine I have built.  I have written enough of the
program to prove that it should be possible to complete it, given
enough time.  If others have interest in this program it will motivate
me to spend more time on it.  A brief description of the perforator
design follows.

As in the MIDster, a traveling punch progresses across the sheet under
control of a stepper motor.  The paper feed is by stepper motor also.
The main difference between my perforator and the MIDster is that mine
is intended to have several punches instead of a single one.  The idea
is to be able to punch several different formats with different hole
sizes.  Various punches can all be installed on one machine and
selected for different rolls without having to change the machine setup
each time the format changes.  It would be possible to have small
punches for Duo-Art Theme holes, for example.

A machine dedicated to a single format could have different punches
in different positions to minimize travel time.  Using the Duo-Art as
an example again, it could have theme punches on each side as well as
punches for expression holes and one for notes so the carriage would
not have to travel to the extremes for each expression hole punched.
Currently it looks like there will be a limit of 4 punches but I can
add another one or two later if really needed.

The software will (if ever finished) have the following features.
Warren's punchMIDI files will be used as perforator files.  Each MIDI
note will be associated with a punch position and punch.  In addition
to allowing for different formats, this will also allow for less
horizontal travel if multiple punches are used for the same hole size.
I hope to be able to figure out how to optimize the travel according
to the number of punches being used.

I plan to start with a slow and simple demonstration version and
add features such as stepper ramping after I get the basics to work.
Although the program seems to work on Win XP, it will probably be best
to use a dedicated machine running Win 98 to have better control of
the machine.

Contact me if you have any possible use for this sort of program or
if you have any suggestions as to how it should work.

Best regards,
Spencer Chase