1 | <?php |
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2 | $seiten_id = 'lochkarten'; |
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3 | $version = '$Id: punchcard.php 287 2012-08-16 09:02:07Z sven $'; |
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4 | $title = 'Punch card computing'; |
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5 | |
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6 | require "../../lib/technikum29.php"; |
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7 | ?> |
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8 | <h2>Punch card computing</h2> |
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9 | |
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10 | <p>Punch cards are used since the beginnings of the 20th century |
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11 | as storage media. They are handy, can be labeled automatically or by |
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12 | hand, and can be sorted quickly. Therefore they were used until |
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13 | the late 1980s. Indeed they were mainly used in the 1960s, when |
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14 | EDP conquered the world. Today's folk is astonished at the size, |
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15 | the clearness and functionality of these machines. At technikum29 |
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16 | most of these archaic devices still work.</p> |
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17 | |
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18 | <h3>Card puncher devices</h3> |
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19 | <div class="box left clear-after"> |
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20 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/lochkartenstanzer.jpg" |
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21 | alt="Various card punchers" width="330" height="368" |
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22 | class="nomargin-bottom" /> |
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23 | <div class="bildtext"> |
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24 | <p>For punching cards only occasionally, the small bottom device |
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25 | was quite sufficient, e.g. for small companies. The device in |
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26 | the middle of the picture is a puncher from BULL and the topmost |
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27 | device is a so-called "magnetic puncher" that is equipped with |
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28 | solenoids that punch the holes. For even higher amounts of |
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29 | punching requirements, there were quite more expensive |
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30 | "motor-driven punchers". |
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31 | </p> |
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32 | </div> |
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33 | </div> |
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34 | |
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35 | <p>A typical machinery consists of a card puncher which punches the |
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36 | information and data on the cards, a card collator which sorts |
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37 | the cards from different stacks (for instance <i>adresses</i> |
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38 | and <i>bills</i>), a sorter which sorts with specified loads |
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39 | and possibly a punch card interpreter that writes the punched |
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40 | information on a prescribed position on the punch card.</p> |
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41 | |
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42 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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43 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm_029-juki.jpg" alt="IBM 029 und Juki" width="580" height="340" /> |
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44 | <p class="bildtext"><b>IBM 029 and JUKI card puncher.</b></p> |
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45 | </div> |
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46 | |
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47 | <p> On the left hand in the picture there is the legendary |
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48 | IBM 029 (build since 1964), on the right hand the JUKI puncher |
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49 | (made in Japan). The JUKI puncher is not accidentally looking |
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50 | like the IBM: In 1971 IBM brought the puncher 129 on the market |
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51 | which buffers the content of the whole punchcard while reading. |
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52 | Therefore IBM selled the license to reproduce the machine. In |
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53 | 1971, the IBM 029 costed about 15.500 DM. |
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54 | </p> |
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55 | |
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56 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite" id="u1710"> |
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57 | <a name="univac1710"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/univac1710.jpg" alt="UNIVAC 1710 Verifying Interpreting Punch" width="580" height="435" /></a> |
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58 | <p class="bildtext"><b>UNIVAC 1710 Verifying Interpreting Punch</b> (VIP)</p> |
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59 | </div> |
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60 | |
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61 | <p> |
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62 | The Univac 1710 VIP was released at |
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63 | the same time like the <a href="univac9400.shtm">UNIVAC 9400 mainframe</a> |
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64 | in the year 1969. This device is very fast and versatile and works mostly |
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65 | electronically. Most likely, Univac wanted to trump IBM with this |
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66 | trendsetting device. The device's internals are very elaborate, but offer |
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67 | many advantages, compared to usual apperatures at that time: |
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68 | <br/>It featured a core memory with 12 x 80 x 2 cells for both data and programs. It could |
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69 | handle two programs and one data storage. Programming |
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70 | was performed automatically once program cards have been inserted, and |
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71 | programs could be changed at the touch of a key. The device furthermore |
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72 | featured program-controlled printing during punching. |
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73 | Keypunching errors were electronically corrected, since cards were punched |
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74 | only after all entries were in storage. Verifying and correction comprised |
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75 | a one-pass operation. Verified cards were uniquely notched while error |
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76 | cards were automatically ejected to a separate stacker. |
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77 | <br/>The device also features a large illuminated digital display that |
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78 | indicates which program is in control, furthermore the device could be |
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79 | used for subsequent card labeling. However, the device had always |
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80 | mechanical problems: The type wheel print was of bad quality and the |
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81 | card feeding could easily stop working when the adjustment wasn't |
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82 | perfectly fitting. |
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83 | </p> |
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84 | |
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85 | |
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86 | <h3>Sorters</h3> |
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87 | |
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88 | <div class="box center"> |
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89 | <a href="/en/devices/punchcard-sorter.shtm" name="backlink-sorter"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm-082-sorter.jpg" alt="IBM 082 sorter" width="361" height="287" /><img style="margin-left: 2px;" src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm-082-sorter.offen.jpg" alt="IBM 082 sorter (without cover)" width="215" height="287" /></a> |
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90 | <p class="center"> |
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91 | <b>IBM 082 punch card sorter</b>, Built since 1949 |
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92 | <br/><a class="go" href="/en/devices/punchcard-sorter.shtm">The function of the punch card sorter</a> |
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93 | </p> |
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94 | </div> |
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95 | |
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96 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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97 | <a href="/en/devices/punchcard-sorter.shtm"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm083.jpg" alt="IBM 083 punch card sorter" width="602" height="630" /></a> |
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98 | <p class="bildtext"> |
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99 | <b>IBM 083 sorter</b> |
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100 | <br/>Compared to the IBM 082 the sorting mechanics were greatly improved. The machine can sort 1000 cards |
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101 | per minute. Much more than 16 cards per second are not possible, due to the mechanic's inertia. This |
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102 | type was built since 1958. |
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103 | <br/><a class="go" href="/en/devices/punchcard-sorter.shtm">The function of the punch card sorter</a> |
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104 | </p> |
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105 | </div> |
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106 | |
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107 | <h3>Collators</h3> |
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108 | |
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109 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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110 | <a href="/en/devices/punchcard-collator.shtm" name="backlink-ibm077"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm77.jpg" alt="IBM 077" width="450" height="526" /></a> |
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111 | <p class="bildtext"><b>IBM punch card collator 077</b></p> |
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112 | </div> |
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113 | |
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114 | <p> |
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115 | The picture above shows the back of a collator, year of manufacture 1959. |
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116 | The collector reads 480 cards per minute. It is capable of changing the |
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117 | order of the cards, looking for copies (and seperating them out) or |
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118 | comparing two stacks and finding out the differences. Compared to |
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119 | today's database storages this card collator is a kind of mechanical |
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120 | database query language interpreter. |
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121 | <!--<br/>The programs are plugged together on a patch panel. Thus they can easily be changed. --> |
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122 | <br />The electronics comprises of relays and camshafts which control |
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123 | switches. Early engineers had to use oilcans for the bearing's |
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124 | maintenance as often as a checking device. |
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125 | <br />The programs could be changed by replacing the programing field. |
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126 | <br/><a class="go" href="/en/devices/punchcard-collator.shtm">The function of the punch card collator</a> |
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127 | </p> |
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128 | |
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129 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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130 | <a href="/en/devices/punchcard-collator.shtm"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/bull-mischer.jpg" alt="Bull punch card collator 56.00" width="450" height="536" /></a> |
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131 | <p class="bildtext"><b>Bull punch card collator 56.00.</b></p> |
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132 | </div> |
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133 | |
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134 | <p> |
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135 | This very big device features very much chrome and almost 1000 relays, |
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136 | assembled to allow developers to implement varoius mixing algorithms |
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137 | with wired panels. Thus collating and sorting could be performed in only |
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138 | one working cycle. Depending on the task, the device could process about |
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139 | 250 - 500 cards per minute. |
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140 | </p> |
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141 | |
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142 | <h3>Card interpreter</h3> |
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143 | |
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144 | <div class="box center auto-bildbreite"> |
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145 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/ibm_548.jpg" alt="IBM 548" width="450" height="509" /> |
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146 | <p class="bildtext"><b>IBM 548</b></p> |
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147 | </div> |
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148 | |
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149 | <p> |
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150 | A huge punch card interpreter made by IBM. This machine can label 60 cards |
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151 | per minute in 60 cols and two rows, according to the settings which you can set. |
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152 | </p> |
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