Documation Punched Card Reader
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- Опубликовано: 5 янв 2015
- This is a 1970s Documation M-1000-L punched card reader, capable of reading up to 1000 cards per minute. The reader in this video is operating in local mode only, but will eventually be interfaced to a PDP-8/M minicomputer.
*Excellent* overview video. At University in the late 1970s we had a bunch of these as self-service RJE stations scattered across campus to our IBM 370 mainframe.
I remember seeing a couple of these connected to a CDC 6600 at U.C. Berkeley (Evans Hall basement and I think there was one in Cory Hall). They used classic IBM 26 p/c machines to make the cards, with an occasional IBM 29 p/c. Upstairs (2nd floor?) was a "brand new" DEC PDP 11/?? minicomputer running AT&T UNIX v.5 or 6, connected to a bunch of LSI ADM-3A terminals, which supported "cursor control", but not DEC VT52 compatibility.
Kinda reminds me of a CARDAMATION Card reader that We had attached to an IBM SYSTEM 36.
Want one of these.... And cards and a computer controlled punch.....
Does it use mechanical fingers or some sort of photo cells to read the cards? I am trying to make a punch card reader and I need to know which way to go? On one hand, mechanical switches would be very reliable but will wear out the cards. On the other hand, a photo cell approach will ensure long card life but if the lighting around the machine is bright, it may skew the data.
This one uses photo cells. The slower card sorters used conductive metallic brushes.
The brushes wear out too, which is why eventually they were scrapped in favor of photon triggered versions. If there is bright light outside, make sure there is a housing around the bulb. If too many bits are being turned on, just increase resistor values until it goes away.
The real tricky part is that air directing mechanism. In order to make sure only one card is taken, air is shot across the cards closest to the feeder both on the feed and collection sides. On the collection side this is also necessary in order to prevent the cards from going back in out of order, as well as to make sure the card can easily slide all the way into the slot. You'll notice that when he turns it on, the main motor automatically starts powering this air directing system, resulting in the cards "buzzing" around closest to the feed. There also is likely a 'tipper' on the collection side just as the card is going in to the collection side. just as there is a stopper on the feed side, allowing only one card to get past into the feeder.
All this is required for a high speed punch card system...but really, its not as difficult as it might seem, since it could all be done using a single motor.
I too am fascinated by the idea of building the plans to a decent low priced paper punch system...ideally with ascii and RS232 input/output, and the ability to hold around 1-2000 cards. More ideally than that of course would be ethernet/wifi capability. Since then programs could be sent from an IBM 029 web page, or ascii keyboard style data entry system. This in turn could allow for a remote FORTRAN IV batch processing system to be built. It could also allow for people to have fun making such programs and mailing them in for processing, digitally entering a series of programs for batch processing, sending them off from the machine to a remote server. It could also allow for very easy data transfer to almost any system using RS232. As a result, systems integration can be achieved across multiple hardware platforms, allowing for data entry from the web to systems from the 1970s, up to and including whole operating systems. Additionally, translation software for automated porting would allow for compiled code to be targeted for a specific machine, and then transferred to a medium of storage common to all the computers.
For myself, I rather like the idea of creating nice subroutines, and then being able to assemble them by literally stacking them, and then setting an absolute address, and loading the entire program in! Additionally, I could compile programs from anywhere in the world and have them waiting when I get home.
makes me feel nostalgiac
Can someone please let me know what information is contained in the cards ? Is it payroll ? Business correspondence ? Computer program ?
@TBV....could be a program but more likely information / data . Our machine was used to read warehouse receipts into inventory. Or punched cards for the same purpose.
At 2:01, the first three columns are "TSU" and then it reads "572". It could be just data, but there are four columns with four holes each column which is outside of the Hollerith-encoding scheme. In Hollerith encoding, numbers are one hole, letters are two holes, and punctuation is three holes.
Just curios about this videos. My dad invented this machine and started Documation. Are you doing something with these old machines?
+Lori Halbert A big thanks to your dad! He created a very robust and reliable card reader. My understanding is that this particular machine would've been used for counting votes in Florida, but now it lives on in my vintage computer collection to show how card readers work, as well as to read in several old decks of cards that I've found. Did your dad save any documentation or information from his early days starting Documation?
is your dad Charles Babbage or Joseph Marie Jacquard?
No
I started to work for Documation in 1997 in Mayagüez Puerto Rico. We would build these card readers for all sort of company's. I was one of the techs. The main office was out in Melbourne Florida.
Muskan sayyad Ali 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Kyle, if you would IM me on Facebook, I can give you my dad's email. My mom is looking for some of the original manuals, if you'd like them.
+Lori Halbert There are several Lori Halberts on Facebook; want to email me at kylevowen@gmail.com? Thanks!