IBM 557 Alphabetic Interpreter??

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Tue Mar 30 06:47:49 1999

On 29 Mar 99 at 21:48, Sellam Ismail wrote:

> On Mon, 29 Mar 1999, James Willing wrote:
>
> > At 08:37 PM 3/29/99 -0800, Sellam wrote:
> > >
> > >Does anyone know what the function of an IBM 557 Alphabetic Interpreter
> > >is/was?
> >
> > ... and yes, if you had not guessed... I still have a manual on how to
> > program these things!
>
> Cool. I especially liked the patch panel. I'd love to learn how to
> program the thing.
>
> > (now, if I could just remember that trick that we used to teach a 402
> > tabulator how to multiply... B^} )
>
> Are you implying these things had some general purpose computing
> attributes?
>
> Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.
>
 It's been a long time, but IIRC these were relatively simple to wire
the plug -board. The info for the top line was based on the top 3 holes
on the cards representing alpha-groups A-I , J-R, and S-Z respectively
eg: a column with a 0 and a 9 would be an "A", a 2 and 5 a "W" etc.
 This was also how the sorters were used to sort alphabetically. First
we'd sort into the 3 groups and then by letter. you became quite proficient
at it - buff the cards, slap them into the feeder, sort 0to2, pull them , buff
them, sort by letter, and they would magically come up in order.
 What you could do now in the length of time it took to set the column sort
wheel.
 I always have problems diferentiating between the definitions used in
reference to computing. These were used for processing data, just like the
newest Pentiums. A calculator basically counts the tics. 2x4 is 4 counted
twice. That is what math processors do unless they have tables like the above
alphabetical groups to act on.Simply a more sophisticated version.
 I used a machine called a statistical sorter which kept track of the holes
punched to indicate a medical disorder, region , industry etc. for that
particular card and based on the numerical data issued a report for the Prov
of Ont. that year. Other than it being easier and faster, I don't see such a
big difference in modern applications These were not typewriters or calculators
but sophisticated business tools in their own right. The card punch,
interpreter, sorter, collator, tape-drives ,etc. have their present day
eqiuivalents in keyboards, files, disk drives , merge programs, printers ,etc.
 
ciao larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
Received on Tue Mar 30 1999 - 06:47:49 BST