Before launch IBM 3540 Diskette Unit (could write and read floppy 8 pol disks and connected to a /370 parallel channel) after recording diskettes using IBM 3741 (single operator station) or IBM 3742 (double operator station) was necessary to move data from them to a tape reel using IBM 3747 Converter Unit. Since diskettes and tape reel could be used a lot of times, this solution brings to customers a great economy. I remember to walk in an aisle aside a Data Entry room with more them 150 IBM 3742 stations in a big bank here in Brazil, they were one of pioneers to remove old IBM 0029, IBM 0059 and IBM 0129 machines from data entry process.
IBM 3540 arises to eliminated one step (convert to tape reel) and could accelerate process to make data transcript from a bunch of different forms in data to supply information to data systems. Old good time of batch processing overnight. Carlos Bodra IBM zEnterprise Certified São Paulo – SP – Brazil -----Mensagem original----- De: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> Em nome de Tony Thigpen Enviada em: quarta-feira, 13 de maio de 2020 23:38 Para: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Assunto: Re: An older device query - still using?? The 3540 was the reader/punch that was to replace the card reader/punch system. Which it did at both my college (while I was there) and at my first job (where it replaced the 96 column card system) just before I got there. The 3740 and 3742 were the replacement for the card punch machine. They were highly programmable. You could set up programs where some characters "punched" as packed decimal and other characters were punched as display characters. It would also sum-check fields in a single record and automatically punch final "sums records". The 3540 had a AWSOMA: Optical Media AttachTOC that contained a VOL1 record and multiple HDR1 records which supported multiple files. It had tracks and records. I am fuzzy, but I think it supported different record lengths (set in the HDR1 for each file). I know you could punch both 80 and 96 (in separate files). The VTOC design was also used in the Optical Media Attach Feature, which was actually 'emulated' on the P360/P390 in the AWSOMA dirver. (All "facts" subject to dropped memory bits due to old age.) Tony Thigpen R.S. wrote on 5/13/20 6:59 PM: > I just checked bitsavers and found some information about 3540 > 1. Capacity - it depends. There were several types and subtypes, and > sub-subtypes of diskettes. Approximately 256kB to 1,2 MB, however 3540 > used only those low capacity. (details available on request) > 2. Feeding media - automatically, not manually. > 3. There were two types of 3540, single and double drive. > 4. The purpose was to deliver data from keypunch (wrong!) data entry > stations. At the times before CRT screens became popular. > > However still I have no idea about system support. How to write data on > diskette, how to read from diskette, how to recognize volume ID, etc. > No, I'm not going to use it, but I'm just curious. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
