IBM 407
| Industry | Computer hardware, tabulating machines |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 16, 1911 in Endicott, New York, United States |
| Products | IBM 407 Accounting Machine, IBM 402, IBM 716 printer, IBM 650, IBM 1132 line printer |
| Website | www |
The IBM 407 Accounting Machine, launched in 1949, represented a significant advancement in IBM's series of tabulating machines dating back to the innovations of Herman Hollerith. This device incorporated a card reader and printer, with an optional summary punch attachment to output data onto punched cards. Its operations were governed by a detachable control panel.
Serving as a pivotal element within many unit record equipment configurations, the 407 played an essential role in IBM's commercial systems. It was capable of printing numbers, letters, and special symbols across 120 distinct print positions spaced evenly.
IBM ceased sales of the 407 in 1976.
Description
The 407 was designed to read punched cards, accumulate totals for specific fields, perform straightforward decision-making processes, print results, and—when used alongside a summary punch—generate output cards for subsequent processing stages.
Its functionality depended on a removable control panel combined with a carriage tape. Task definitions—such as which card columns to read, which print positions to activate, and how to tally digits—were established by wiring connections between exit hubs (impulse transmitters) and entry hubs (receivers). The machine also supported fundamental logic tests.
Cards passed through two reading stations sequentially, allowing the comparison of adjacent cards—for instance, detecting changes in invoice numbers to trigger printing of totals. Unlike earlier devices that featured 80 read brushes per station, the 407 employed 960 brushes at each station—one corresponding to every potential punched hole—enabling multiple reads per card for greater operational flexibility.
For printing, the machine utilized type wheels instead of the earlier print bars. Each wheel contained 48 characters and rotated through two phases: initially aligning to one of twelve character groups based on digit impulses; then selecting one of four characters within that group using zone impulses. This sequence was coordinated by the Analyzer mechanism at every print position. Each printed character produced an "echo" impulse that could be accumulated to ensure accurate totals reflecting actual printed output.
All mechanical elements—including the card reader, printer, counters, and storage units—were driven by a single motor powering an oil pump and a generator that supplied 46-volt electrical current to roughly 900 relays arranged on three swing-out panels. The control panel consisted of a wiring matrix with 43 rows by 52 columns.
Two models of the IBM 407 were available: one capable of processing 100 cards per minute and another rated at 150 cards per minute. The slower variant contained a relay that inhibited every third card feed cycle but could be modified ("overclocked") by bypassing this relay to achieve the higher throughput.
Market impact
Rental rates for the IBM 407 ranged from $800 to $920 monthly (equivalent to approximately $ to $ in today’s currency), depending on the model chosen.
The printing mechanism developed for the 407 was incorporated into the IBM 716 printer (introduced in 1952 alongside the IBM 701 computer) and utilized extensively across various IBM 700/7000 series computers. Additionally, the 407 served as an input/output device for the IBM 650. Its printing technology later powered the IBM 1132 line printer, which was part of the cost-effective IBM 1130 system released in 1965.
IBM World Trade Corporation marketed Computing Accounting Machines (CAM), which combined versions of either the IBM 402 or 407 with integrated computers. CAM models based on the IBM 407 included the IBM 421, IBM 444, and IBM 447.
See also
References
External links
- IBM 407 Accounting Machine Documentation (PDF)
- Principles of IBM Functional Wiring (PDF)
- Columbia University Computing History: Overview of the IBM 407
- IBM Historical Archive: Photograph of IBM 407 (Note: the unit on the left side is not included in the standard 407 model)
- IBM Archive: Image of IBM 407 Control Panel
- Audio recording demonstrating the IBM 407 in operation