Program cards
The HP-65 was the first pocket calculator with a build-in magnetic card writer/reader. The magnetic cards, by HP named program cards, enabled the user to store programs and exchange programs with other users. The small cards were transported through the calculator by a build-in motor. The HP-67 and its desktop version, the HP-97 also have a magnetic card reader. They all used the same magnetic cards and the programs were exchangeable. The HP-41 series can be extended by an external card reader, the HP 82104A. Programs written for the HP-65/67 series could not directly be run on the HP-41 series. A conversion program was available.
The dimensions of a card are approx. 71 mm x 11.4 mm. A program card contains two tracks, labeled 1 and 2. Each track stores 952 bit of data, divided into 34 records with a length of 28 bits. The first record stores information about the kind of data on this card and the last record contains a CRC. The remaining 32 records can hold up to 112 program steps in case of a program card or 14 data registers in case of a data card.
The strip is transported through the card reader with a constant speed of about 60 mm/s.
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By cutting the corresponding edge, the card is made read-only. This can be done to protect it for accidentally overwriting.
Hewlett Packard sold preprogrammed cards with programs, the so called Pacs. The picture below shows card SD-12B from the Standard Pac for the HP-67/HP-97 models. The printing on this card correspond with the soft keys used for this program.
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The edged are already cut that makes this card read only. |
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The picture on the left shows a clip of the HP-97 with the program card inserted in the special card holder. The text on the card corresponds with the soft keys labeled A to E. |
HP 9282-0596 Program card holder
The pictures below show a program card holder HP 9282-0596.
This holder contains 5 sheets which hold up to 8 program cards each.
HP 00097 - 13142 Three Program Card Holders (HP 9282-0596)
HP 00097-13143 Blank cards
120 Blank magnetic cards in a box.
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