--- On Thu, 11/13/08, Roger Holmes <roger.holmes at microspot.co.uk> wrote:
The punched cards include columns representing all
the
number 0 to 15 plus 1/4, 1/2, 3/4. I even have some 160
column cards, same as 80 column cards but with two round
hole positions in each normal rectangular hole position. I
can read the 80 column cards but not the 160 column ones.
I had actually been thinking about this very problem the other day - how to read in old
punch cards without a functional punch card reader. I was thinking that a modern automatic
sheet feeding scanner could be pressed into service here. Replace the white backing in the
scanner with black material to provide good contrast. Scan the cards, preserving order,
into a good machine readable format, something easy to decode. Then, with some
not-too-complicated software, one could "read" the scanned image of the cards,
producing binary data.
It would be a worthwile (pronounced "fun") hack, and while it probably
wouldn't be able to take the place of a good, high quality card reader, it should
substitute for an unusual or unavailable reader.
-Ian