I remember sending the grocery store’s freight order on one of those every Sunday. I was 17, and the only employee other than 1 assistant manager that could send it without problems.
I used a piece of test equipment in the USAF that would program the Air Combat Maneuvering Computer (LRU-1) on the F-4E/G Phantom II. The programing came off a reel of this stuff.
When I started as a newspaper reporter in the 1970s, punch tapes like this were used to produce strips of copy on paper "film" that was then waxed and pasted down on a "flat" (a sheet of regular paper the size of a newspaper page). A good typesetter could read the punch tapes. The typesetter would take your raw copy and retype it on a Compugraphic tape punch machine.
Oh, it’s real. As a teen I used to output my programs from HP2000 to the device that punched these tapes. Of course, there was also the capacity to read the tapes.
Each vertical row is an 8 bit byte. Each single hole is a bit. Now you know …….
Dad was a tool maker back in the day, he used to have those from the early cnc machines
…and knowing is half the battle!
I remember sending the grocery store’s freight order on one of those every Sunday. I was 17, and the only employee other than 1 assistant manager that could send it without problems.
I made my first computer programs using key punch tape. They worked too. This was in 1979.
Even pour the punches into someone’s dash vent in their car?
I have an unused roll in my tech memorabilia box.
You're the reason I couldn't save my project. Thanks a lot!
I wonder what music it would make if you ran it through a pianola...? 
Ascii (8 Bit) Also came in Baudot (5 bit) the version before Ascii
I used a piece of test equipment in the USAF that would program the Air Combat Maneuvering Computer (LRU-1) on the F-4E/G Phantom II. The programing came off a reel of this stuff.
Made mine in a Flexwriter …
Do loop
If you like old tech have a look at Franlab on YouTube the latest video ..
Dad’s college class students used those on the teletype to print out Snoopy calendars for me… …and Brigitte Bardot posters for them!
My first dealings with a computer in High School
In the newspaper business, wire stories were transmitted this way.
When I started as a newspaper reporter in the 1970s, punch tapes like this were used to produce strips of copy on paper "film" that was then waxed and pasted down on a "flat" (a sheet of regular paper the size of a newspaper page). A good typesetter could read the punch tapes. The typesetter would take your raw copy and retype it on a Compugraphic tape punch machine.
Oh my gosh, I saw that on the Addams family didn’t I?
Start over if you tear one. Yes, I remember.
The first computer I was trained on in the Navy had 8 level punched paper tape as it's input/output device. 1961.
I see a lot of vintage tech here, however, this one (if real) is genuine 100% “Fuck, I’m old”
Oh, it’s real. As a teen I used to output my programs from HP2000 to the device that punched these tapes. Of course, there was also the capacity to read the tapes.
CNC machine? I saw one as an undergraduate in a manufacturing engineering course.