Non-sequential reading from magnetic cards possible?

[WrongWay]

I managed to execute a repair on my card reader! It works for now, rotten rubber on the drive wheel as per usual. I didnt have the requisite materials to redo a coupling damper but it pulls cards through quite smoothly. As expected a majority of the cards read with MALFUNCTION or CARD ERROR after 31 years. A couple are still viable.

I have what appears to be a database on the cards covering 6 cards (12 sides). Card one gives a MALFUNCTION followed by RDY 01 of 12. Is there any way to try a read of the other cards?

[Gene]

yes, just feed in the other cards.

Note that the display will continue to show 01 of 12 even if it successfully reads every one of the other cards.

When you have pushed through all the cards, pressing backarrow will process what was readable and ignore the range that was not readable...at least it works that way for programs... I assume (?) it does that for data cards.

[WrongWay]

(12-13-2020 06:24 PM)Gene Wrote:  yes, just feed in the other cards.

Note that the display will continue to show 01 of 12 even if it successfully reads every one of the other cards.

When you have pushed through all the cards, pressing backarrow will process what was readable and ignore the range that was not readable...at least it works that way for programs... I assume (?) it does that for data cards.

Thanks, The malfunction cards dont insert anything. I was able to feed cards 2-5 through and come out with a program. Im working on trying to reconstruct the instructions. It was called "JET LOG" on the cards and seems to be some kind of flight planning or flight log program, but Im not very good at thinking in 41 so I can't put all the pieces together yet.

[Gene]

Yep, the card that generates the Malfunction or "CARD ERR" response won't put anything into program memory or the data registers (you said database so I assumed these were data cards not a program).

But the other cards that do not generate an error can be fed into the reader as you appear to have done.

Gene

[WrongWay]

Based on the title I thought it might have been an attempt at digitizing a logbook, but its a full blown program, and appears to be a flight planning application. I managed to read 11 of the 12 sides, 5 cards total and only card 1 side 1 gave a MALFUNCTION. The incomplete code is attached. I had to manually transcribe but I double checked the lines and it appears to be correct.