IBM 1050
| IBM 1050 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | IBM |
| Model | 1050 |
| Lifetime | |
| Introduced | March, 1963 |
| Communication | |
| Baud Rates | 75, 134.5 |
The IBM 1050 Data Communications System was introduced on March 12, 1963.[1] It was a modular teleprinter system designed for communication with IBM computers or other 1050 systems over communication lines.[2]
A typical 1050 system consisted of a 1051 control unit (big black box underneath the desk in the picture), and a 1052 keyboard/printer. This could be expanded with paper tape reader(1054) and punch(1055) or a card reader/punch(1442).
Architecture
The system operated in a half-duplex, asynchronous (start-stop) mode. Primary technical manuals specify the standard transmission speeds as 75 bps and 134.5 bps.[3]
The 134.5 bps rate was engineered to match the mechanical timing of the IBM Selectric mechanism. Each character was transmitted using a 9-bit frame consisting of one start bit, six data bits using the IBM Paper Tape Transmission Code (PTTC/BCD), one parity bit, and one stop bit.[3] This timing allowed for a continuous print speed of 14.8 characters per second.[2]
The 1050 did not utilize the RS-232 interface standard; instead, it connected to communication lines via internal IBM Line Adapters. These adapters allowed the system to operate on common-carrier switched networks or private leased lines, often in a multipoint configuration where multiple terminals shared a single line through polling and addressing.[2]
On many IBM System 360 mainframes, a bare 1052 keyboard/printer was hard-wired into the system for use as the console terminal.
Documentation
- IBM 1050 Data Communication System: System Operation Reference Manual
- IBM 2703 Transmission Control Component Description
References
- ↑ Pugh, Emerson W.; Johnson, Lyle R.; Palmer, John H. (1991). IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. p. 782. ISBN 0262517205.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 IBM (1965). "IBM 1050 Data Communication System: System Operation Reference Manual". http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/1050/A24-3020-3_1050_System_Operation_Reference_Manual_196501.pdf. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 IBM (1970). "IBM 2703 Transmission Control Component Description". http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/2703/GA27-2703-2_2703_Transmission_Ctl_Component_Descr_Sep70.pdf. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
