Plug-board - Revision history

Jnc: Clarify

2025-03-01T00:07:55Z

Clarify

Jnc: Wording

2025-02-28T19:48:00Z

Wording

Jnc: Better flow

2025-02-28T06:59:45Z

Better flow

Jnc: They could be swapped in and out

2025-02-27T18:21:19Z

They could be swapped in and out

Jnc: Add caveat, IBM manuals

2025-02-27T12:54:40Z

Add caveat, IBM manuals

Jnc: Add images

2025-02-27T12:06:51Z

Add images

Jnc: Another high-priority want

2025-02-27T11:32:23Z

Another high-priority want

New page

A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. It generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.

The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board; this allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily be swapped for another.

==External links==

* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/plugboard.html IBM Control Panels]

[[Category: Components]]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration, and fast conversion.) They generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.
-The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board; the complete plug-board assembly could be removed as a unit, and replaced with a different one. This allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another one.
+The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on where the plug-board mounted; the complete plug-board assembly could be removed as a unit, and replaced with a different one. This allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another one.
 ==External links==

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration, and fast conversion.) They generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.
-The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board, and complete assembly could be removed as a unit, and replaced with a different one. This allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another.
+The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board; the complete plug-board assembly could be removed as a unit, and replaced with a different one. This allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another one.
 ==External links==

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [[Image:PlugboardBack.jpg|thumb|right|250px|IBM plug-board (contact side)]]
-A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. It generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.
+A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration, and fast conversion.) They generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.
-The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The complete assembly could be removed as a unit, and rapidly and easily replaced with a different one; the computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board, which allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be swapped for another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration and fast conversion.)
+The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board, and complete assembly could be removed as a unit, and replaced with a different one. This allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another.
 ==External links==

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. It generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.
-The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board; this allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be rapidly and easily swapped for another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration and fast conversion.)
+The jumpers allowed the connection of the various computational elements within the device ([[counter]]s, [[adder]]s, etc), as well as the [[input]] and [[output]] [[peripheral|devices]], in whatever way was needed to accomplish the desired information-handling goal. The complete assembly could be removed as a unit, and rapidly and easily replaced with a different one; the computational elements within the device were all connected to fixed locations on the plug-board, which allowed one plug-board (configured for one particular information-handling task) to be swapped for another. (Plug-boards were not intended principally for experimentation, but for configuration and fast conversion.)
 ==External links==

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, 27 February 2025
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		+	[[Image:PlugboardFront.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|IBM plug-board (wire side)]]
		+	[[Image:PlugboardBack.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|IBM plug-board (contact side)]]
		+
	A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. It generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.		A '''plug-board''' was a mechanism which allowed users to easily configure early electro-mechanical [[digital]] [[computing device]]s (typically [[punched card]] equipment) to perform a given desired information-handling task; and, moreover, quickly and easily switch from one configuration to another. It generally consisted of a rectangular slab of non-conducting material such as Bakelite, with a regular array of holes; the holes contained [[pin]]s or [[socket]]s, with [[jumper]] wires connecting them.