IBM 3890

Prior to the introduction of computers, cheque processing was performed manually by each institution. The advent of computers necessitated the development of peripheral equipment that would aid in the processing of cheques and other MICR encoded documents. Machines were developed that could be used to read the MICR information encoded at the bottom of the cheques and other financial instruments, so that they could be sorted and the information passed to the processing system for computer posting. Some of these machines operated in an offline capacity to further sort cheques and other documents as required without online processing. Many firms were developing and designing hardware and software for use by financial institutions to perform their day-to-day operations, among those IBM.

Sorter operator updates information at the CPCS terminal on an IBM 3890 Document Processor

IBM introduced the 3890 High Speed Document Processor in 1973. This piece of equipment is used by financial institutions to sort and tally all cheques, utility payment and gift certificates at the end of each banking day. The machine reads the magnetic ink characters (MICR) and/or the optical characters (OCR) that are encoded on the bottom of each document. This code line facilitates totalling the cheques and sorting them into pockets. The document process is designed to feed at a rate of 2400 six inch cheques per minute.

An application called Check Processing Control System (CPCS) is run on a main frame. It receives the data from the document processor and can store information from the cheques, including the bank number, branch number, account number and the amount the cheque was written for, as well as internal transaction codes. The 3890 can also operate in an offline mode using an SCI (Stacker Control Instruction) program.

The machine is made up of several modules, each performing specific task. At the far left of the machine is the control unit. Sort control programs, character recognition and host connection are handled by an IBM PC server in the control unit (3890/XP). Early A-F models used an IBM S/360 based processor with magnetic core memory. It links to all the electronic control systems and cabling that is required to operate the machine.

The next module is the left feed module. This section of the machine is where cheques are pulled into the transport path. The MICR line is magnetized and read in this part of the machine. The MICR information is passed to the control unit for additional processing. This module also has the ability to insert tracking documents into the stream of cheques in the transport. On Models A-F, the item numbering feature or INF was also found in the left feed module. The INF could print a unique 8 digit number on the back of each cheque.[1]

The right feed module performs two functions. One is the input area, where up to 4800 cheques can be placed to be fed into the left module. Before this happens, all documents are “jogged” before they are moved into the transport. This process causes the cheques to be lined up better for feeding into the left feed module; institutions use an external jogger as well. The second function is the Programmable Item Number Endorse system or PINE, which appeared with the model XP1.[2] It is a high speed ink jet printer used to print document tracking number on each cheque which goes through the machine. At the same time an “endorsement” stamp is sprayed on to show which institution has handled the cheque. On Models A-F, an “endorsement” stamp is used to show what institution has handled the cheque.

After this, the document passes through two optional modules. To meet the requirements of the American Banking Association, one of the two must be used. Until October 2003, the only legal way to provide long term archiving of cheques was microfilm. This is one of the optional modules. High speed strobe lights illuminate the cheques and mirrors direct the lit image through a camera onto film. The front and back of the cheque, plus the item number are transferred to the film.

The other optional module is the Image Capture Processor (ICP). High speed digital scanners generate pictures of the front and back of the cheque. To keep up with the speed that documents move by the scanners, four PC’s are used – one cheque directed to one PC, the next to the second and so forth. These images are consolidated to a fifth PC which sends the images to a host computer system, where the digital images can be stored on hard disks. After this they can be backed up using magnetic tapes for long term archiving. As of October, 2003, these images, rather than the physical cheques, can be used when institutions needs to exchange cheque information.

The final component on a 3890 is the stacker modules. Each module has six pockets, and the machine supports up to six stackers for a total of 36 pockets. The sort control program directs each document to the appropriate pocket. A cheque might be sorted according to the institution it is drawn against, a customer account, or a utility company. These pockets allow the physical cheques to be collected and stored in trays. Each pocket could hold between 800 to 1,000 documents. The operator could remove all but the last 200 to 300 documents without stopping the 3890. Each pocket had a warning light to tell the operator that the pocket was getting full, because once the pocket was full the sorter would stop. The first pocket in stacker one was the reject pocket, where rejected documents would be sorted.[1]

Programming

The 3890 is programmed by two methods. The first is SCI (Stacker Control Instructions), which are executed directly by the S/360 in the model A-F machines, and emulated by the PC in the 3890/XP. The 3890/XP added an additional method of programming, known as Native. This allowed programs written for the PC to make sort decisions. The API available to Native programs is the SPXSERV api.

3890 Models

There were seven models of the 3890. Models A through F and the model XP1. For A through F, the number of stacker modules was also part of the model, so a model A02 had two stacker modules and a model B04 has four stacker modules.[3] For XP1, the stacker count was indicated by feature codes 3022. By default an XP1 shipped with two stacker modules.[4]

This is a limited table of model differences:

3890 Models[3]
Model Sorter type Speed (6" documents) Control Unit User Memory Microfilming module Announced Withdrawn
A01 to A06 MICR 2400 documents per minute IBM System 360/25 13312 byes Optional 1988/11/15[5]
B01 to B06 MICR 2400 documents per minute IBM System 360/25 29969 bytes Optional 1988/11/15[5]
C01 to C06 OCR IBM System 360/25
D01 to D06 OCR IBM System 360/25
E02 to E06 MICR 1680 documents per minute IBM System 360/25 13312 byes Standard 1988/11/15[5]
F02 to F06 MICR 1680 documents per minute IBM System 360/25 29969 bytes Standard 1988/11/15[5]
XP1 MICR or OCR 2400 documents per minute IBM PS/2 Model 80 3 million bytes[4] Optional 1988/11/15 2005/09/27[6]

The MICR type for each sorter was set in the factory and could be E13B or CMC7. This was indicated by a feature code.[4]

IBM 3897: Image capture system

The 3897 Image Capture System was effectively a scanning system which captured images of each cheque using a new special module. It could capture either the front of each cheque (referred to as the Basic Image System) or the front and back of each cheque (referred to as the Full Image System).

The IBM 3898 Image processor was used to process the scanned images from the IBM 3897 and was not a module in the 3890 itself. The 3898 was able to recognise printed and handwritten amounts reducing the need for clerical support.[7]

The 3897 and 3898 were announced on March 20, 1990.[8]

Withdrawal

The 3890 had a long history, shipping from 1973 to 2005.

  • IBM stopped shipping the 3890/XP1 with CMC7 recognition on May 28, 1996
  • IBM stopped shipping the 3890/XP1 with OCR recognition on October 30, 1998. After this only the E13B version was available
  • IBM finally withdrew the 3890/XP1 from marketing on September 27, 2005.[6]

Other IBM document Sorters

IBM had a long history in manufacturing document Sorters that resulted in the 3890. There were several previous products of note:

IBM 1210

Announced in January 1959 it could read and sort E-13B cheques at up to 900 cheques per minute.[9] It was withdrawn from marketing on September 16, 1960.[10]

IBM 1255

There were three models of the 1255 with the following characteristics:[11]

IBM 1255
Model Documents per minute Stackers (sometimes called pockets)
1255-001 500 6 in one vertical bay
1255-002 750 6 in one vertical bay
1255-003 750 12 in two vertical bays of 6


The 1255 input hopper held a 5-1/2" stack of documents that used a gravity feed. Each 1255 stacker pocket could hold up to 2-1/2" of documents.[12]

Two offline sort patterns were possible but with a 6 stacker sorter, it was typical to sort in two phases. Phase one would sort on the even digits of one field (using five stackers) with odd digits going to the reject stacker (the top stacker). Phase two would sort on the odd digits of one field (using five stackers). The operator could leave the documents from phase one in the stackers when starting phase two. If a model 003 was in use then sorting could be done in a single phase using ten stackers, with the remaining two stackers being used for rejects (using the top stacker of the first bay known as stacker R) and special sorts (using the top stacker of the second bay known as stacker A). [12]

IBM 1259

Announced September 20, 1967 for use with the System/360 Models 20, 30 and 40.[13] Read and sorted cheques at up to 600 cheques per minute.[14] It was withdrawn from marketing on July 16, 1973.[10]

IBM 1412

Read and sorted cheques at up to 950 cheques per minute into 13 pockets[15]

IBM 1219 and 1275 and 1419

The IBM 1219 and 1419 were announced on August 24, 1961 and could read up to 1600 documents per minute and sort them into 13 pockets[9] IBM claimed it could process up to 96,000 documents per hour.[16]

The 1219 sorted magnetically printed or inscribed documents while the 1419 sorted documents that used the E-13B font.[17]

In the photo below you can see the documents were added on the right hand side, with a pneumatic arm pushing them upwards to the picker assembly. They were then sorted into one of thirteen pockets.

There is a long foot operated pedal bar (close to the ground between the two operators) which could be used to pause feeding while the operator emptied a pocket or dealt with an issue.

The 1419 and the IBM 1275 Recognition System (that read OCR fonts rather than MICR fonts) used the same sorting engine (the 1275 had an additional module on the left for character recognition processing).[18]

Mechanical Jogger

While IBM did not manufacture or sell a mechanical jogger, the use of a jogger was considered mandatory with all document sorters. A jogger effectively used vibration to get all the documents to align nicely. In the photograph of the 3890 used in this article the jogger can be seen directly behind the operator[12]

Cheque vs Check vs Document

Note that while IBM referred to the 3890 as a Document Processor, it is also referred to as both a cheque sorter or a check sorter. Outside the US, a bill of exchange drawn on a bank payable on demand is a "cheque", while in the US this is referred to as a "check"[19]. Because the 3890 could also sort documents using OCR (rather than a MICR line printed with E-13B or CMC-7), the official IBM term for the 3890 was a Document Processor.

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gollark: Nope.
gollark: !wiki Embedded HQ9+
gollark: Or, well, plausibly 10.

References
  1. "3890-XP1 IBM Document Processor Model XP1". IBM.
  2. "IBM Sales Manual". IBM.
  3. Affairs, United States Congress House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban (1984). Effects of Information Technology on Financial Services Systems: Hearing Before the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-eighth Congress, Second Session, September 12, 1984. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  4. "3890-XP1 IBM Document Processor Model XP1". www-01.ibm.com. 2013. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  5. "IBM 3890 DOCUMENT PROCESSOR A, B, E, AND F MODELS WITHDRAWAL FROM MARKETING". www-01.ibm.com. 1988-11-15. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  6. "IBM Hardware Withdrawal Announcement Letter"
  7. Enterprise, I. D. G. (1990-03-19). Computerworld. IDG Enterprise.
  8. "ANNOUNCEMENT SUMMARY - MARCH 20, 1990". www-01.ibm.com. 1990-03-20. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  9. Pugh, Emerson W.; Johnson, Lyle R.; Palmer, John H. (1991). IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-16123-7.
  10. "Service_For_Consultants_198312_Complete/13_Machine_Preface.pdf" (PDF).
  11. "GA21-9103-1" (PDF).
  12. "IBM_Sales_Manual_Machines_Section_Jul79" (PDF).
  13. "IBM Archives: DPD Chronology Page 3".
  14. Williams, R. H. (2014-05-23). British Commercial Computer Digest: Pergamon Computer Data Series. Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4831-5452-7.
  15. Stuart, Sam (2014-05-23). The European Computer Users Handbook 1968/69: Pergamon Computer Data Series. Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4831-4669-0.
  16. "1961 IBM Historical Movie MICR System".
  17. Stuart, Sam (2014-05-23). The European Computer Users Handbook 1968/69: Pergamon Computer Data Series. Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4831-4669-0.
  18. Van Steenis, H. (1971). Grüsser, Otto-Joachim; Klinke, Rainer (eds.). "The IBM 1275 Recognition System and Its Development". Zeichenerkennung durch biologische und technische Systeme / Pattern Recognition in Biological and Technical Systems. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer: 253–261. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-65175-5_24. ISBN 978-3-642-65175-5.
  19. "Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling", Wikipedia, 2020-06-23, retrieved 2020-07-07
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