The automatic sequence controlled calculator — III
Howard Hathaway Aiken, Grace Murray Hopper · Electrical Engineering · 1946
WHEN A RELATIVELY LARGE number of values, such as constants or random values of a variable, are to be used by the calculator, and further, when these values are to be used in a prescribed order, they may be supplied to the machine via one of the interpolator mechanisms and a perforated paper tape. Such a tape is known as a “value tape” to distinguish it from a functional tape. Mathematically, the operation of reading from a value tape is the equivalent of zero order interpolation. In order to increase the flexibility of the interpolators when used in this manner, three sequence codes have been assigned to each interpolator mechanism. These require that the tape be stepped forward, stepped back, and that the sensing pins read from the tape.