Editing IBM System/3 (section)

===Multi-Function Card Unit===
The most common punched-card device was IBM 5424 Multifunction Card Unit (MFCU) which read, punched, printed on and sorted the new, smaller 96-column [[punched card]]s. Instead of the rectangular punches in the classic 80-column IBM card, the new cards had tiny (1&nbsp;mm), circular holes much like [[paper tape]]. Data was stored in six-bit [[binary-coded decimal]] code, with three rows of 32 characters each, or in 8-bit [[EBCDIC]], with the two extra holes located in the top rows.
The new cards had room for 128 printed characters in four rows of 32 characters each. They were about 1/3 the size of the older 80 column cards but held 20% more text data. The smaller, and thus lighter card could be processed with faster equipment and with fewer jams.

Available as ''RPQ''s (special order equipment) to handle 80-column cards were the IBM 2560 Multifunction Card Machine (MFCM) which could read, punch, interpret and sort, and the [[IBM 1442]] which could only read and punch.