First ATMs performed tasks like a cash dispenser, they were offline machines which worked with punch cards impregnated with Carbon and a 6-digit PIN code.
Maximum withdrawal with a card was 10 pounds and each one was a one-time use card – ATM swallowed cards!
The first ATM was installed in London in the year 1967, as I looked at time line of programming languages, there were many programming languages made before that decade.
I don't know about the hardware either, but in which programming language it was written? (also which hardwares were used?)
*I didn't find a detailed biography of John Shepherd-Barron (ATM inventor at 70s)
Update
I found this picture, which is taken from a newspaper back to the year 1972 in Iran.
Translated PS :
Shows Mr. Rad-lon (if spelled correctly), The manager of Barros (if spelled
correctly) International Educational Institute in United Kingdom at the right, and
Mr. Jim Sutherland – Expert of Computer Kiosks.
In the rest of the text I found on this paper, these kind of ATMs which were called "Automated Computer Kiosk" were advertised with this moto:
Mr. Rad-lon (if spelled correctly) puts his card to one specific location of Automated Computer Kiosk and after 10 seconds he withdraws his cash.
Two more questions are:
1- How those ATMs were so fast? (withdrawal in 10 seconds in that year)
2- I didn't find any text on Internet which state about "Automated Computer Kiosk", Is it valid or were they been called Computer in that time?
Best Answer
Answers, as I remember them.
They were fast because they were connected to leased lines and a dedicated server at the bank. Bank software was written in medium and low level compiled languages (Cobol, PL/I, Assembler) with non-relational databases (IMS, IDMS, etc). Response times of 1-2 sec were routinely achieved.
ATM is relatively new. The first modern ATM was an IBM 2984 and came into use at Lloyd Bank, Brentwood High Street, Essex, England in December 1972. I used these machines in London in 1973, and they were called Cashpoint or 'hole in the wall'.
The electronics in these machines was custom built, based on a VDU display terminal and a customer multi-chip processor. Microprocessors were not available until somewhat later.
No, they did not use punched cards or relays. A little perspective, please!