Interfacing Digital Magnetic Tape Recorder

Abstract

With availability of computer system at most of the scientific research centres, it has become almost obligatory on the part of the scientists to acquire data directly on digital magnetic tapes. This helps in analysing the data quite accurately, rapidly and more imaginatively than in the past when data was entered into the computer through cards/ punched paper tapes after tiresome hand scaling. Although the digital magnetic tape units are not manufactured in India-they can be imported. Almost all the tape units need customer interfaces to be developed by the user according to the data formats suitable to him. This paper describes a general-purpose interface for PERTEC digital tape recorder. With slight modification, it can be used for most of the tape recorders. The interface generates computer compatible tape. The interface has been built and successfully used for many scientific experiments.

Indexing Terms:

• Digital Magnetic Tape
• Interfacing

Additional information

Notes on contributors

D.V. Subhedar

Subhedar, D.V.: Presently an Electronics Engineer and Engineer-in-charge of the Satellite Telemetry Station of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. After getting BE in Electronics and Telecommunication (Pune University) in 1970, he did his MF. (Electronics and Telecommunication) from the same university in 1973 and joined Physical Research Laboratory as an Electronics Engineer. Was trained at the Naval Research Laboratory, USA in satellite data processing in 1976. In 1978, he completed an International Course in Satellite Communication in Space Applications Centre of Ahmedabad. His present fields of interest are digital communication and data processing.