JPS5979403A - Tape recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce a tape recorded by a winding type multi-head with a thin film multi-head by using a reproduction multi-head having the width equivalent to the sum of the width of two tracks and the prescribed guard band width. CONSTITUTION:A thin film multi-head which forms a format 2 consists of 16 head units, and these head units are set for every two units close to each other to be formed into eight pairs. These eight pairs of head units are distributed with prescribed spaces, that is, the space is set at (2w3+w4+2w5) or (w1+ 2w2) between two tracks and other two tracks. Thus it is sufficient to move a head to each of tracks 31-38 in case a tape recorded in a format 1 is reproduced by a 16-track reproduction multi-head. In other words, just eight among 16 heads suffice. When the thin film multi-head is used for recording, it is possible to perform recording/reproduction with 16 bit and 16 track in both going and coming-back movements respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape recorder suitable for use in recording and reproducing digital audio signals.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY AND PROBLEMS Digital tape recorders, which have been developed in recent years, record PCM audio digital signals on multi-tracks on a magnetic tape and reproduce them. In this case, if we consider increasing the number of bits of the PCM signal and recording a 16-bit PCM signal back and forth on the tape, the number of tracks will be 16 on the forward path, 16 on the backward path, and a track for check bits will be provided. A total of 67 to 68 tracks need to be formed in parallel along the length of the tape.

It is extremely difficult to construct a multi-head for forming such a large number of tracks using an ordinary wire-wound magnetic head due to problems such as winding space and crosstalk. Thin film magnetic heads have been developed to solve this problem. Thin-film magnetic heads were developed using magnetic thin-film technology and microfabrication technology that have accompanied advances in IC and semiconductor packaging in recent years.
It became possible to form a large number of tracks on a tape.

However, thin-film heads are still in the early stages of development, and it is thought that it will take some time before they can be put into practical use. For this reason, in the early stages of commercialization of digital tape recorders, conventional wire-wound multiheads with a small number of tracks are used, and it is conceivable that there will be a subsequent shift to thin film multiheads with a large number of tracks. In that case, it would be impossible to play back a tape recorded on a wire-wound multi-bed with a tape recorder using a thin-film multi-head because the number of tracks would be different. In other words, compatibility becomes incompatible.

Purpose of the invention The present invention provides a thin J-type tape recorded with a wire-wound multi-head.
IS! The present invention provides a tape recorder that is capable of playback using multiple heads.

Summary of the Invention The present invention comprises a plurality of pairs of two thin film heads that are close to each other and are arranged at predetermined intervals, and the distance between the two tracks formed by the pair and the two adjacent tracks is as described above. This tape recorder is equipped with a reproducing multi-head whose size is the sum of the width of a book track and the width of a predetermined guard band.

In the drawings, (1) shows a tape format recorded with a wire-wound multihead, and (2) shows a tape format recorded with a thin film multihead.

In the illustrations, only data tracks are shown, and in format (1), the outward track indicated by arrow A is 8.
Book tracks (61) to (68) are formed, and eight tracks (39)-" (316) are formed between these tracks (61) to (68) as return tracks indicated by arrow B. In this case, the track width w1 is, for example, 1
For example, the width w2 of the 10 μm band is 80 μm.

In format (2), 1 is used as the outbound track.
6 tracks (41X42) ~ (41,) (416)
is formed. In this case each track is a track (4
1X42), (43X44), (45X46),
- (4,5×416) pairs are formed, and the two tracks forming each pair are formed close to each other via a thin guard band. Between these outbound track pairs, the return track (417) (418), (419X4
20) and ~(4318432) are formed in pairs as in the outward route.

Each track pair of this format (2) is formed at a position corresponding to the corresponding tracks (61) to (6+6) of format (1), respectively. For example, truck (41)
(42) and the thin guard band (5) between them are tracks (3,),! It is formed at the knee H position. In addition, tracks (4,) to (43□) in format (2)
The track width w3 is, for example, 45 μrn, and the track width w3 of the flll
The narrow guard band width W4 is, for example, 20 μm7'i,
Guard band width between outbound truck and return truck
5 is, for example, 80 μm (-w2).

The thin-film multi-head for forming format (2) is composed of 16 -.rad units, which are arranged in pairs of two close to each other to form eight pairs, and each pair is arranged at a predetermined interval. . In that case, the distance between the two tracks formed on each bear is (2w3 +w4
+2 W5 ) or (V/1 +2 w2), each pair is arranged.

When playing back a tape recorded in format (1) using a 16-track playback multihead configured with TM in this way, it is necessary to operate eight of the pairs of heads on tracks (31) to (68). good.

Further, when recording with a thin film multi-head, recording and reproduction of 16 bits and 16 tracks can be performed in each of the forward and backward passes.

When recording in format (1) using an 8-track wire-wound multihead, for example, if the tape speed is Zl.
cm/sT! c. The recording density is about 50 bits, 7 inches, and the transmission rate is about 1M pits/form. 16 again
Format using track thin film multihead (1)
For example, when recording at a tape speed of 4.75c77
I/Hiroshi, linear density 100, bit 7 inches, transmission rate approximately 2M
Done in bits/expressions.

When playing back a tape recorded in format (1) under the above conditions using a thin film multi-head, the tape speed should be set to 7.
．． It has been confirmed that by setting I CW1/sea, the bandwidth of the playback signal is almost the same as when playing back format (1) tapes, and no changes to the digital processing circuit system are required. .

What are the effects of the invention?A tape recorder using a wire-wound multihead and a tape recorder using a thin film multihead? When recording, a tape recorded with a wire-wound multihead can be played back with a thin film multihead.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing shows a tape format according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, in the codes used in the drawings, (2) ・ Tape format (41) ~ (
432)・It is a truck. Agents: Katsutsune Ueya, Yoshikazu Kaneo, Takashi Otsugiura

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of bears are arranged at predetermined intervals using two thin film heads close to each other as bears, and the distance between the two tracks formed by the bears and the two additional tracks is the width of the two tracks. A tape recorder equipped with a reproduction multi-head whose size is the sum of a predetermined guard band width.