Abstract:
A data signal read from magnetic tape is converted from an analog signal into a digital signal by hard limiting. This hardlimited data signal is combined with an indication as to whether the amplitude of the digital signal is above a predetermined threshold and then passed to the control unit operating with the tape drive. The control unit, in turn, detects the data, checks for parity error, phase error, and amplitude error and provides control signals back to the tape drive. These control signals are used to change the predetermined threshold used by the tape drive. The predetermined threshold is changed by these control signals in accordance with detection of a history of good data and in accordance with errors in the record block.