Abstract:
A method and apparatus for writing clock data to a storage medium, such as a disk, is disclosed. The storage medium has tracks on which data are stored. Clock data is written to a present track on the storage medium. The written clock data is read from said present track. Clock data for a subsequent track on the storage medium is generated from the clock data read from said present track. The phase of the generated clock data for the subsequent track is compared with a reference timing signal and the phase of the generated clock data for the subsequent track is adjusted in accordance with said comparison. Said phase adjusted clock data for the subsequent track is written to said subsequent track. Phase errors can be significantly reduced and, for practical purposes, substantially eliminated. It is not necessary to provide a dedicated clock read/write head.
Abstract:
A buried servo signal (TS) on tape (32) is modulated to provide information. According to the modulation, each of a plurality of sets of cycles (cyc) has at least a selected cycle modulated to represent at least two modulation values. The modulation of the selected cycles of a group of sets of cycles (cyc) provides a string of modulation values. The modulation values form identifiers of longitudinal physical location on tape or other tape identifying information.
Abstract:
A magnetic tape drive dynamically adjusts a transport rate of tape (32) in accordance with a host data rate. The host data rate is assessed in relation to a data fill level of a buffer (116). A controller (130) of the drive compares the data fill level of the buffer with a buffer normalization value and generates an adjustment value for adjusting a signal indicative of the desired linear velocity of the tape. In one embodiment, the controller also dynamically changes the buffer normalization value to reflect e.g., historical performance of the host. In another embodiment the controller adjusts the transport rate when a head (100) is within a predetermined distance of a boundary point whereat the head must change tracks.
Abstract:
A circuit for reading from an optical recording medium having a clock track which is provided in parallel with data tracks and holds recorded clock bits forming a predetermined optical pattern. A reader circuit reads a clock track which contains a series of regularly arranged clock bits and some irregular clock bits that disturb the regularity of the former clock bits. This circuit includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit for receiving the clock signal read from the clock track, and irregular clock detecting means for comparing the clock output of the PLL circuit with the read signal to generate a detect pulse when the disturbing irregular clock bit is detected. Even if the PLL circuit gets unlocked temporarily, the head word is recognized according to irregular clock bits provided in the clock track when the PLL circuit returns to the locked condition. Therefore, the data which are read subsequently can be properly recognized. Further, the invention can be realized without decreasing the recording capacity of the optical recording medium.
Abstract:
A process for encoding and decoding data on the magnetic stripe of a card at any bit density is provided. Data is read from the magnetic stripe of a card and transmitted to a single board computer (110). The single board computer (110) receives the data and determines if the bit density of the card is supported by the computer. If the bit density is supported, the data is sent to a demodulator object (204, 206) to be demodulated and converted to a data stream of ASCII characters. The data stream is then decoded, unpacked and sent to a ticket validator (218) to check the validity of the data. If the bit density is not supported by the computer (110), a demodulator object supporting the bit density can be instantiated.
Abstract:
A magnetic tape (22) is formatted to be interchangeably usable by a plurality of types of devices, including an audio/visual recording/reproducing device (14), a random access recording/reproducing device (16), and a sequential access recording/reproducing device (18). The tape has frames (22) of a plurality of frame types, including control frames and user frames. Each frame has an AUX data structure (300) wherein resides a field which indicates the frame type of the frame. Selected ones of a plurality of control tables or frames (340, 342, 344, 346, 348) are present on the tape in accordance with the type of data recorded on the tape (e.g., audio/visual data and non-audio/visual data) and the particular types of devices which are to utilize the tape. The user frames of the tape have a field in the AUX data structure which specifies the nature of the data therein, e.g., as general purpose data or audio/visual data. The tape has a permanently embedded servo format whereby each of the frames are hard sectored with a permanent physical relationship to the tape.
Abstract:
A magnetic tape drive (40) includes a write transfer channel and a read transfer channel which cause head(s) (100) to transduce data between the drive and a tape (32) at a transfer channel data rate. Relative motion of the tape and the head(s) occurs at a transport rate so that tracks are recorded on or reproduced from the tape. A tape speed controller (133) and variable clock controller (134) dynamically adjust the transfer channel data rate in accordance with the transport rate. Thus the recording of data on the tape and reading of data from the tape occurs at a rate which is related to the linear velocity of the tape.
Abstract:
An optical recording medium having a clock track is provided in parallel with data tracks and holds recorded clock bits forming a predetermined optical pattern. In an optical recording medium having a clock track and a data track, the clock track contains a series of regularly arranged clock bits and some irregular clock bits that disturb the regularity of the former clock bits. Even if the PLL circuit gets unlocked temporarily, the head word is recognized according to irregular clock bits provided in the clock track when the PLL circuit returns to the locked condition. Therefore, the data which are read subsequently can be properly recognized. Further, the invention can be realized without decreasing the recording capacity of the optical recording medium.
Abstract:
A process for encoding and decoding data on the magnetic stripe of a card at any bit density is provided. Data is read from the magnetic stripe of a card and transmitted to a single board computer. The single board computer receives the data and determines if the bit density of the card is supported by the computer. If the bit density is supported, the data is sent to a demodulator object to be demodulated and converted to a data stream of ASCII characters. The data stream is then decoded, unpacked and sent to a ticket validator to check the validity of the data. If the bit density is not supported by the computer, a demodulator object supporting the bit density can be instantiated.
Abstract:
In a method of writing clock data to a storage medium whilst the storage medium is rotating, a burst of clock data is read from a present track. A burst of clock data for a subsequent track on the storage medium is generated in accordance with the burst of clock data read from the present track and its phase adjusted. The phase adjusted burst of clock data is written to the subsequent track. The steps are repeated for plural bursts of clock data around a revolution of the storage medium thereby to write clock data to the subsequent track.