Patent ID: 6510018
Filing Date: 2003-01-21
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A method for checking adjusting statuses of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, which comprises a rotary drum, a rotary head secured on the rotary drum for recording and reproducing information on a magnetic tape using a helical scanning method, a control head for recording and reproducing a control signal on the magnetic tape, a servo means for controlling a tracking value corresponding to a distance from a magnetic tape trace position by the control head to a magnetic tape trace position by the rotary head, and a system control means which controls operation of the whole apparatus and has a tracking value set to a present value;the method for checking adjustment statuses being executed after a standard magnetic tape having a reference track recorded using the helical scanning method is loaded into the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and the system control means receives a command to start a play mode for checking adjustment statuses; and the method for checking adjustment statuses of the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprising the steps of: (a) setting a play mode for tracing a track of the standard magnetic tape by the rotary head, according to a command sent from the system control means to the servo means, and then varying the tracking value in stages within a predetermined range; (b) generating an envelope detected output having a magnitude corresponding to an output from the rotary head for each of a plurality of tracking values within the predetermined range; (c) sampling values of the envelope detected output in predetermined positions within a single tracing by the rotary head, for each of the plurality of tracking value within the predetermined range; (d) obtaining a tracking value corresponding to a maximum of the values sampled from the envelope detected output; and (e) outputting a result of a check on whether the preset value is within a predetermined permissible range, according to a difference between the obtained tracking value and the preset value; wherein said step (b), step (c), step (d), and step (e) are executed by an external device which exchanges signals with the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus.