Patent GB-1223891-A (GB)
Title: Data transfer
Inventor: EPSTEIN BARRY MICHAEL
IPC: G11B20/12
Filed: 1968-04-10
Abstract: 1,223,891. Transfer between digital data stores. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. Inc. 10 April, 1968 [12 April, 1967], No. 17257/68. Heading G4C. Data is tranferred from a first tape to a second tape in response to detection of the trailing edge of a first copy control pulse on the first tape and stopped in response to detection of the trailing edge of a second such pulse, the first tape then being reversed to before the second pulse. Blocks of data recorded continuously on a multi-track magnetic "data" tape are transferred to a multi-track magnetic "computer" tape with insertion of inter-block gaps as follows. A separate track of the data tape holds a copy control "pulse" for each block. When the leading edge of a given copy control "pulse" is read the computer tape is started (assuming this block is required-see next paragraph) and brought to operating speed by the time the trailing edge of the copy control "pulse" is read, the latter event initiating transfer of the associated block to the computer tape. When the trailing edge of the next copy control "pulse" is read, transfer ceases, both tapes are stopped, and the data tape is driven in reverse for an interval defined by a single-shot to permit it, on starting forward again, to reach operating speed before encountering the leading edge of the last-mentioned copy control "pulse", when the above operations occur for the next block. The control circuits also respond to transducers in the tape drives indicating direction of tape movement. Each copy control "pulse" consists of 80 bits, the first 10 being ones, the next 36 specifying the address of the block and the last 34 being ones. A count-10 counter and a count- 36 counter, driven in turn by bit-time clock pulses from another track on the data tape, prevent the trailing edges of bits in the blockaddress portion being taken as the trailing edge of the copy control "pulse". As each copy control "pulse" is read, the block address portion is passed into a shift register and compared with the next of a plurality of addresses from an address store. Transfer of a block as described above, including movement of the computer tape, only occurs if the comparison on the last but one copy control "pulse" gave equality. The address store may be a magnetic tape, disc or drum or a punched card reader, switches or computer. Reformatting occurs during transfer, using a plugboard, followed by a scanner switch for conversion from parallel to serial-parallel. The scanner switch is driven by the bit-time clock pulses from the data tape, frequency-multiplied. These frequency-multiplied clock pulses may also drive a counter which is started at the beginning of each block by a frame (block) pulse from a further track on the data tape. The count is compared with a plurality of numbers set up by the operator to enable gates to pass only certain portions of each block emerging from the scanner switch to the computer tape. A block may consist of digitized samples from 48 inputs, recorded 3 in line across the data tape at each position. The data tape may also hold parity information.