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Magnetic tape

Magnetic tape is a narrow plastic ribbon coated with an easily magnetisable


material on which data can be recorded. It is used in sound recording,
audiovisual systems (videotape), and computing.
Magnetic tape was first used to record computer data and programs in 1951. It
was very popular as a storage medium for external memory in the 1950s and
1960s. Since then magnetic disks have largely replaced it as a working medium,
although tape is still used to make backup copies of important data.
Information is recorded on the tape in binary form, with two different strengths of
signal representing 1 and 0. It is common for 20000 bits of information to be
recorded on each centimeter of tape. Magnetic tape has serial access - an item
can only be accessed by working through all the items before it. The device that
reads the tape is the Tape Drive or Tape Unit.
There are two common forms of Magnetic Tape:

Reel-to-Reel Magnetic Tape


Reels Large reels of tape which must be loaded
into a reel-to-reel tape drive. This type of tape is
usually used by mainframe computers.

Cartridge Magnetic Tape


Cartridges
The tape is supplied in a small cartridge rather
like a music tape. This type of tape is used on
PCs (microcomputers) and the device used to
read/write the tapes is called a tape streamer.
Capacities of cartridges vary from 10Gb to
200Gb.

A character (a letter of the alphabet, digit, etc) is stored as a pattern of magnetic


spots across the width of the tape. The magnetic spots may be recorded on 8
invisible lines called tracks. An extra bit, the parity bit is stored on the 9th track
called the parity track. The parity bits are a means for checking data integrity
and error correction.

Parity check
1. Add the numbers of 1s in a column.
A

T ra c k 1

T ra c k 2

T ra c k 3

T ra c k 4

T ra c k 5

T ra c k 6

T ra c k 7

T ra c k 8

T ra c k 9

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7
Track 8
Track 9

1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0

0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1

Even parity

1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1

0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0

For even parity:


If total is even then put
a zero in the 9th track.
If total is odd then put
a one in the 9th track.

For odd parity:


If total is even then put
a one in the 9th track.
If total is odd then put
a zero in the 9th track.

Odd parity

Data on the medium is stored in groups called blocks with a gap, called inter
block gap, between the data blocks. The inter block gap allows the software to
position the tape for recording or playing at specific record numbers. Remember
that to reach a particular block, all previous blocks must be searched (serial
access). Physical markers are used to indicate the ends of the tape, and may be
metallic foil, clear plastic or software markers encoded on the tape.

Inter block gap

Data block

Data block

Data block

Data block

Data block

Data block

Magnetic tape systems are only found in large computer installations and they
have a limited use. In fact, magnetic tapes are mainly used for backing-up data,
archival purposes, and payroll files. The main disadvantage of the magnetic
tape is that they are slow, because they are sequential access devices. Note
that the magnetic tape has the largest access time from all secondary storage
devices. Tapes have the advantage of being inexpensive, and rather reliable

Data block

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