Monitor for visually indicating wear on record media

摘要

A device for dynamically indicating relative wear in a magnetic tape cartridge in which a specially identifiable signal is recorded on a separate track from that used for normal recording. Upon playback, the specially identifiable signal is recovered and compared with a "clean" reference signal to provide an error signal indicative of the amount of flutter present. The error signal sequentially activates an array of LED's to provide a relative, easily interpreted indication of the amount of flutter and hence of the extent of wear in the tape and cartridge.