Apparatus and method for use in appending data to data previously written on a tape in a helical scan tape recorder system

摘要

An apparatus and method for use in appending data to data that has been previously established on a tape in a helical scan tape recorder that results in the spacing between the appended data and the previously established data being within a defined range. The present invention provides a method for measuring the total delay associated with the write and read circuitry within the recorder and a method and apparatus for using the total delay to initiate the writing of the data to be appended to the previously established data on the tape at the appropriate instant to achieve the desired spacing. An apparatus and method for compensating for inaccuracies in the measured total delay to prevent "creep", i.e., a progressive increase or decrease in the spacing between adjacent data that evidences itself when there are several consecutive appends with the data in each append being established on the record carrier in less than the transient response time of the servo circuitry used to control the relative movement between the device for writing the data on the tape and the tape itself.