Recording and playbackk apparatus

摘要

A recording and playback apparatus for recording and playing back onto and from a magnetic tape and utilizable with a memory card adapted to be mounted onto the apparatus. The memory card is adapted to at least one of store operational characteristics for the apparatus to enable automatic setting of the operational characteristics of the apparatus when mounted and, if the apparatus includes a self-diagnostic information unit, the memory card enables storage of at least self-diagnostic information generated upon occurrence of a trouble during operation of the apparatus. The stored self-diagnostic information enables analyzing of the cause of a cause of the trouble occurring during operation of the apparatus at a time subsequent to the occurrence and taking of countermeasures with respect thereto. If the memory card is not mounted or is in a nonwritable state, the apparatus is provided with a storage device for storing the self-diagnostic information. The memory card also enables storage of other information relating to the apparatus.