INFORMATION TRACK FORMAT AND READING AND RECORDING APPARATUSES THEREFOR

摘要

Disclosed is a reading apparatus (Figure 4) capable of reading information recorded on a first longitudinal recording medium, according to a first format, at a first track pitch and having a first track width, the information being read at a given tape velocity, whereby the information can be read from the first medium at a first bit rate. Immediately adjacent tracks exhibit mutually different ones of a first and a second azimuth angles and pilot tones are recorded in information tracks, the frequency of the recorded tones cycling through at least two different frequencies (f1, f2), the reading apparatus comprising at least one read head (11) having the first azimuth angle and at least one read head (12) having the second azimuth angle. The reading apparatus is further adapted to read information recorded on a second longitudinal recording medium, in accordance with a second format (Figure 3) in which the information track pitch is substantially twice the first track pitch, the information track width is greater than the first track width, the tracks on the second medium being read by the reading apparatus at said given velocity, whereby the information may be read from the second medium at substantially half the first bit rate, all of the information tracks on the second medium exhibiting the same azimuth angle, this angle being one of the first and second azimuth angles, all of the information tracks having a pilot tone recorded therein, immediately adjacent tracks containing pilot tones having mutually different ones of at least two frequencies (f1, f2). The adaptation to read information recorded in accordance with the second format comprises the provision of control means (470) which control the apparatus to read information using only the read head (11) exhibiting the same azimuth angle as the information tracks present on the second medium, and to use the other read head (12) only to provide tracking control. A tape in the new format (Figure 3), and a recording apparatus (Figure 5) for producing a tape in the new format are also disclosed.