Magnetic tape - Revision history

Jnc: /* External links */ +Storage of Numbers on Magnetic Tape

2025-06-02T14:05:04Z

‎External links: +Storage of Numbers on Magnetic Tape

Jnc: /* External links */ +Digital Magnetic Tape Recording

2024-02-12T16:58:00Z

‎External links: +Digital Magnetic Tape Recording

Jnc: +New cat

2023-05-03T14:20:13Z

+New cat

Jnc: New cat

2022-05-30T12:10:57Z

New cat

Jnc: +cat

2018-12-13T14:43:22Z

+cat

Jnc: Proper cat

2018-10-20T00:03:53Z

Proper cat

Jnc: Avoid redir

2018-05-31T01:35:41Z

Avoid redir

Jnc: typos

2018-01-19T12:40:40Z

typos

Jnc: An OK start

2017-10-08T20:11:37Z

An OK start

New page

'''Magnetic tape''' (as distinguished from [[paper tape]], another early popular [[secondary storage]] medium) has been a popular bulk secondary storage medium for computers from the earliest days.

Once [[disk]]s became cheap, it was relegated to use for [[backup]]s, but it remained popular in that use until recently. It has always had a very low cost per bit, since a reel of tape has much more surface area (and thus space for data) than any other physical form.

It consists of a [[magnetic storage|magnetic medium]] applied to flexible medium, usually plastic tape (although the [[UNIVAC I]] used thin metal tape), and wound on a reel. Mounted on a [[tape drive]], the tape is moved across a [[head]] onto a takeup reel, and data can be written to, and read from, the tape as it moves over the head.

For many years the standard width was 1/2"; leengths were typically 1,200 feet and 2,400 feet, on a maxium reel size of 10-1/2". Originally data was stored in 7 parallel tracks (6 data, and 1 parity), but this was soon replaced with 9 tracks (8 data, and 1 parity). 7-track recording densities started at 200 bit per inch, increased to 556, and ended at 800. 9-track started at 800, and increaed to 1600 and 6250.

More recently, oper reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.

{{stub}}

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 * [http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/tapeint.htm Digital Magnetic Tape Recording] - good overview
 [[Category: Device Basics]]
 [[Category: Magnetic Tape]]
 [[Category: Mass Storage]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 {{semi-stub}}
 [[Category: Device Basics]]
 [[Category: Magnetic Tape]]
 [[Category: Mass Storage]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Magnetic tape''' (as distinguished from [[paper tape]], another early popular [[secondary storage]] medium) has been a popular bulk secondary storage medium for computers from the earliest days.
+'''Magnetic tape''' (as distinguished from [[paper tape]], another early popular [[secondary storage]] medium) has been a popular bulk [[mass storage]] medium for computers from the earliest days.
-Once [[disk]]s became cheap, it was relegated to use for [[backup]]s, but it remained popular in that use until recently. It has always had a very low cost per bit, since a reel of tape has much more surface area (and thus space for data) than any other physical form.
+Once [[disk]]s became cheap, tape was relegated to use for [[backup]]s, but it remained popular in that use until recently. It has always had a very low cost per bit, since a reel of tape has much more surface area (and thus space for data) than any other physical form.
 It consists of a [[magnetic storage|magnetic medium]] applied to flexible medium, usually plastic tape (although the [[UNIVAC I]] used thin metal tape), and wound on a reel. Mounted on a [[magnetic tape drive|tape drive]], the tape is moved across a [[head]] onto a takeup reel, and data can be written to, and read from, the tape as it moves over the head.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 [[Category: Device Basics]]
 [[Category: Magnetic Tape]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 It consists of a [[magnetic storage|magnetic medium]] applied to flexible medium, usually plastic tape (although the [[UNIVAC I]] used thin metal tape), and wound on a reel. Mounted on a [[magnetic tape drive|tape drive]], the tape is moved across a [[head]] onto a takeup reel, and data can be written to, and read from, the tape as it moves over the head.
-For many years the standard width was 1/2"; lengths were typically 1,200 feet and 2,400 feet, on a maxium reel size of 10-1/2". Originally data was stored in 7 parallel tracks (6 data, and 1 parity), but this was soon replaced with 9 tracks (8 data, and 1 parity). 7-track recording densities started at 200 bit per inch, increased to 556, and ended at 800. 9-track started at 800, and increaed to 1600 and 6250.
+For many years the standard width was 1/2"; lengths were typically 1,200 feet and 2,400 feet, on a maxium reel size of 10-1/2". Originally data was stored in 7 parallel tracks (6 data, and 1 parity), but this was soon replaced with 9 tracks (8 data, and 1 parity). 7-track recording densities started at 200 bit per inch, increased to 556, and ended at 800. 9-track started at 800, and then increased to 1600 and 6250.
 More recently, open reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 [[Category: Device Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:43, 13 December 2018
Line 10:		Line 10:

	{{semi-stub}}		{{semi-stub}}
		+
		+	[[Category: Device Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:03, 20 October 2018
Line 9:		Line 9:
	More recently, open reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.		More recently, open reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.

−	{{stub}}	+	{{semi-stub}}

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 It consists of a [[magnetic storage|magnetic medium]] applied to flexible medium, usually plastic tape (although the [[UNIVAC I]] used thin metal tape), and wound on a reel. Mounted on a [[tape drive]], the tape is moved across a [[head]] onto a takeup reel, and data can be written to, and read from, the tape as it moves over the head.
-For many years the standard width was 1/2"; leengths were typically 1,200 feet and 2,400 feet, on a maxium reel size of 10-1/2". Originally data was stored in 7 parallel tracks (6 data, and 1 parity), but this was soon replaced with 9 tracks (8 data, and 1 parity). 7-track recording densities started at 200 bit per inch, increased to 556, and ended at 800. 9-track started at 800, and increaed to 1600 and 6250.
+For many years the standard width was 1/2"; lengths were typically 1,200 feet and 2,400 feet, on a maxium reel size of 10-1/2". Originally data was stored in 7 parallel tracks (6 data, and 1 parity), but this was soon replaced with 9 tracks (8 data, and 1 parity). 7-track recording densities started at 200 bit per inch, increased to 556, and ended at 800. 9-track started at 800, and increaed to 1600 and 6250.
-More recently, oper reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.
+More recently, open reels of tape started to be supplanted by various types of cartridges; over times, cartridges took over, and open reel tape is now more or less extinct.
 {{stub}}