> On Jun 16, 2015, at 12:10 PM, tony duell <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>> As long as we're talking philosophy, what do y'all think about emulating the
>> TU58 drive, vs. emulating the TU58 > *tape*?
>>
>> I cannot properly express my opinion of that tape cartridge design even if I
>> violate list rules about use of
>> profanity. But the drive itself isn't all that bad, aside from not having
>> enough motors to manipulate a
>> well-designed tape cartridge mechanism.
>
> The tape cartridge (along with QIC cartridges, etc) is an interesting design.
> Of course the general problem is
> to run the tape at constant linear speed past the head while winding it off
> one reel onto the other. In general
> there have been 3 solutions to this.
Another solution is to avoid the problem entirely by not requiring constant
linear speed. That’s what DECtape (the real one) does.
>
> One is to drive the tape itself using a capstan and maybe a pinch roller.
> Then have the takeup spool
> driven too fast with a slipping clutch in-line. And a weak brake on the
> supply spool. This of course is what
> was done in audio recorders (reel to reel and cassette), Video recorders
> (ditto), etc.
Or a variant: drive the takeup reel with a controlled torque motor and no slip
clutch. I think professional grade tape decks may have been built that way.
paul
