Johnny Billquist wrote: > Then you can figure out tape speed across the > heads (if you care) by just observing flux changes.
Tony Duell wrote: > Only if there is something on the tape. These computer tape drives could > surely record on a > totally blank tape and get the right number of bits per inch. So the thing > can't use the data rate > at the head as a speed measurement. Not for something that can write a blank tape (e.g. a 7-track or 9-track), but there were other tape systems that required a formatted tape, and servoed the reel motors to the flux transition rate. Obviously the factory had to use a drive with a different tape speed control system to format the tape.
