High-density digital data recording/reproducing system

Problems associated with reliably recording and reproducing digital data at densities of 10 to 30 kilobits per inch and the solutions to these problems are discussed. The three problems are skew, dc offset, and tape imperfections. The solutions are to use a 14-track, wideband II tape recorder; record NRZ-L; use a 24-bit sync word, 504-bit frame length, and odd parity in every 8-bit byte; and to employ circuit design techniques that minimize the effects of the remaining dc offset and tape imperfections.