Correct Answer - Option 3 : A low quality of tape and tape transport mechanism is required
Digital Recorder:
- Digital magnetic tapes are often used as storage devices in digital data processing applications.
- Digital tape units are of two types, incremental and synchronous.
Incremental digital recorders:
- These are commanded to step ahead (increment) for each digital character to be recorded.
- Input data may be at a relatively slow, or even discontinuous rate.
- In this way, each character is equally and precisely spaced along with the tape.
Synchronous digital recorder:
- These tape moves at a constant speed (about 75 cm/s) while a large number of data characters are recorded.
- The data inputs are at precise rates, up to tens of thousands of characters per second.
- The tape is rapidly brought up to speed, recording takes place, and the tape is brought to a fast stop.
- In this way, a block of characters (a record) is written with each character spaced equally along with the tape.
Advantages of Digital Recording:
- High accuracy.
- Insensitivity to tape speed.
- Use of simple conditioning equipment.
- The information is fed directly to a digital computer for processing
Disadvantages of Digital Recording:
- Poor tape economy.
- The information from transducers is in analog form, hence an A/D converter is required.
- A high-quality tape and tape transport mechanism are required.
