JPH0668718B2 - Digital data recording / reproducing device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape digital data recording / reproducing apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital recording / reproducing technology has been applied to a wide range of fields, and in particular in the field of digital audio, it has made remarkable progress, and a rotary head type DAT (digital audio tape recorder) has come into practical use.

On the other hand, attempts have been made to apply the digital data recording / reproducing technology using a rotary head type tape such as DAT as a recording medium to an auxiliary storage device of a computer. These devices sequentially record digital data supplied from a computer instead of digitized audio data into each data block which is a preset fixed amount of data format, and at the time of reproduction, on the track as in the case of audio use. The digital data is read out and output as a data block while tracking is performed with the track synchronization signal recorded in 1) as a reference. Further, as a data recording management method, a recording management method suitable for random access, a recording management method suitable for sequential access, and the like have been devised, which enables recording, reproduction, utilization, and storage of extremely large capacity data.

However, in the conventional configuration as described above, when recording is started on one tape, the tape can be used only by the same data recording management method. There is a problem in that the type of data that must be recorded and the type of data that must be recorded and managed by random access cannot be recorded on the same tape.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a digital data recording / reproducing apparatus that realizes a plurality of types of data recording management with the same tape.

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, a digital data recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention has a communication means for transmitting and receiving digital data and control information from an external device, and a plurality of data recording management procedures. A data block recording means for recording data obtained from the communication means in a data block area, and a data volume area including a data block area and a reserved area are formed, and the data volume area has a plurality of data recording management procedures. Data volume forming means for recording the volume identification information and the recording management procedure identification information in the identification information recording area, a tape management information recording means for managing and recording the state of all the data volume areas of the tape, and the data volume area Data volume management means for managing the logical continuation relationship, and And a control means for controlling the recording / reproducing operation.

According to the present invention, with the above-mentioned configuration, a plurality of data volume areas are formed on the tape, a data recording management method is selected for each data volume, and data given together with control information from a computer is instructed by the control information. By recording in the reserved area of the data volume according to the data recording management method of the data volume area, a plurality of types of data management methods described above are realized on the same tape.

Embodiment An embodiment of the digital data recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital data recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 in FIG.
Is a cassette half, 2 is a reel, 3 is a tape, 4 is a cylinder, 5a and 5b are heads, 6 is a capstan for running the tape 3, 7 is a mechanism control for controlling the operation of the reel 2, the cylinder 4 and the capstan 6. The section 8 encodes digital data in the recording operation and supplies the recording signal to the heads 5a and 5b, and in the reproducing operation, separates the track synchronization signal from the reproduction signal obtained from the heads 5a and 5b, and the mechanism control section 7 receives the track synchronization signal. Reference numeral 9 denotes a signal processing unit for transmitting a signal, decoding the reproduced signal and outputting digital data, and 9 assists a volume identification code as identification information of a data volume area and a recording management code indicating a data recording management method in a recording operation. The data is supplied to the signal processing unit 8 and in the reproducing operation, the volume identification code and the recording management are performed. An auxiliary data processing unit for outputting extracts over de. Reference numeral 10 is a communication unit that transmits and receives digital data and control information to and from an external device, and 11 is a data buffer that temporarily stores the digital data sent and received by the communication unit 10. Reference numeral 12 has two kinds of recording management modes, that is, a sequential access recording management mode and a random access recording management mode, and controls the data transfer of the data buffer 11 according to each recording management mode, and the volume identification code from the auxiliary data processor 9 And 13 is a data block recording / reproducing control unit for transmitting and receiving the recording management code, which has the two types of recording management modes and controls the data transfer of the data buffer 11, and the auxiliary data processing unit 9 controls the volume identification code and the volume identification code. It is a data volume recording control unit that exchanges a recording management code.
Reference numeral 14 is a header processing unit that manages the states of all the data volume areas on the tape 1, and 15 is a data volume management unit that manages the logical continuation relationship of all the data volume areas. Reference numeral 16 denotes a system control unit which inputs the control information from the communication unit 10 and controls a series of recording / reproducing operations.

The operation of the digital data recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above includes a data recording / reproducing operation which is a basic operation and a data management operation which is a practical operation, which will be described in detail below.

First, the data recording / reproducing operation, which is the basic operation, will be described. The data recording / reproducing operation includes a track forming operation, a track reproducing operation, and a main data rewriting operation.

In the track forming operation, the data volume recording control unit 13 executes basic control. In FIG.
The data volume recording controller 13 is a system controller 16
An operation command is given to the mechanism control unit 7 via the data buffer 11 from an external device via the communication unit 10.
The data temporarily stored in the signal processor 8 is transferred to the signal processor 8 as main data, and the auxiliary data is supplied to the auxiliary data processor 9. The mechanism control unit 7 applies tension to the reel 2 in accordance with the control command, drives the tape 3 at a constant speed by rotating the capstan 6 at a constant speed, and further rotates the cylinder 4 at a constant speed. The signal processing unit 8 processes the auxiliary data supplied from the auxiliary data processing unit 9 and the main data supplied from the data buffer 11 to add a track synchronizing signal, converts the track forming signal into a track forming signal, and outputs the track forming signal to the heads 5a and 5b. By sequentially outputting, oblique tracks are continuously formed on the tape 3.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of tracks on the tape 3 formed by the track forming operation. One track shown by an arrow A in FIG. 2 is composed of an auxiliary data recording area shown by an arrow B, a track synchronization signal recording area shown by an arrow C, and a main data recording area shown by an arrow D. . Further, as shown by E, a plurality of tracks having the same structure as the track shown by the arrow A are continuously formed on the tape 3.

In the track reproduction operation, the data block recording / reproduction control unit 12 executes basic control. In FIG. 1, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 is a system control unit 16
An operation command is given to the mechanism control unit 7 via. The signal processing unit 8 extracts a track synchronization signal from the reproduction signals output from the heads 5a and 5b and outputs it to the mechanism control unit 7. The mechanism controller 7 applies tension to the reel 2 and performs synchronous control of the rotational speed of the capstan 6 and the rotational phase of the cylinder 4 on the basis of the track synchronization signal so that the heads 5a and 5b are formed on the tape 3. Accurately trace the track. On the other hand, the signal processing unit 8 processes the reproduced signal and outputs the auxiliary data to the auxiliary data processing unit 9 and the main data to the data buffer 11. The data block recording / reproducing control section 12 can accurately read the data recorded on the tape 3 by sequentially transferring the main data temporarily stored in the data buffer 11 as data to the communication section 10.

The main data rewriting operation is an operation for changing only the main data portion of the track formed on the tape 3, but in this case, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 1
2 performs the basic control. In FIG. 1, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 gives a control command to the mechanism control unit 7 via the system control unit 16, and the data temporarily stored in the data buffer 11 from the external device via the communication unit 10 is transferred. The signal is transferred to the signal processing unit 8. The mechanism control section 7 accurately traces the heads 5a and 5b to the tracks formed on the tape 3 on the basis of the track synchronizing signal given from the signal processing section 8, as in the case of the track reproducing operation. The signal processing unit 8 processes the above-mentioned data supplied from the data buffer 11 as main data, generates a recording signal of the main data recording area shown in FIG. 2D, and synchronizes with the rotation phase of the cylinder 4 to move the head 5a, The main data recording area is rewritten by outputting only when 5b passes through the main data recording area. That is, in the main data rewriting operation, only the main data recording area is changed.

Next, the data management operation, which is a practical operation of this embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The data management operation includes a data volume creating operation, a data block rewriting operation, a data block reading operation, and a header recording / reproducing operation. Further, the data volume creating operation, the data block rewriting operation, and the data block reading operation have two recording management modes, a random access recording management mode and a sequential access recording management mode, respectively. In step 17 of FIG. 3, the system control unit 16 interprets the control information given from the external device via the communication unit 10 and determines the type of data management operation requested by the external device. If it is a volume creation operation, in step 18, data volume recording control information is generated and transferred to the data volume recording control unit 13,
Alternatively, if it is the data block rewriting operation or the data block reading operation, the data block recording / reproducing information is generated and transferred to the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 in Steps 19 and 20, and if it is the header recording / reproducing operation, Step At 21, the header recording / playback control information is generated and transferred to the header processing unit 14.

In the data volume creating operation, the data volume recording control unit 13 selects the recording management mode indicated in the data volume recording control information in step 22, and proceeds to step 23 or step 24 according to the selection, and records the data volume. Using the volume identification code indicated in the control information and the recording management code indicating the type of the selected recording management mode as auxiliary data, the above-mentioned track forming operation is performed on the data volume of the number of tracks designated by the data volume recording control information. To create on tape 3.

In FIG. 4, F and G show the two data volume areas created on the tape 3. F is formed in the sequential access recording management mode in step 23, and G is formed in the random access recording management mode in step 24. In FIG. 4, arrows H and I respectively indicate two data block areas recorded in the random access recording management mode included in the data volume area G.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of the data block areas H and I. The data block area is formed according to the selected recording management mode control procedure. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a data block having a preset data amount is constructed from the data temporarily stored in the data buffer 11 from the external device via the communication unit 10 and the recording management data required for random access. The data blocks are recorded in the main data recording areas of a plurality of the tracks, and in the example shown in FIG. 5, the data blocks are formed in units of four tracks. An arrow J in FIGS. 4 and 5 indicates a reserved area. When the number of data blocks to be recorded is insufficient with respect to the number of tracks of the data volume indicated by the data volume recording control information, the reserved area is used by the data volume recording control unit 13 from the data buffer 11 to the signal processing unit 8 as a dummy. This is an area composed of tracks in which data is transferred and the dummy data is recorded in the main data area. Therefore, the reserved area is not formed when the data block to be recorded does not run short, or when instructed by the data volume recording control information. As described above, in the data volume creating operation, the data volume recording control unit 13 creates on the tape 3 the data volume area of the designated number of tracks, which is composed of the data block area and the reserved area.

When the data volume recording control information indicates a logical continuation relationship with the specific volume recording area already formed on the tape 3, the data volume recording control unit 13 determines that the specific data volume area is The same recording management mode as the above recording management mode is selected, and a new data volume area is formed. At this time, in the process of step 25, the data volume management unit 15 receives the data volume recording control information from the data volume recording control unit 13, adds a continuation code indicating the logical continuation relationship to the auxiliary data, and adds the new data. Data volume area.

FIG. 6 shows the state of the data volume recording area on the tape 3. In FIG. 6, K indicates a newly formed data volume area which is designated as a continuation relationship with the data volume area F. Both the data volume areas F and K are formed in the sequential access recording management mode, and the two data volume areas are treated as logically continuous areas.

Next, the data block rewriting operation will be described. In the data block rewriting operation, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 determines the designated data block area to be rewritten from the data volume identification information shown in the data block recording / reproducing control information given from the system control unit 16 in step 26. Of the corresponding data volume exists, the volume identification code is referred to, the corresponding data volume area is searched on the tape 3, and the recording management code is obtained from the auxiliary data processing unit 9. Next, the data block recording / reproducing unit 12 shifts to the recording management mode indicated by the recording management code in step 27, and the data block rewriting operation is already formed on the tape 3 in step 28 according to the control procedure. It is determined whether it is realized by changing the contents of (1) or by creating a new data block area. In the case where the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 forms a data block from the data to be recorded and the recording management data of the data according to the control procedure of the recording management mode, and then the contents of the designated data block area are changed. In step 29, if the main data recording area of the designated data block is to create the new data block area, the main data from the first track of the reserved area corresponding to step 30 or 31 is created. The recording areas are rewritten by the main data rewriting operation described above.

FIG. 7 shows the state on the tape 3 of the data block area changed from the state shown in FIG. 4 by the data block rewriting operation. In FIG. 7, an arrow L indicates a new data block area converted by the main data rewriting operation from the head area of the reserved area according to the control procedure of the sequential access recording management mode in step 31. On the other hand, the arrow M indicates that the data content of the already formed data block area H has been changed by the main data rewriting operation according to the control procedure of the random access recording management mode in step 29. As described above, in the data block rewriting operation, a random write function that rewrites an arbitrary data block area of an arbitrary data volume area or a new data volume is added to an arbitrary data volume area according to the recording management mode of the data volume area. An append function for adding a block area can be realized.

If the reserved area becomes insufficient and the data block area cannot be appended, the continuation relationship described in the explanation of step 25 of the data volume forming operation is specified to form the data volume area, and thereby the data block is formed. The area can be recorded.

Next, the data block reading operation will be described. In the data block read operation, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12 identifies the data block area to be reproduced indicated in the data block recording / reproducing control information in step 32 and the identification code of the data volume area including the data block area. And record management code are analyzed and selected. Next, step 33 and step 34
The data block area of the corresponding data volume area is reproduced by the track reproduction operation described above, and the recording management data is referred to from the reproduction data temporarily stored in the data buffer 11 according to the control procedure indicated by the recording management code. Select the data to be output by the communication unit 10
The data block read operation is completed by transferring the data block to an external device via the. That is, in the data block read operation, a random data read function can be realized according to the recording management mode of the data volume area.

Next, the header recording / reproducing operation will be described. The header processing unit 14 analyzes the header recording / reproducing control information in step 35, and when it analyzes the header recording operation, in step 36, the tape 3 indicated in the header recording / reproducing information is recorded.
The volume identification information, the recording management code, and the continuation code of all the above data volume areas are recorded in the header area shown by N in FIG. In the header reproducing operation, the process proceeds to step 37 and the volume identification information, the recording management code and the continuation code are read from the reproduction signal of the header area N and transferred to the system control unit 16.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12, the data volume recording control unit 13, and the system control unit 16, one or more data volume areas are formed on the tape 3. It is possible to specify the recording management method of the data in each data volume area. That is, the most suitable data recording is made by selecting the data management method, the data capacity of the data block, etc. according to the type of data to be recorded, and organizing a plurality of types of data on the same tape as data volume classification items. It can be recorded by a management method. Further, by providing the header processing unit 14 and the data volume management unit 15, it is possible to set a logical continuation relationship in the data volume area, so that the reserved area does not run short, and all the data volume areas on the tape 3 are Since the management contents are recorded in the header, the system control unit 16 can immediately manage the recording state on the tape 3 even when the cassette half 1 is replaced.

The system control unit 16, the data block recording / reproducing control unit 12, the data volume recording control unit 13, the header processing unit 14, the data volume management unit 15, the auxiliary data processing unit 9, and the mechanism control unit 7 are independent control units or Although the processing unit is used, some of them may be integrated and configured by a microcomputer and implemented as software.

As described above, according to the present invention, the communication means, the data block recording means, the data volume forming means, the tape management information recording means, the data volume managing means, and the controlling means are provided, and the data volume forming is performed. The means and the data block recording means each have one or more data recording management procedures to form one or more data volume areas on the tape, and the data recording management to be used for each data volume area. By setting a procedure, digital data to be recorded can be recorded in an arbitrary data volume area in accordance with the above respective data recording management procedure. That is, a plurality of types of data transferred from an external device can be sorted and recorded on the same tape by using the above-mentioned data volume as a sorting item and sorting according to the most suitable data recording management procedure according to each type. Is. Moreover, since it is possible to define a logical continuation relationship of a plurality of the data volume areas and to collectively manage the state of the data volume areas of the entire tape, practical data management can be easily realized. The effect is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of tracks formed on a tape, FIG. 3 is a flow chart of data management operation, and FIG. 4 is data formed on a tape. 5 is a block diagram of the volume area, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the data block area formed on the tape, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the data volume area newly formed on the tape in a continuous relationship, and FIG. 7 is the tape. It is a block diagram of the data block area changed above. 1 ... cassette half, 2 ... reel, 3 ... tape,
4 ... Cylinder, 5a, 5b ... Head, 6 ... Capstan, 7 ... Mechanism control section, 8 ... Signal processing section,
9 ... Auxiliary data processing unit, 10 ... Communication unit, 11 ... Data buffer, 12 ... Data block recording / reproducing control unit, 13 ... Data volume recording control unit, 14 ... Header processing unit, 15 ... Data Volume manager, 16 ...
… System control unit.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A digital data recording / reproducing apparatus for forming an oblique track on a tape by rotating one or more heads, the communication means transmitting and receiving digital data and control information from an external device. Data block recording means for recording a data block, which is a series of data including data obtained from the communication means, in a data block area which is a set of a plurality of continuous tracks on the tape, and an arbitrary number of the data block areas including zero. Data volume forming means for forming a data volume area which is a set of an arbitrary number of continuous tracks including zero and zero and which is a reserved area which is an area continuous with the data block area, and the data block recording according to the control information. Means and control means for controlling the data volume forming means. Digital data recording and reproducing apparatus characterized by having each of one or more data records management means and data block recording means and the data volume forming means. 2. The data volume forming means records volume identification information peculiar to the data volume area and recording management procedure identification information peculiar to the data recording management procedure as a part of the data volume area and preset identification information recording. 2. The digital data recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control procedure for recording in the area. 3. The volume identification information of all the data volume areas formed on the tape and the recording procedure identification information of each data recording management procedure are set in advance so as not to belong to the data volume area on the tape. 2. The digital data recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising tape management information recording means for recording in the tape management information recording area. 4. An identification information recording area, which is a preset area which is a part of the data volume area, and a logical continuation relationship of a plurality of data volume areas formed on the tape, and the data on the tape. 2. A data volume management means for recording in a tape management information recording area, which is a preset area not belonging to the volume area, or for recording in any area. The described digital data recording / reproducing apparatus.