🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <EziU5DAvAegxEwer@furfax.demon.co.uk>
           derek@furfax.demon.co.uk "derek" writes:

| Have been asked by a friend owning a standard AIWA audio DAT tape
| recorder whether there might exist any interface devices/methods whereby
| he might save much money and backup his PC *without* purchasing a
| further dedicated DAT drive.
|
  No it hasen't been done and I don't believe it can be done for a
  meaningful budget.  About the only thing a DDS (Digital Data Standard)
  drive shares with an audio DAT drive is the transport mechanism and
  head/drum.  Even the recording format is different in the sense that
  the DDS drive stores additonal checksums (ECC level 3) not present in
  the audio version. A short drop out in audio may go undetected by even
  the best ear but a few zeros shoved in the middle of you favourite
  .EXE file will not please you.

| I haven't examined any DAT drives, intended for either straight audio or
| PC digital work, and have no idea whether the 'domestic' variety have
| any electronic control interface to accompany the buttons and (probably)
| an inevitable datastream I/O.
|
| It doesn't take much effort to imagine that given such control I/F,
| what's required (at the least!) is an I/O board to SCSI, ATAPI or what-
| have-you, with an appropriate backup package plus driver. The trick has
| been done with video recorders in the past with variable success I
| gather.
|
   But think of the bandwidth difference. If you really mean to encode
   you data onto an audio signal then you will be running at modem
   speeds.  How long will a 1 GB take to backup at 28.8 KBPS!  The video
   recoder gets away with it because you are modulating a much higher
   frequency signal.

   Sorry but I think this a total non starter.

--
Peter Hayward, Cambridge, UK.      | In a democracy the public will only
peter@cdsl.demon.co.uk             | respect laws if they respect the
tel +44-1223-312-923               | politicians that make them.