A low overhead error correction system for multi-track recorders

An error correction system for use with multitrack parallel recording of High Density Digital Recording on magnetic tape is described. The system corrects for error bursts of any length on two tracks, simultaneously, providing improvements in bit error rate on the order of 10⁶Calculated theoretical performance curves are provided and compared with actual test data. The test described is one in which new, unconditioned magnetic tape was used, which provided an uncorrected error rate on the order of 10^-5and a corrected, or output error rate less than 1 in 10¹⁰.