Abstract: In a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus having a multi-track head for writing a digital signal on a magnetic recording medium, a plurality of head of the multi-track head is electrically divided into a plurality of groups which are respectively driven by writing currents produced in accordance with a plurality of modulated signals indicative of input digital data. The writing currents fed to the heads of the same group are produced in response to a pulse signal such that a plurality of pulse signals having different phases are used for respective groups. The head in the same group are positioned so that they are not adjacent to each other, and therefore, undesirable crosstalk can be reduced because heads corresponding to adjacent tracks are prevented from being driven simultaneously, while the entire writing current power can be reduced.

Abstract: Source data is organized by a time compression memory (4) into a plurality of successive groups of data words arranged in a pattern of rows and columns with the rows corresponding to respective recording tracks. A plurality of successive groups of parity check words is provided in the same pattern of rows and columns as the data words subsequent to the data word groups. Each parity check word is derived in a parity generator (6) by modulo-2 summations from the data words selected from different data word groups. The data and check words of each row of each respective group are (a) preceded by a synchronization code provided by a sync generator (10) to allow differentiation between data and parity groups, and (b) followed by a cyclic redundancy check, (CRC) code provided by a CRCC generator (9) to allow detection of an error in that data row or check words. The parity check word is used to correct an error specified by the CRC code upon detection of an error.

Abstract: At least one bit of a digital signal including a plurality of bits to be simultaneously recorded on a plurality of tracks of a magnetic tape, is recorded on at least two tracks located at opposite sides with respect to a reference track. The reference track carries a reference signal utilized for producing a synchronous signal with which the plurality of bits are reproduced in synchronization. When reproducing, a.c. signals derived from the two corresponding tracks having the simultaneously recorded bits are added to each other whereby the phase difference of the plurality of bits with respect to the reference signal is compensated while drop out phenomenon is reduced.

Abstract: Signal recording method and apparatus for efficiently correcting a bit error due to dropout occurred in recording an analog data into a digital data and reproducing the digital data is disclosed. The digital signal converted from the analog signal is divided into a plurality of groups to each of which a parity check bit is added. Record pattern is recorded on a record medium by a recording apparatus in accordance with a regular coding such as FM (frequency modulation) or MFM (modified frequency modulation) coding such that more than one bits in a group are not simultaneously influenced by the dropout, e.g. individual bits in a group are spaced from each other by several tracks. On reproducing, the coded digital signal is decoded into the original digital signal and the dropout is detected utilizing the nature of the regularity of the coding. The parity is checked for each of the groups.