An inexpensive means of indexing magnetic tape for the computer processing of analogue physiological records.

Abstract

The results of physiological experiments are often recorded as analogue signals on magnetic tape, and for computer analysis they need to be adequately marked. This paper describes a system for making digital marks on such records, as they are collected. Each mark is a 4-decimal digit sequence coded in binary form, providing a wide range of marking codes. Another system is described which detects these marks during replay of the record and passes the detected codes to a binary-register interface of a computer. The computer can use these signals to control the data processing and analysis of the record. The paper finally describes a system which detects the recorded markers during replay and displays the codes, in decimal form, on number indicator tubes.