Digicorder TDR7

• Brand: Recordon

Digital Data Recording Equipment for Minicomputers

A medium-price computer tape handler claimed to be cheaper than existing handlers of its kind, is announced by Racal-Thermionic Ltd. With a storage capacity of 60,000 characters per second, it is suitable for use with any standard data processor and special-purpose data collection equipment in, for example, nuclear research, stock control, and payroll accounting.

Designed for small and medium-size computer systems, the basic cost of the transport, type TDR7, is £1250.

Racal-Thermionic, who are entering the computer peripheral market with this and digital cassette recorders, expect to exceed the current growth rate in this area of 20% p.a. The cassette recording system uses a Digideck, made at present by International Computers in Texas, which is a two-track digital data read/write transport system measuring about 11 x 13 X 17cm; it is much smaller than paper tape equipment.

Using the standard Philips-type cassette it automatically moves the tape in either direction under program control. Although this deck can use the Philips audio cassette, giving a raw error rate of 1 in 10⁵, it is strongly recommended that certified Racal-Thermionic cassettes are used, which use a better-quality tape to give a raw error rate of 1 in 10⁷.

Available in four versions the basic deck costs around £200.

A complete desktop recorder using either one or two of these decks (called Digicorder) can be easily interfaced with existing or projected computer installation and is especially useful for program storage.

These peripherals are aimed at the mini-computer market, estimated to be worth around £3,000M in Europe by 1975, with peripheral equipment amounting to about half of this. Mini computers are usually interpreted as computers costing under £20,000.

In questo link sono elencati 10 modelli, di cui 10 con immagini e 1 con schemi.
Elenco delle radio e altri apparecchi della Thermionic Products Ltd.; London