Read from Magnetic Tape on RS232

[gtmcd83]

Hey guys,

I am VERY New to LAB View and am trying to learn it as well as work on a project. I want to read raw data off of a magnetic Audio cassette tape that an old CNC machine created using RS232. I do not have any information other than that, no rates, stop bit, nothing. what can i try?

Thanks,

George

[mzu2006]

So what kind of an interface do you have? Is it a digital tape recorder with RS-232, or you have just the CNC tape and a regular tape player?

If this is the first case, post the model number, please.
If all you got is the tape, then you need to know the modulation type and characteristic frequencies. For instance, ZX Spectrum used a special type of modulation described here. This link may serve as a general guide to the problem as well. Looks like you will also need some form of analogue input (sound card will, probably, work)

[Konstantin Sumenko]

Is it an education project or you just need to convert data from Audio cassete? If cassete contains only music may be it will be right to use PC sound card as mzu2006 suggested?

[mzu2006]

Crowbar He is talking about the digital data for a CNC (ЧПУ in Russian). Some of the CNC machines were recording the data to a regular tape recorder, so that the sampling rate of an audio card (48k) is enough to get all the data.

[gtmcd83]

the CNC Machine is programmed manually at the machine, but you can store the data from a round connector on the machine. The previous programmer used a cable that went from the round connector to a serial connection that recorded to an audio cassette tape on a special recording device made specifically for recording machine data. I want to read from the machine, I can "Play" the cassette from the tape device and listen to it from labview ( I am assuming) but i do not know how?

[mzu2006]

The previous programmer used a cable that went from the round connector to a serial connection

By saying serial do you mean it is RS232, or you just mean it has 2 wires in it?
This will determine further course of action: if it is RS232 - then just try a number of settings on your pc com port.
For instance, CNC Bandit I/II used: 7 data bits 2 stop bits Xon/Xoff Even Parity no EOB no LF/CR.

If not, then the data is modulated, somehow like in the link I gave in my pre-previous post. Then you will have to connect it to some
analogue input device (sound card should work) and analyse what is recorded.

Let us know what is the case.

[gtmcd83]

I will give both a try and let you know. i will take pictures and post a small explanation of what i tried.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help. Somethings gotta work.